BAIKONUR, November 17. /TASS/. The crew of the Soyuz MS-28 transport spacecraft, which arrived at the Baikonur spaceport on November 11, has begun the final preparations for launch. Roscosmos cosmonaut and crew commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, also a TASS special correspondent, shared insights into their ongoing activities.
"Following our arrival, we conducted what we call ‘the first fitting’ of the spacecraft," Kud-Sverchkov explained. "We inspected the spacecraft, checked the ergonomics and the condition of various systems, tried on our spacesuits again, and performed a communications check. Afterward, we returned to our pad, and the next day, we ceremoniously raised the flags. This flag-raising marks the official start of our pre-launch training."
Soyuz MS-28 is already loaded with propellant components and is currently stationed at the assembly and test facility. Meanwhile, both the prime and backup crews are engaged in comprehensive training sessions at Baikonur’s Site 17. Their activities include preparing for the effects of weightlessness, vestibular stability exercises, and detailed briefings on the spacecraft’s systems. They are also reviewing launch procedures, including the launch time and in-flight protocols, while inputting all relevant information into their onboard logbooks.
Kud-Sverchkov noted that the training conditions are optimal.
"The weather has been favorable - almost no wind, sunny skies, and temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius. We’re continuing our preparations and getting ready for launch. We still have nearly two weeks of pre-launch activities ahead of us," he said.
The launch of Soyuz MS-28 is scheduled for November 27. The prime crew of ISS Expedition 74 includes Russian cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev, along with NASA astronaut Christopher Williams. Their backups are cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, as well as astronaut Anil Menon. The mission, expected to last approximately eight months, will include over 40 scientific experiments and two spacewalks. The spacecraft is planned to return to Earth at the end of July.