NASA Gallery

3918:..At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 44 crewmembers Kjell Lindgren of NASA (left), Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (center) and Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (right) rehearse rendezvous and docking techniques on a laptop computer as their trainers look on July 15. Yui, Kononenko and Lindgren will launch July 23, Kazakh time on the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a five-month mission on the International Space Station..

3918: At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 44 crewmembers Kjell Lindgren of NASA...

CG4G8895 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) signs in for the first of two days of qualification exams May 6 as his crewmates, Kjell Lindgren of NASA (left) and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (right), look on. The trio is preparing for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8895 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 Soyuz...

3850:..At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 44 prime crewmember Kjell Lindgren of NASA (right) plants a tree in his name in a traditional pre-launch ceremony July 15. Assisting are crewmates Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (left) and Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center), Yui, Kononenko and Lindgren will launch July 23, Kazakh time on the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome for a five-month mission on the International Space Station...Credit: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

3850: At the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 44 prime crewmember Kjell Lindgren of...

CG4G9064 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 crewmembers Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (left), Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center), and Kjell Lindgren of NASA (right) clasp hands for photographers on the first of two days of qualification exams May 6. The trio is preparing for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G9064 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45...

CG4G8954 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 crewmembers Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (left), Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center), and Kjell Lindgren of NASA (right) answer questions from media on the first of two days of qualification exams May 6. The trio is preparing for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8954 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45...

CG4G9036 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 crewmembers Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (left), Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center), and Kjell Lindgren of NASA (right) answer questions from media on the first of two days of qualification exams May 6. The trio is preparing for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G9036 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45...

CG4G9159 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgren of NASA joins his crewmates, Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (not pictured), in the International Space Station Zvezda Service Module training mockup on the first of two days of qualification exams May 6. The trio is preparing for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel..

CG4G9159 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 Flight...

CG4G8889 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 crewmembers Kjell Lindgren of NASA (left), Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center), and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (right) appear before Russian space officials on the first of two days of qualification exams May 6. The trio is preparing for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8889 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45...

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ISS045E108823 (11/17/2015) --- Sunrise as viewed from the International Space Station Nov. 17, 2015. Framing the...

CG4G8846_1 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup crewmembers Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency (left), Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Timothy Kopra of NASA (right) pose for pictures in front of a Soyuz spacecraft simulator May 6 as part of their final qualification exams for flight. They are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8784 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup Flight Engineer Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency answers questions from reporters in front of a Soyuz spacecraft simulator May 6 as part of his final qualification exams for flight. He along with Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Timothy Kopra of NASA (not pictured) are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8796_1 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup crewmembers Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency (left), Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Timothy Kopra of NASA (right) answer questions from reporters in front of a Soyuz spacecraft simulator May 6 as part of their final qualification exams for flight. They are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8740_1 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) signs in for the first of two days of qualification exams May 6 as his crewmates, Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency (left) and Timothy Kopra of NASA (right) look on. They are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8713 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and his crewmates, Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency (left) and Timothy Kopra of NASA (right), prepare to sign in for the first of two days of qualification exams. They are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8787 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup crewmembers Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency (left), Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Timothy Kopra of NASA (right) answer questions from reporters in front of a Soyuz spacecraft simulator May 6 as part of their final qualification exams for flight. They are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8721 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup Flight Engineer Timothy Kopra of NASA signs in for the first of two days of qualification exams May 6 as his crewmates, Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency (left) look on. They are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

CG4G8732 --- (6 May 2015) --- At the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia, Expedition 44/45 backup Flight Engineer Timothy Peake of the European Space Agency signs in for the first of two days of qualification exams May 6 as his crewmates, Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Timothy Kopra of NASA (right) look on. They are the backups to the prime crew --- Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos and Kimya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency --- who are in the final stages of training for launch May 27, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft to begin a five and a half month mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Seth Marcantel

Expedition 43 Soyuz Check

Expedition 43 NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly waits to climb the scaffolding to access the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft for...