The Soyuz launch vehicle with Oleg Kononenko on board is preparing for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
At the Baikonur cosmodrome, preparatory work has been completed for the launch of the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle, on which the Soyuz MS-24 manned spacecraft with an international crew on board will be sent. This is reported by TASS.
The rocket was taken to the launch pad and installed in an upright position. On its side blocks you can see images dedicated to the anniversaries of Novosibirsk, the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater, the Minister of General Mechanical Engineering of the USSR Sergey Afanasyev and the international exhibition-forum "Russia".
The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft will deliver four members of a long-term expedition to the International Space Station (ISS). The team includes the commander of the Roscosmos cosmonaut detachment, a native of Turkmenistan Oleg Kononenko, cosmonaut Nikolai Chub, as well as NASA astronaut Laurel O'Hara.
Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub will remain on the ISS for a year and will return to Earth in September 2024. For Oleg Kononenko, this will be the fifth flight into space, and for Nikolai Chub - the first. Laurel O'Hara will spend six months at the station and will return in March 2024.
The launch of the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with the Soyuz MS-24 manned spacecraft is scheduled for 20:44:35 Ashgabat time on September 15.
Recall that the Hero of Turkmenistan Oleg Kononenko is preparing to become a record holder for the duration of stay in space.
This expedition will be special for Oleg Kononenko, as he will become the record holder for the total time spent in space among Russian cosmonauts. His flight will last 375 days, after which he will return to Earth with a total result of more than a thousand days in space.
Oleg Kononenko was born in the city of Turkmenabat in 1964, where he graduated from high school, and later worked at the Chardzhou United Aviation Squadron Aviation Base. He was awarded the title of Hero of Turkmenistan and the Altyn Aý gold medal, awarded the "Order of the President" for services to the Turkmen state.
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