These days, Kazakhstan is the main attraction point for every astronaut and space researcher. The cold sky of this part of the world is the place where the Russian Soyuz rocket is being prepared for an important mission which will start this Monday. The spacecraft will take three astronauts, among which the Canadian David Saint-Jacques to the International Space Station.
The Soyuz is currently going through a procedure called “rollout”, which means that it was carefully manoeuvred out of the hanger where it’s usually kept and brought in the final position before take-off. Now, the rocket is right near the train and waiting to start its journey on Monday morning.
This preparation is an essential part of the pre-launch routine, so the astronauts were not surprised when they saw that a lot of spectators were gathered close to the Baikonur Cosmodrome to watch them preparing for such a mission. Not even Russia’s bitter cold could keep them away.
The Soyuz is heading towards the International Space Station
According to Radio Canada, the crew which is about to fly towards the ISS is comprised of the Canadian David Saint-Jacques, the Russian Oleg Kononenko and the American Anne McClain. Like the Soyuz rocket, they have to go through some procedures before take-off, so now they are getting ready at the Baikonur Cosmodrome from Kazakhstan.
Those who witnessed the “rollout” said that it was a wonderful process. People were so interested in this event that they even became launch pad tourists. The astronauts’ families supported their loved ones and watched the Soyuz rocket getting ready for take-off.
Now, everybody’s waiting anxiously for the mission’s debut. People are hoping that everything will go as planned when Soyuz takes off and that the team will have a successful landing on the International Space Station.
As our second lead editor, Anna C. Mackinno provides guidance on the stories Great Lakes Ledger reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Anna. Anna received a BA and and MA from Fordham University.