Prime and backup crew members during the State Commission meeting to approve the Soyuz launch

From left, prime crew members, Kazakh cosmonaut Aidyn Aimbetov, Soyuz spacecraft commander Sergei Volkov, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and backup crew members Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochkan, are seen during State Commission meeting, to approve the Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on 1 September 2015, at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonour, Kazakhstan. The trio travel to the International Space Station in the early hours of 2 September.

Follow the whole mission with live updates via the iriss mission blog and Twitter via @esaoperations

Connect with Andreas at: andreasmogensen.esa.int/