ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli (left) and fellow Expedition 52/53 crew mates Sergey Ryazansky of Roscosmos (centre) and Randy Bresnik of NASA (right) arrived at Baikonur cosmodrome on Sunday, 16 July. With just under two weeks to go to launch, the crew will perform a series of tests and ceremonies.
One pre-flight check is the Sokol space suit fitting. The crew tried on their Sokol suits, worn by every astronaut who launches in a Soyuz vehicle. The suit is designed to keep astronauts safe in the event of depressurisation while in the Soyuz. It is not intended to be worn in any other context.
The crew will launch to the International Space Station on board a Soyuz MS-05 on 28 July from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Read more about Paolo’s VITA mission here.