The Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the piloted Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft has been moved from the assembly and testing facility and installed at the launch pad in Baikonur. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
The spacecraft will carry two Russians and one American to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket was installed at launch pad No. 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The launch is scheduled for July 14 at 19:48 Astana time. This time, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket features posters dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation (where Soyuz spacecraft are assembled) and the Iskra Machine-Building Design Bureau (manufacturer of the spacecraft's emergency rescue system).
Additionally, the rocket displays drawings of children with cancer under the care of the Unity Foundation, as well as several advertising posters. The main crew includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, and NASA astronaut Anil Menon.
The backup crew consists of Russians Konstantin Borisov and Dmitry Petelin, and American Denise Burnham.
According to preliminary plans, the orbital mission will last 261 days.