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The crew of Soyuz TMA-19M started training at the cosmodrome

December 1, 2015

On Tuesday, December 1 the final training of the prime and backup crews of manned spacecraft Soyuz TMA-19M began at Baikonur cosmodrome, which launch is scheduled on December 15, 2015.

Today, the Technical Management meeting took place, at which a decision was taken to fill Soyuz TMA-19M with propellant components and compressed gases.

Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, NASA astronaut Timothy Kopra and ESA astronaut Timothy Peake being members of the prime crew fitted on spacesuits Sokol-KV and after spacesuit leak check took their seats in the vehicle. The crew tested the radio system, checked the laser ranger, became familiar with the onboard documentation, flight program and a list of cargo items.

In the final preparation phase trainings on manual berthing of the vehicle to the International Space Station, monitoring of science hardware kits, ballistic lessons and other activities were planned.

Members of the prime and backup crews of Soyuz TMA-19M arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Wednesday. The backup crew consists of Anatoly Ivanishin (Roscosmos), Takuya Onishi (JAXA) and Kathleen Rubins (NASA).

The launch of Soyuz TMA-19M carrying the crew of the next long-duration expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled on December 15, 2015 from site No.1 ("Gagarin's Launch Site") of Baikonur Cosmodrome.

OAO RSC Energia: the leader in the rocket and space industry, and the prime contractor for manned space systems. The Corporation conducts work on the development of unmanned space and rocket systems (launch vehicles and orbital transfer vehicles), and high-technology systems for various non-space applications. Since August 2014, the Corporation is headed by Vladimir Lvovich Solntsev.