October 9, 2007, Baikonur launch site, branch office of S.P.Korolev RSC Energia

A meeting of the State commission was held. Director of Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center V.V. Tsibliev reported about the crew readiness for the planned spaceflight. RSC Energia President and General Designer V.A. Lopota reported about readiness of the Soyuz FG/Soyuz TMA-11 rocket-space complex for further prelaunch processing. The State commission approved the prime and backup crews for the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft and the ISS-16 and also a decision was adopted to continue preparation of the Soyuz-FG/Soyuz TMA-11 rocket-space complex for fueling and launch at the set time on October 10, 2007, namely at 17 hr. 22 min Moscow time.

The Prime Crew: spacecraft commander, ISS-16 flight engineer – pilot-cosmonaut of the Russian Federation, cosmonaut of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko; spacecraft flight engineer, ISS-16 commander – NASA astronaut Peggy Annette Whitson; spaceflight participant of the ISS visiting crew, Malaysia citizen, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie.

The Backup Crew: spacecraft commander, ISS-16 flight engineer – pilot-cosmonaut of the Russian Federation, instructor-test cosmonaut of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Colonel of RF Air Force Salizhan Shakirovich Sharipov; spacecraft flight engineer, ISS-16 commander – NASA astronaut, Colonel of USA Air Force Edward Michael Fincke; spaceflight participant of the ISS visiting crew, Malaysia citizen, Faiz Bin Khaleed.