Launch of Soyuz MS-25 crewed spacecraft with Belarusian cosmonaut aboard slated for March 13, 2024 - Roscosmos

MOSCOW. July 24 (Interfax) - Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya and NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft on March 13, 2024, Russia's Roscosmos state-owned space corporation said on Sunday.

"The launch of the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft carrying the crew of the 21st visiting expedition is slated for March 13, 2024," the corporation said.

"Oleg Novitsky and Marina Vasilevskaya are expected to spend 12 days at the ISS and return to Earth on the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft alongside NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, while Tracy Dyson would continue the mission at the station," it said.

According to Roscosmos, two representatives of Belarus arrived at the Cosmonaut Training Center today to be introduced to the management of the center and start training under the program for preparations for space flights.

"Training will take eight months and include, in particular, studying the systems of a Soyuz-MS crewed spacecraft and the Russian segment of the ISS and crew drills of actions in case of an emergency landing in various climate and geographic zones," it said.

On May 29, the Cosmonaut Training Center released information that Novitsky would be the commander of the 21st visiting expedition, Vasilevskaya would be the participant of the space flight, and NASA astronaut Dyson would be the flight engineer.

Cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, Belarusian cosmonaut Anastasia Lenkova and NASA astronaut Donald Roy Pettit make up the backup crew.

Vasilevskaya is a flight attendant of the Belarusian national airline Belavia.

On March 16, Roscosmos said that it was approving the Belarusian candidates with its partners in the ISS.

It was also reported that the Belarusian cosmonaut's research program project was formed, and it comprises nine experiments in various fields.

On February 22, Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Space Programs Sergei Krikalev said that the first flight of a female Belarusian cosmonaut to the ISS had been postponed from the fall of 2023 to early 2024 because of a problem on board the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously confirmed the intention to send a Belarusian cosmonaut to the ISS in 2023 during negotiations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.