Next ISS Crew Heads to Launch Site

After participating in traditional ceremonies at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia on March 13, Expedition 39/40 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos departed for the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to complete training for their March 26, Kazakhstan time launch to the International Space Station. Also making the trip were backup crew members Alexander Samokutyaev of Roscosmos, Barry Wilmore of NASA and Elena Serova of Roscosmos.