On July 9, 2016 at 04:06 UTC the Russian "Soyuz MS” new spacecraft docked with the Russian “Rassvet” (MIM-1) module of the International Space Station. The spacecraft delivered three new members of Expedition 48 to the ISS, Russian cosmonaut Anatoliy Ivanishin, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi (大西 卓哉) and American astronaut Kathleen Rubins. The new comers joined current ISS expedition members – Russian cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka as well as American astronaut Jeffrey Williams to form Expedition 48 crew of 6 members.

On July 7, 2016 at 01:36 UTC the Russian “Soyuz MS” spacecraft was launched from Baykonur Cosmodrome. The space vehicle was orbited by the Russian “Soyuz-FG” rocket-carrier. The spacecraft is piloted by 3 cosmonauts: Commander, Russian cosmonaut Anatoliy Ivanishin (center); Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi (大西 卓哉) (right) and American astronaut Kathleen Rubins (left).

Photo by Russian Cosmonaut Training Center.

The space vehicle is to dock with the International Space Station on July 9, 2016. Ivanishin, Onishi and Rubins will join current ISS expedition members Ovchinin, Skripochka and Williams.

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