Launch of the Yuri Gagarin spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on the eve of the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's first space flight. Roscosmos CEO Dmitry Rogozin, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Askar Mamin, and Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky were present at the launch.




On April 9, 2021, the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with the Yuri Gagarin (Soyuz MS-18) manned transport spacecraft was launched from Baikonur.
The flight took place according to the so-called superfast, two-turn rendezvous scheme; after 3 hours and 23 minutes, the transfer hatch of the Russian Rassvet module opened, and the crew of the 64th long-term expedition transferred to the ISS.
Rogozin D.O. -- statesman
09.04.2021
Kazakhstan