Roscosmos, archive. Preparation and launch of the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle and the Soyuz MS-20 transport spacecraft (2021)

Baikonur, Yuzhny Space Center.

Assembly and Test Building, shop, payload fairing.

Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft in the slipway.

Specialists at work.

Preparing for rolling the payload fairing, tilting Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft.

View of the shop and the spacecraft from above.

Specialists connecting wires.

Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, ISS simulator, Russian segment.

Press service footage: Alexander Misurkin, Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano record greetings and wishes for the athletes (in English).

Cosmonaut Training Center, ISS simulator, Russian segment.

Press service footage: Alexander Misurkin, Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano record greetings and wishes for the athletes (in English).

Baikonur, KC "Yuzhny".

MIK, workshop, payload fairing, the spacecraft "Soyuz MS-20" in the stocks.

Specialists work inside and outside the spacecraft.

MIK, workshop, payload fairing, Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft in the stocks.

Checking the operation of solar batteries.

The cosmonauts arrive by bus to the RSC Energia building.

Preparations for the pre-flight press conference.

The cosmonauts in their spacesuits, taking photos and videos.

Fitting the spacesuit (Misurkin).

The cosmonauts are photographed against the backdrop of the spacecraft. "Fitting down" the spacecraft.

The fairing.

The cosmonauts inside the spacecraft.

The crew climbs out.

MIK, workshop, combat crew on line-up, briefing.

Night, Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with Soyuz MS-20 transport ship being rolled out of MIK. Morning, rocket delivery to the launch pad.

Rocket verticalization (shots from the ground and from a copter); fog, spotlights.

Truss alignment (regular shots and timelapse, raindrops on the camera lens).

Second training session at the MIK. The cosmonauts arrive by bus to the RSC Energia building.

The pre-flight press conference hall.

The cosmonauts at the MIK. Taking photos.

The cosmonauts climb into the spacecraft.

Timelapse: a general view of the workshop, the spacecraft, and the launch vehicle in vertical berths.

The cosmonauts leave the spacecraft.

Taking photos.

The cosmonauts communicate with the management in the press conference hall.

MIK, workshop, specialists work with the Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft.

The spacecraft is moved to a horizontal position.

Specialists remove protective elements, vacuum the recesses and grooves.

Rolling and securing the payload fairing.

Verticalization of the Soyuz spacecraft in the slipways; the Progress spacecraft is standing nearby in the slipways.

MIK, workshop, combat crew on line-up, briefing.

General assembly of the missile.

The plane lands and maneuvers on the airfield.

The cosmonauts exit the plane, the main crew: Alexander Misurkin, Yusaku Maezawa, Yozo Hirano.

Meeting with the state commission, greeting.

The cosmonauts and members of the state commission in front of the plane.

The cosmonauts greet the spectators, people shout and wave Russian flags.

Photographing the cosmonauts in front of the bus.

The flags flutter in the wind.

The plane lands.

The backup crew arrives, Alexander Skvortsov and Shun Ogiso exit the plane.

Meeting with the state commission, greeting.

The cosmonauts and members of the state commission are photographed in front of the plane.

The cosmonauts walk to the buses.

Photographing the cosmonauts in front of the bus.

Alexander Skvortsov and Shun Ogiso board the bus.

Buses in front of the airport building.

MIK, installation of the Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft on the PHO (transition compartment).

Yusaku Maezawa celebrates his birthday.

His fellow cosmonauts leave autographs, congratulations and wishes on a sheet of Whatman paper.

The cosmonauts sign photographs.

The cosmonauts and other members of the task force congratulate Yusaku Maezawa on his birthday, applause.

Oleg Kononenko congratulates the cosmonaut and gives him a bouquet of flowers.

Presentation of a poster with congratulations and autographs.

Doctor Sergei Savin reads poetry and presents the birthday boy with a Kazakh dish with an inscription on the bottom on the back.

Yusaku Maezawa speaks Japanese with his compatriots.

Baikonur, launch of the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with the Soyuz MS-20 transport spacecraft (shots from different angles, from the ground and a copter, cutting).

The cosmonauts leave the hotel to the song "Grass by the House" performed by the group "Zemlyane".

The crews say goodbye to those seeing them off.

The cosmonauts board the bus, people continue taking photos; the song "Grass by the House" is performed by the duet "Deai" (formerly "Ichigo Tanuki").

The buses leave for the cosmodrome.