124daisies:

Soyuz TMA-05M and Expedition 33 crewmembers Suni Williams, Yuri Malachenko and Aki Hoshide at Kustanay Airport, Kazakhstan, a few hours after landing back on Earth, having spent four months aboard the International Space Station.

The landing of Soyuz TMA-05M

(Source)

The current crew of the ISS, expedition 32: Akihiko Hoshide, Sunita Williams and Yuri Malenchenko (top row); Sergei Revin, Gennady Padalka and Joe Acaba (bottom row). 

(Source)

The launch of Soyuz TMA-05M

(Source)

fuckyeahfemaleastronauts:

Soyuz TMA-05M set for Launch

The Soyuz TMA-05M crew consisting of Sunita (Suni) Williams, Yuri Malenchenko and Aki Hoshide is set to launch at 8:40 a.m. Kazakhstan time (10:40 p.m. EDT/4:40 a.m. CEST). The launch will be covered live by NASA TV from 9:30 p.m. EDT tonight. 

The launch today (or tomorrow, depending on where you are) coincides with the  the launch of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project 37 years ago.

Godspeed to the crew, may they safely reach their home in the sky.  

This is the first launch I won’t be able to live-blog since starting this blog, as I’m working tonight. :(

A Soyuz TMA-05M update. The crews have done leak checks on their suits and Soyuz, had the press in to watch them and planted their trees. The Soyuz was rolled out to the launch pad yesterday. They launch on Saturday at 10:40pm ET.

(Sources: 1, 2, 3)

A visit to Red Square was made by the Soyuz TMA-05M crews. It’s a tradition to pay respects to former cosmonauts interred in the Kremlin wall and visit the sights around the Kremlin.

(Source)

The Soyuz TMA-05M crews had their final exams over the past two days. They both passed their Soyuz and ISS tests.

(Sources: 1, 2)