Crew of Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft arrives at Baikonur to prepare to fly to ISS

MOSCOW. March 21 (Interfax) - The main and backup crews of the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft have arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome to undergo preparations for a flight to the International Space Station (ISS), Russia's Roscosmos state space corporation said on Friday.

"The crews of the 73rd long-duration expedition to the ISS have arrived at Baikonur. The planes carrying the cosmonauts and astronauts have arrived at Krainy Airfield," it said.

The crews are to undergo training for two weeks, Roscosmos said.

The Soyuz MS-27's launch is scheduled for April 8. The main crew includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky, and NASA astronaut Jonathan Kim. The backup crew includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams.

NASA's Kim is to fly to the ISS under an agreement on cross flights between Russia and the United States.

In July 2022, Roscosmos and NASA signed an agreement on the cross flights of Russian cosmonauts using U.S. Crew Dragon spacecraft and U.S. astronauts using Russian Soyuz MS spacecraft.