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SOYUZ MS-20 LAUNCH AND DOCKING, Dec 8, 2021, Kazakhstan, Launch, 2:38 am ET/Dock, 8:41 am ET
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Russia will launch Soyuz MS-20 to the International Space Station on December 8, 2021 at 2:38 am EST (07:38 UTC) from the Baikonur Cosmosdrome in Kazahhstan. If launch goes as planned, they will dock at the International Space Station six hours later at 8:41 am EST. They will remain until December 19, landing at 10:18 pm ET. NASA TV will cover launch, docking and landing as follows:
Wednesday, Dec. 8
2 a.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for 2:38 a.m. launch.
8 a.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for 8:41 a.m. docking.
10:15 a.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for hatch opening and welcome remarks.
Sunday, Dec. 19
3 p.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for hatch closing at 3:32 p.m.
6:30 p.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for undocking at 6:54 p.m.
9 p.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for deorbit and landing. Landing is targeted for 10:18 p.m.
The three-person crew includes one Russian professional cosmonaut and two Japanese space tourists.
- Alexander Misurkin, Roscosmos cosmonaut
- Yusaku Maezawa, spaceflight participant (Japanese billionaire)
- Yozo Hirano, spaceflight participant (Maezawa’s production assistant who will document the flight
Follow on Twitter at #MZJourneytoSpace)
Fun fact: Maezawa has also purchased all the seats on the first flight of SpaceX’s Starship around the Moon, which is tentatively scheduled for 2023. He held a competition earlier this year to choose 8 companions for the journey, which he calls Dear Moon. The winners have not been announced yet.