From the Baikonur cosmodrome to the International Space Station (ISS), the Soyuz-2.1a rocket launched the Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft with the Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and Japanese tourists Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano, Roscosmos reports.
The launch took place at 10:38 Moscow time. Docking of the spacecraft to the small research module “Poisk” of the Russian segment of the ISS is scheduled for 16:41 Moscow time. Japanese tourists must spend 12 days in space. Their return to Earth is scheduled for December 20.
Also, Soyuz MS-20 will deliver to the ISS about 162 kg of useful cargo, including scientific materials, equipment, hygiene products and food.
In December, RIA Novosti reported that the crew of the Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft, which includes space tourists from Japan, was accompanied by the song “Grass at the House” by the “Earthlings” group, sung in Japanese. As Izvestia wrote at the time, businessman Yusaku Maezawa planned to paint a picture on board the ISS.
