The launch of the Soyuz rocket carrying the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft was cancelled. Cosmonauts from around the world, including the first Belarusian cosmonaut, were expected to take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and reach the International Space Station (ISS). RIA News.
According to the Roscosmos publication, the launch was automatically canceled. “Attention to the launch complex. “The launch has been automatically cancelled,” the announcer noted.
The launch was originally planned for March 21 at 16:21 Moscow time. As a result, it was decided to restore the units of the launch complex in Baikonur to their original state. The Soyuz launch complex is expected to be ready for parking for at least 24 hours.
Marina Vasilevskaya was supposed to fly to the ISS, where, if the launch is successful, she will become the first woman from Belarus to fly into space. The crew also includes Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and American female astronaut Tracy Dyson.
Also for Vasilevskaya in February choosed substitute – the person who will fly in his place in an emergency. This was surgeon Anastasia Lenkova, whom the medical commission recognized as suitable for a space mission at the same time as Vasilevskaya.
Shortly before the day of the flight, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko via video link spoke with crew members – Novitsky and Vasilevskaya.
At the eponymous Cosmonaut Training Center (TBM). Gagarin in Star City Vasilevskaya and Lenkova has reached In July 2023. They have been preparing for the flight to the ISS ever since, and training lasted about eight months. During this time, Belarusian representatives examined the Soyuz MS systems and the Russian section of the ISS.
Previously recognized About changes in the work of the ISS for the sake of Belarusian cosmonauts.