Expedition 27 Prepares to Launch

The Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft is seen on the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Saturday, April 2, 2011. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 27 Soyuz Commander Alexander Samokutyaev, NASA Flight Engineer Ron Garan and Russian Flight Engineer Andrey Borisenko is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5, 2011. The Soyuz, which has been dubbed 'Gagarin,' is launching one week shy of the 50th anniversary of the launch of Yuri Gagarin from the same launch pad in Baikonur on April 12, 1961 to become the first human to fly in space. The first stage of the Soyuz booster is emblazoned with the name Gagarin and the cosmonaut's likeness.

Image Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi