Lukashenko holding video conference call with cosmonauts Novitsky and Vasilevskaya
On March 19th, the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, has held a video conference call with the ISS-71/VE-21 main crew members: Oleg Novitsky and Marina Vasilevskaya, BelTA reports
Belarusian Marina Vasilevskaya is a participant of the space flight to the International Space Station. Along with Roscosmos cosmonaut, Belarus-born crew commander Oleg Novitsky and NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, she is a member of the main crew of the 21st Visiting Expedition.
The launch of the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft by the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle is scheduled for March 21st, 4:21pm Moscow time. Docking with the ISS is expected three hours after the start.
The Belarusian cosmonaut’s scientific programme developed by the National Academy of Sciences together with Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences is to be carried out during the flight. It includes seven targeted works: 5 research and 2 educational. Scientific studies will embrace the field of biology, physiology, autonomous operation of space stations, remote sensing of the Earth using the ISS-based Belarusian photo and video spectral equipment. Lactoferrin and probiotics produced by scientific organisations of the National Academy of Sciences will also be investigated for their subsequent possible use in the development of food for cosmonauts.
Marina Vasilevskaya was born in 1990 in Minsk. In 2017-2023, she worked as a flight attendant at Belavia Airlines and, in 2022, was through a national selection round. The Belarusian was later examined by the main medical commission of the Yuri Gagarin State Scientific Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Centre and was included into the main crew as a representative of Belarus.
Cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky was born in Belarus. He flew to space in 2012, 2016 and 2021, spending a total of 531 days in space and 22 hours in outer space.
