Today,March 23, at 15:36 Moscow time, the important event took place for the sovereign Belarus – for the first time in its history a citizen of the country Marina Vasilevskaya had flown into space.Oleg Novitsky is a native of Belarus, a Russian cosmonaut, a member of the cosmonaut detachment of the Gagarin Scientific Research Test Cosmonaut Training Center, Hero of the Russian Federation, Honorary Professor of BNTU, he was appointed commander of the ship.
The spacecraft's flight to the ISS will follow an extended two-day approach pattern. Oleg Novitsky and Marina Vasilevskaya will spend 12 days on the ISS and return to Earth on the “Soyuz MS-24” spacecraft, currently docked to the station along with American Loral O'Hara, she arrived on it on September 15, 2023.
Note that the initial launch was supposed to take place on March 21, 2024 at 16:21 Moscow time. However, the launch of the “Soyuz-2.1a” rocket with the “Soyuz MS-25” spacecraft was postponed due to a voltage drawdown of the chemical current source. The cancellation occurred automatically, the crew was not injured, the girl's pulse didn’t rise, which means there was definitely nothing to worry about.
– Yes, we have a two-day scheme. However, to be honest, everything that is being done is for the best. I have already seen this, and it will be a great experience for me. We will spend two days in the ship, and we will have more time to adapt to zero gravity, more time to look at our beautiful Earth. When we arrive at the station, I am sure we will feel good - said Marina Vasilevskaya.
Taking a Belarusian female cosmonaut to the ISS became possible thanks to an agreement at the presidential level of Belarus and Russia. The main crew includes Belarusian Marina Vasilevskaya, and the backup crew includes Belarusian Anastasia Lenkova.
On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, Marina Vasilevskaya and Oleg Novitsky communicated with the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko through video conference call. Oleg Novitsky reported that Marina Vasilevskaya's condition is combat, she is calm and focused on work and project implementation.
Before the launch, Nadezhda Tolstikova, a student of the Faculty of Transport Communications, the current Miss Minsk, a finalist of the Miss Belarus 2023 contest, told about her impressions of being on the site and the significance of the event.
– Despite the cancellation, we stayed at Baikonur and were looking forward to the launch. This day is very important for our country, it will go down in the history of sovereign independent Belarus. I am incredibly happy that I touched this event with my hand. This is all happening right in front of my eyes, which are filled with tears from overwhelming emotions.
Marina Vasilevskaya will have to conduct seven experiments during the expedition. We wish her and crew a successful flight, effective research and we are waiting for the team to return after a 12-day stay on the ISS. In recent mourning events we have supported Russians more than ever and this flight is another symbol of the unity of our people.
