Baikonur Spaceport Tour, Soyuz TMA-18M

We are very glad to congratulate Soyuz TMA-18M crew made up of Sergey Volkov, Andreas Mogensen and Aidyn Aimbetov on successful launch and docking with the ISS and our tourists on fantastic Baikonur visiting tour they took part in.

Our multinational group comprising guests from USA, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan and Russia enjoyed the breathtaking atmosphere of prelaunch preparations at Baikonur spaceport.

Such tours are magnificent opportunity to get brand new impressions such as watching the rocket during the roll-out and installation on the launchpad, taking part in the international press-conference of main and back-up crews, taking a walk along historical Alley where all the cosmonauts starting from the very first one Yuri Gagarin plant trees before going to space, seeing-off the crew from Cosmonaut hotel, wishing them good luck at official report to the State Commission, not to speak of the launch itself which is the most spectacular and marvelous event of the whole program.

The atmosphere was very friendly; in Baikonur everyone quickly makes good friends and sincerely supports the cosmonauts. For each of the crew members this launch was very special: Andreas Mogensen is the first Danish astronaut, Aidyn Aimbetov who took the seat of space tourist Sarah Brightman – the first cosmonaut of Kazakh Republic after Soviet Union collapse, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Volkov (the most experienced crew member) goes to the ISS for the 3rd time.

Besides this launch was the 500th one from famous Gagarin launchpad.

It was a daytime launch and nice weather let us enjoy the show to the full extent.

On September 2, 07:37, Moscow time, Soyuz TMA-18M manned spacecraft was launched by Soyuz-FG booster from # 1 launchpad of Baikonur spaceport (Gagarin launch). In two days the spacecraft nominally docked with the station and crew started working on the orbit.

We wish success to our space heroes and wait for all space fans and travel enthusiasts to join us for our future adventures!

See you on space routes!