Space Station Photos: Expedition 52 Crew in Orbit

All Smiles

Randy Bresnik of NASA enters the Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft during a fit check dress rehearsal, and flashes a smile at the camera. Bresnik and Expedition 52-53 fellow flight engineers Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of the ESA will begin their five-month mission on the ISS with a launch on July 28 in the Soyuz MS-05.

Excited for the Mission

While completing a fit check dress rehearsal in the Soyuz MS-05, Randy Bresnik of NASA smiles as his crewmates Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Paolo Nespoli of the ESA, read through instructions, and the trio prepares for their upcoming July 28 launch.

Joining the Club

In a Baikonur, Kazakhstan space museum on July 18 during traditional pre-launch ceremonies, Expedition 52-53 backup crewmember Norishige Kanai of JAXA signs a mural.

Tokens of Honor and Gratitude

On July 18 during a traditional flag-raising ceremony outside their Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 52-53 crewmembers accept flowers.

Two Teams, One Mission

At the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the prime and backup crews for the Expedition 52-53 pose for a unique photo. From the left, the prime crewmembers are Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency, Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Randy Bresnik of NASA, and then backupn crewmembers are Norishige Kanai of JAXA, Alexander Misurkin of Roscosmos and Mark Vande Hei of NASA.