Expedition 40 Preflight

The Soyuz TMA-13M rocket is seen as the service structure lowered in preperation for launch in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 29, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Expedition 40 Soyuz Commander Maxim Suraev, of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, Flight Engineer Alexander Gerst, of the European Space Agency, ESA, and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA on a five and a half month mission aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)