The Expedition 38/39 backup crewmembers pose for pictures in front of a statue of Yuri Gagarin during a tour of the city of Baikonur October 27.

The Expedition 38/39 backup crewmembers pose for pictures in front of a statue of Yuri Gagarin, the first human to fly in space, during a tour of the city of Baikonur, Kazakhstan October 27. Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (left), Max Suraev (center) and Reid Wiseman of NASA (right) are understudies to the prime crew, Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin and Rick Mastracchio of NASA, who will launch Nov. 7, Kazakh time, in the Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft from Baikonur to begin a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

NASA/Victor Zelentsov