The Expedition 50 prime and backup crewmembers raise the flags of Russia the U.S. France and Kazakhstan Nov. 3 during their traditional ceremony.

Under leaden skies outside their Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, the Expedition 50 prime and backup crewmembers raise the flags of Russia, the U.S., France and Kazakhstan Nov. 3 during their traditional ceremony. Peggy Whitson of NASA, Oleg Novistkiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency will launch Nov. 18, Baikonur time, on the Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

NASA/Alexander Vysotsky