The rocket was just transported to its dedicated launch pad

Jul 12, 2012 13:57 GMT  ·  By
Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft being rolled out to its launch pad, ahead of a planned July 15, 2012 launch attempt
   Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft being rolled out to its launch pad, ahead of a planned July 15, 2012 launch attempt

The Soyuz rocket that will carry three members of Expedition 32 to the International Space Station (ISS) was rolled out of its assembly facility, towards its dedicated launch pad, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan.

Attached to the delivery system is the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft, which will carry Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko, NASA flight engineer Sunita Williams and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) flight engineer Akihiko Hoshide.

They will join Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka, of the Russian Federal Space Agency (RosCosmos), NASA astronaut Joseph M. Acaba and RosCosmos flight engineer Sergei Revin, who launched towards the ISS on the Soyuz TMA-04M capsule on May 15, 2012.

The image above shows the newest Soyuz being rolled out by train, in the characteristic horizontal position that RosCosmos uses for moving its rockets around. Currently, takeoff is scheduled to occur on Sunday, July 15. Best of luck to them!