Preparation of the "Soyuz MS-29" crewed spacecraft for its planned July 14 launch continues at Baikonur. Specialists have completed the docking of the apparatus with the transfer compartment – a key structural element that connects the spacecraft to the fairing and the third stage of the "Soyuz-2.1a" launch vehicle.
The transfer compartment not only provides mechanical integration of all rocket elements but also transmits command signals to the onboard control system of the launch vehicle. Before docking, specialists conducted a control weighing of the spacecraft and completed preparations for placing the payload and onboard equipment.
The planned mission crew includes two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut. The spacecraft will deliver them to the International Space Station as part of the regular crew rotation.
It was previously reported that the average cost of delivering one NASA astronaut to the ISS is estimated at approximately $80 million, which maintains the high relevance of crewed launches on Russian spacecraft even amidst the development of commercial programs.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the Soyuz series missions remain one of the most stable and proven methods of delivering crews to orbit: the high reliability of the platform and regular launches allow for continuous human presence on the ISS without technological gaps between expeditions.