MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia plans to carry out four manned space launches and four cargo launches to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2017 and 2018, Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC) head Yuri Lonchakov said Wednesday.
"Our flight program involves four manned space launches and four cargo launches in 2017-2018," Lonchakov told the Russian parliament's upper chamber.
10 April 2017, 22:08 GMT
Two Russian cosmonauts from ISS Expedition 50 came back to Earth on Monday after spending over 170 days in space. Andrei Borisenko, Sergei Ryzhikov and US astronaut Shane Kimbrough landed in Kazakhstan on board a Soyuz MS-02 vehicle.
Expedition 51 captain and NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson assumed command of the ISS on Sunday and the station is now awaiting for the arrival of Russia's Fyodor Yurchikhin and US astronaut Jack Fischer in a week's time on board a Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft.
