News & Events in Belarus

Belarus’ Marina Vasilevskaya to fly to ISS in Q1 2024

Alexandr Lukashenko visited the Yu.A. Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center, December 2022

MINSK, 11 August (BelTA) – Belarus’ Marina Vasilevskaya will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) in the first quarter of 2024, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he talked to the labor collective of Minsk National Airport, BelTA has learned.

The president recalled preparations for the flight of Belarus’ representative to the ISS and the agreements reached with the leadership of Russia and Roscosmos: “I told the president of Russia: the Belarusians are staying a way too long on the ground. Everyone flies, including Africans, they have done a great job. But why don’t Belarusians fly? He says: that’s right. After that we embarked on negotiations with Roscosmos. This Russian corporation had one condition, which the Belarusian side fulfilled - sending a woman into space.”

“The flight is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024. Perhaps it will take place in March 2024. This is due to the accident at the ISS [postponing of the flight to next year]. Indeed, our girl will fly there. A backup crew member was also determined. We are getting ready, nothing can change this,” the president said.

A reminder, flight attendant of the Belarusian national air carrier Belavia Marina Vasilevskaya was assigned to fly to the International Space Station as part of the prime crew. Cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky will be the mission commander. NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson will join the crew as a flight engineer. Cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, Belarusian pediatric surgeon Anastasia Lenkova and NASA astronaut Donald R. Pettit were assigned as backup crew members.

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