Leaving His Mark
During traditional ceremonies on Nov. 10, Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency plants a tree bearing his name outside the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
Prelaunch Tests
Readying themselves for space, Expedition 50/51 crewmembers Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency (foreground) and Oleg Novitskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) conduct pre-launch vestibular tests on tilt tables.
Downtime
Expedition 50/51 crewmember Peggy Whitson of NASA plays a round of ping-pong at the Cosmonaut Hotel on Nov. 10.
Hard at Work
Expedition 50/51 crewmembers Peggy Whitson of NASA (left), Oleg Novitskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency (right) examine flight plans as part of their preflight training.
Preparing the Rocket
Technicians at the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome ready the Soyuz MS-03 for encapsulation into the Soyuz booster.
Dress Rehearsal
Inside the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Peggy Whitson of NASA, enters the Soyuz MS-03 for a fit check dress rehearsal.
Checking the Fit
During the fit check dress rehearsal, crew member Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency boards the Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft inside the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The mission launches for the ISS on Nov. 18.
Getting Cozy
Expedition 50-51 crewmembers Peggy Whitson of NASA (left), Oleg Novitskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency (right) pose for photos in the Integration Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
A Serious Job
Within the Integration Facility, near the Soyuz spacecraft, Expedition 50-51 crew members Peggy Whitson of NASA (left), Oleg Novitskiy of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, center) and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency (right) pose for photos.
More Testing
During another part of the fit check dress rehearsal, Expedition 50/51 crew member Peggy Whitson of NASA experiences a pressure test of her Sokol launch and entry suit.
