The preparations for the liftoff are going ahead at the Baikonur cosmodrome following the traditions that have been part of every human space mission from Baikonur for decades, with roots going back to Yuri Gagarin’s pioneering 1961 flight.

On 9 December the crew performed a suit fit check and inspected their Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft. Here they are photographed with their spacecraft:

Exp 30 crewmembers with Soyuz TMA-03M

Exp 30 crewmembers with Soyuz TMA-03M

After fuelling a day earlier, the Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft was attached to Soyuz upper stage on 12 December in the Spacecraft Assembly and Testing Facility at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft is attached to Soyuz upper stage

Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft is attached to Soyuz upper stage

Credit: GCTC / RSC Energia

More photos are available in the minigallery on the ESA PromISSe mission website.