New Delhi: The launch of the Soyuz 2.1a carrier rocket is scheduled for November 27 at 12:27 hours Moscow Standard Time. The rocket will carry the Soyuz MS-28 spaceship headed to the International Space Station (ISS) with Mission Commander Sergey Kudsverchkov along with Flight Engineers Sergei Mikaev and Chris Williams. For the first time in history, the rocket has been decorated with drawings made by children suffering from cancer. The project was implemented in collaboration with the Unity Foundation. Children from 50 cities across Russia and 14 countries across the world contributed to the project by depicting their cosmic dreams. Over 50 of these children will also witness the launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Another view of the Rocket of Dreams. (Image Credit: Roscosmos).
While introducing the project, president of the Unity Foundation, Alyona Kuzmenko had said, “Our project is space art therapy. Here, children who are faced with cancer, draw their dreams together with astronauts and artists. It combines art therapy, psychological support, and an important humanitarian mission, which is revealed through the theme of space. The Dream Rocket is more than just launching drawings into space, it is a powerful emotional support for children in treatment, who need to feel part of a big cause.”
Cygnus-XL spacecraft detached
The Soyuz MS-28 spaceship will orbit the Earth twice before docking with the Rassvet module on the Russian segment of the orbital complex, and starting their eight-month long research mission. The port was previously occupied by the Cygnus XL spacecraft that was uninstalled from the ISS by the Canadarm 2 robotic arm. NASA, Northrop Grumman and Roscosmos coordinated the removal of this cargo shuttle to clear the port for the Soyuz MS-28 spaceship, while NASA astronauts Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman monitored the operations from inside the orbital complex. The Cygnus XL spacecraft will be reattached to the space station on December 1, and remain there till at least March 2026, when it will dispose trash with a destructive reentry into the atmosphere of the Earth.