16 Jul 2015

As a result of the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) held at Houston, U.S.A, on July 15, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and partner agencies of the International Space Station (ISS) project officially decided the launch date and time for the Soyuz spacecraft (43S/TMA-17M), which Astronaut Kimiya Yui will be onboard, as follows after confirming the safety and preparation status.
Astronaut Yui will stay at the International Space Station for about five months as a crewmember of the Expedition 44/45, and will return to Earth around December 22 on the Soyuz spacecraft (43S/TMA-17M.)
1. Launch time and date:
At 06:02 a.m. on July 23 (Thu.), 2015 (Japan Standard Time)
At 03:02 a.m. on July 23 (Thu.), 2015 (Baikonur Time)
At 00:02 a.m. on July 23 (Thu.), 2015 (Moscow Time)
2. Launch Site:
Baikonur Cosmodrome (Republic of Kazakhstan.)
3. Expedition 44/45 Crewmembers:
Soyuz Commander Oleg Kononenko (FSA, Russian Federal Space Agency)
Flight Engineer Kimiya Yui (JAXA)
Flight Engineer Kjell Lindgrean (NASA)