Suggested Searches

1 min read

Backup Crew Members Enjoy Kazakh Culture

Expedition 36-37 Backup Crew Members
JSC2013-E-033644 (19 May 2013) — Joining their unidentified Kazakh host (left), Expedition 36/37 backup crew members Rick Mastracchio of NASA (center) and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency enjoy a traditional Kazakh meal in a Kazakh tent known as a "yurt" in Baikonur, Kazakhstan May 19. Their visit, along with that of backup

JSC2013-E-033644 (19 May 2013) — Joining their unidentified Kazakh host (left), Expedition 36/37 backup crew members Rick Mastracchio of NASA (center) and Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency enjoy a traditional Kazakh meal in a Kazakh tent known as a “yurt” in Baikonur, Kazakhstan May 19. Their visit, along with that of backup crewmate Mikhail Tyurin, was part of traditional ceremonies as they serve as backups to prime crew members Karen Nyberg of NASA, Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, who are preparing for launch May 29, Kazakh time, in their Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft to begin a 5 ½ month mission on the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Victor Zelentso