Alexander Gerst greeting audience at the launch pad

Expedition 40/41 flight engineer Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency greeting audience at the launch pad, just before entering elevator transporting the crew up to the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on 28 May 2014.

Alexander Gerst, Soyuz commander Max Suraev of the Russian Federal Space Agency and flight engineer Reid Wiseman of NASA will live and work in space for the next six months.