Ready to fly

28 May 2013 - NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Russian Soyuz commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano show they are ready for their launch to the International Space Station tonight. As part of the Expedition 36/37 crew, they will spend five months on the Station. Luca's Volare mission is Europe's fifth long-duration flight to the orbital outpost, and the first for ESA astronaut's new generation of astronauts selected in 2009. The mission is provided through an agreement with Italy's ASI space agency. This image was taken at the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan after the last press conference held before the astronauts head to into space for six months on a Soyuz spacecraft at 20:31 GMT (22:31 CEST) tonight. Reflected in the glass are the journalists and photographers. The astronauts are behind glass to protect them from unnecessary with possibly infected people.