A delegation of the NAS of Belarus took part in the farewell ceremony for belarus's first cosmonaut at the baikonur cosmodrome

On March 23, 2024, Marina Vasilevskaya, the first female astronaut in the history of sovereign Belarus, departed from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station as part of the prime crew of the 21st Visiting Expedition. Aboard the Soyuz MS-25 manned transport spacecraft with our compatriot were the experienced astronaut Oleg Novitsky and Tracy Dyson NASA astronaut.

A delegation of the NAS of Belarus, led by Vladimir Gusakov, Chairman of the Presidium of the NAS of Belarus, took part in the farewell ceremony for Belarus's first astronaut at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The support group included a delegation from the Council of Young Scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Before the flight, the astronauts received heartfelt wishes from the Chairman of the Presidium, the leadership, and young scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.

During the visit, the Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Vladimir Gusakov, participated in the work of the state commission on readiness for the launch of the visiting expedition to the International Space Station at the Baikonur Astronaut Training Center. A meeting was held with the head of the Roscosmos State Corporation, Yuri Borisov.

The Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Vladimir Gusakov, and Vasily Gursky – the Chief Scientific Secretary- visited Gagarin's House, Korolev's House, and the Cosmonautics Museum at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus signed the Cosmonautics Museum's Book of Distinguished Guests.

On the eve of their trip to Baikonur, the Chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Vladimir Gusakov, and Vasily Gursky - the Chief Scientific Secretary - visited the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, where they met with Kurchatov Institute President Mikhail Kovalchuk. The heads of the Union State's leading scientific organizations discussed the implementation of the bilateral cooperation roadmap, exchanged ideas for developing scientific and technological cooperation, and outlined plans for future collaboration.

Belarusian astronaut Marina Vasilevskaya is conducting scientific experiments on the ISS. Their results will be a significant step in the development of the Belarusian science. The program was developed by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Roscosmos. It includes seven targeted projects, including five research projects and two educational ones.

The President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, initiated the nationwide project to train the Belarusian astronaut for that spaceflight.