NASA and Roscosmos photographers captured stunning views of the launch of the 59th Soyuz FG rocket, embarking on a nine-minute climb into orbit on April 20, 2017 with the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft and Fyodor Yurchikhin & Jack Fischer,

Veteran Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and first-time space traveler Jack Fischer prepare for an April 20, 2017 liftoff atop a Soyuz FG rocket for a nine-minute ride into orbit ahead of a same-day rendezvous with the International Space Station aboard their Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft.

Russia’s Soyuz FG rocket completes an early morning rollout to the historic Site 1/5 launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 17, 2017 in preparation for liftoff with the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft and two Space Station crew members.

The Soyuz MS-04 crew of Fyodor Yurchikhin and Jack Fischer go through final preparations for their launch to the International Space Station, completing checks of their spacecraft and final simulator runs.

The fully-fueled Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft undergoes final pre-launch processing at Site 254 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome, including final inspections before being rolled to a horizontal position for encapsulation in the protective launch shroud.

Veteran Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and NASA’s Jack Fischer, along with their backups Sergei Ryazansky and Randy Bresnik, go through a suit-up exercise and climb into the Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft for an ingress rehearsal and complete a simulation aboard the spacecraft ahead of the vehicle’s transfer to the fueling facility.

The first two-man Soyuz crew since 2003 arrives at the Baikonur Cosmodrome to enter their final two weeks of launch preparations.

The Soyuz MS-04 spacecraft (#735) undergoes a final tightness check in a large vacuum chamber at the Baikonur Cosmodrome ahead of taking up residence in a test stand at Site 254 for final solar arrays checkouts and complex testing.