The official flag-raising ceremony was conducted at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, marking the formal commencement of the final pre-launch training phase for the crews of the Soyuz MS-29 transport manned spacecraft. The state flags of the participating nations—the Russian Federation, the United States of America, and the Republic of Kazakhstan—were hoisted onto the flagstaffs located at Site 17 directly in front of the Cosmonaut Hotel.

Exactly two weeks remain until the scheduled launch of the 75th long-duration expedition to the International Space Station, which is set to lift off on July 14, 2026. The daily schedules of the designated space travelers are precisely calculated down to the minute. The crew members are currently undergoing rigorous final simulation sessions, comprehensive medical examinations, scientific experiments, and mandatory ceremonial activities.

The event was attended by top directors from Baikonur, executives from the Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, municipal administration representatives, and specialists from the Cosmonaut Training Center. The Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation and current head of the Cosmonaut Training Center (CTC), Oleg Kononenko, delivered an address to the teams, wishing the flight personnel unified and synchronized performance during this critical pre-flight schedule.

The primary crew matrix for the ISS-75 space mission includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, alongside NASA astronaut Anil Menon. The backup support crew comprises Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Konstantin Borisov, together with NASA astronaut Denise Burnham, all of whom are fully qualified to step in if operational variables change.

Following the conclusion of the formal flag-hoisting ceremony, the backup crew members departed for a historical tour of Baikonur, visiting landmarks linked to early space exploration pioneers. The cosmonauts laid floral arrangements at the monument of legendary rocket systems designer Sergei Korolev, toured the historical museum of the spaceport, and signed the official guest book within the main exhibition hall.

It is highly symbolic that the entire pre-launch training regimen for the ISS-75 crews is being personally supervised by the Head of the CTC, Oleg Kononenko, who was born in the city of Chardzhou (now Turkmenabat, Turkmenistan). The world-record holder for the longest cumulative duration spent in space has been honored with the supreme title of "Hero of Turkmenistan" and awarded the Star of the President Order for his sustained personal contributions to strengthening friendly relations between Turkmenistan and Russia.