MOSCOW, 20 October (BelTA) – A national flag of Belarus will be sent into outer space. Pilot cosmonaut, Hero of Russia Oleg Novitsky intends to take the flag on board of the next flight to the International Space Station as a token of honor and respect for the native country, his family and friends, the press service of the Embassy of Belarus in Russia told BelTA.
A ceremony will be held in the Embassy of Belarus in Moscow on 22 October to hand over the national flag to the pilot cosmonaut. The ceremony will be conducted by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Russia Igor Petrishenko.
The spaceship Soyuz MS-03 is scheduled for launch from the Baikonur space launch facility on 16 November. Oleg Novitsky is the ship's captain.
Oleg Novitsky grew up in Cherven, Minsk Oblast. The forthcoming launch will be his second flight in outer space. During the first flight he stayed on board of the Soyuz TMA-06M spaceship as its captain from 23 October 2012 through 16 March 2013.
