Russian cosmonaut hands over space station ‘key’ to NASA astronaut
Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov handed over the command of the International Space Station to NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn on March 29, 2022.
Footage streamed live by NASA shows Shkaplerov presenting Marshburn with a “key” to the ISS during a ceremony on board.
“People have problem on Earth,” Shkaplerov said. “On orbit we are one crew, and I think ISS is like a symbol of the friendship and cooperation, and a symbol of the future of exploration of space.”
Marshburn wished the departing crew a “soft landing”.
Shkaplerov, fellow cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei landed in Kazakhstan on March 30, 2022.