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They join Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, NASA astronaut Michael Barratt and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata.
Not only is this the first crew of six, it is also the first time that all five ISS partners will be simultaneously represented aboard.
Furthermore, De Winne will be the first European commander of an ISS crew (Expedition 21) when he takes over from Padalka in November.
De Winne, Romanenko and Thirsk travelled to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.