▁the ▁R SC - E ner gia ▁techn icians , ▁tested ▁the ▁space craft ' s ▁K urs ▁system . ▁ ▁C rew ▁training ▁Ros cos mos ' ▁G ag arin ▁Cos mon aut ▁Training ▁Center ▁( G CT C ) ▁hosted ▁a ▁two - day ▁exam ▁session ▁for ▁the ▁prime ▁and ▁backup ▁cre ws ▁of ▁So y uz ▁T MA - 2 1 ▁on ▁March ▁ 4 – 5 . ▁On ▁March ▁ 4 , ▁the ▁prime ▁crew ▁of ▁Sam ok ut y ay ev , ▁Bor isen ko ▁and ▁Gar an ▁were ▁tested ▁through ▁integrated ▁training ▁in ▁the ▁I SS ▁sim ulator ▁and ▁their ▁backup ▁crew ▁of ▁Sh kap ler ov , ▁Ivan ish in ▁and ▁Bur bank ▁were ▁tested ▁in ▁the ▁So y uz ▁mock up . ▁On ▁the ▁next ▁day , ▁the ▁cre ws ▁were ▁sw apped ▁and ▁exam ined . ▁The ▁two ▁groups ▁of ▁cre ws ▁passed ▁the ▁ex ams ▁after ▁solving ▁all ▁the ▁tasks ▁for ▁which ▁they ▁were ▁exam ined . ▁An atol y ▁Perm in ov , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁Ros cos mos ▁hosted ▁the ▁traditional ▁tea - party ▁with ▁So y uz ▁T MA - 2 1 ▁prime ▁and ▁backup ▁cre ws ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 1 . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 7 , ▁cos mon aut s ▁and ▁astr onaut s ▁left ▁G CT C ▁for ▁Ba ikon ur . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 9 , ▁Ros cos mos ▁Board ▁gave ▁its ▁final ▁appro val ▁of ▁the ▁cre ws ▁to ▁go ▁through ▁training ▁at