ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen with his Crew-7 colleagues on arrival at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, 20 August.

The astronauts flew in from Houston, Texas, USA, where Andreas, Jasmin Moghbeli, Satoshi Furukawa and Konstantin Borisov completed a week-long quarantine.

Dressed in their blue flight suits, they held a press conference on the tarmac of the runway. The four astronauts talked about their excitement for the mission, their scientific endeavours and the two experienced astronauts, Andreas and Satoshi, shared their advice for the two first-timers, Jasmin and Konstantin. “Don’t turn your head too much when you first enter the Space Station – otherwise it will not be fun,” said Satoshi, sparking smiles across the audience.

Andreas revealed one of the special items he will take with him to space: “Among the many things I will bring, is Rasmus Klump, a Danish cartoon figure known for being inquisitive and exploring the world, just like astronauts.”

Crew-7 will remain in quarantine at Kennedy Space Center until their launch on 25 August at 09:49 CEST (08:48 BST). Some traditions before leaving Earth for six months include signing a wall outside where they will suit up for launch and having a final meal before liftoff.

Outside of quarantine, during the flight readiness review, a green light was given to move forward with the launch as well as a dress rehearsal, confirming launch.

Watch the launch of Andreas and Crew-7 live on ESA WebTV 2. The stream begins on 25 August at 05:45 CEST (04:45 BST) with liftoff scheduled for 09:49 CEST (08:49 BST). A schedule of launch events is available here.