Ceremonial flag of Soyuz MS-17 ISS Expedition 63/64

The size of the flag is 39” x 59 “, double faced.

Soyuz MS-17 emblem is round-shaped symbolizing the Earth and its perfection, and inscribed into the Cyrillic letter Ф standing for the crew callsign “Favor” (“Фавор”). In the lower part of the patch, the inscription “Байконур” (“Baikonur”) is located symbolizing the connection of the Soyuz MS-17 with this city and the cosmodrome. In 2020, Baikonur celebrated its 65th anniversary. Moreover, Roscosmos cosmonaut Segey Kud-Svertchkov was born there. The upper part of the patch contains the image of the International Space Station with its solar panels resembling the Roman numbers XX standing for the 20th anniversary of its crewed flight operation. The inside part of the emblem pictures Earth's surface symbolizing careful attitude to our planet and gratitude towards our native land, feeding, inspiring, supporting and giving strength, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhkov noted. In the center, over the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket, is a source of light illuminating the planet and the international crew members with their names written on the edges of the patch.

Soyuz MS-17 was Soyuz spaceflight that was launched on 14 October 2020. It transported three crew members of the Expedition 63/64 crew to the International Space Station. Soyuz MS-17 was the 145th crewed flight of a Soyuz spacecraft. The crew consisted of a Russian commander Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov a Russian flight engineer Roscosmos cosmonaut Segey Kud-Sverchkov and American NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins.

The mission marked the first use of a new "ultrafast" two-orbit rendezvous flight plan with the Soyuz, which saw Soyuz MS-17 arrive at the ISS within approximately three hours after the launch.

On 19 March 2021, the crew of Soyuz MS-17 boarded their spacecraft to relocate it from Rassvet to Poisk to make way for the arrival and docking of the Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft. 

The two spacecrafts had a nine-day handover period before Soyuz MS-17 departed. This is necessary to avoid de-crewing the Russian Orbital Segment of the ISS since no Russian cosmonaut was present aboard SpaceX Crew-1.