Russia Handed Over ISS Keys to Americans

Command of the station passed to a Japanese astronaut from NASA

A change of command ceremony took place at the International Space Station on April 19. Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin handed over the symbolic key to the station to Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, who works at NASA. From that moment on, control of the ISS is in the hands of the American segment of the station.

Aleksey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Donald Pettit hand over the key to the ISS to Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi
Aleksey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Donald Pettit hand over the key to the ISS to Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi
Image source Roscosmos

The transfer of command is a standard procedure that takes place when crews change. The new commander assumes responsibility for the safety of the entire team, the implementation of the planned flight program, and coordination of actions with the Mission Control Center. This process ensures the smooth operation of the station.

Earlier, www1 wrote that after the ceremony, the Soyuz MS-26 crew, consisting of Aleksey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and NASA astronaut Donald Pettit, returned to Earth on the morning of April 20. Undocking occurred at 00:56 Moscow time, and landing in Kazakhstan at 04:17 Moscow time.

The transfer of command takes place every few months when a new crew arrives at the station. This shows that the ISS is a truly international project, where all participating countries take turns leading the station.

Read more materials on the topic:

Soyuz MS-26 crew with cosmonauts Vagner and Ovchinin returned to Earth

Time to go home!: The crew of the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft will return to Earth on April 20

With a sense of accomplishment: On April 20, the Soyuz MS-26 crew plans to return from the ISS to Earth

Sources:
TASS
2025-04-20 13:04:13 Anastasiya Nihmatova Science Roscosmos NASA «Soyuz MS-26»
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