NASA Chief Jared Isaacman intends to personally attend the next manned launch of the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The American agency's press service confirmed to TASS that the visit is planned for the Soyuz MS-29 mission, which will launch no earlier than July 2026. NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina will travel to the ISS aboard the spacecraft.
Isaacman has already held talks with Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov, the central topic of which was the safe operation of the International Space Station. The trip to Baikonur fits into the schedule of meetings between the head of NASA and the heads of all space agencies that are partners in the ISS.
The cross-flight program, which began in July 2022, has been extended three times, and on April 6, Roscosmos announced a fourth extension.
Isaacman noted in February that Menon is his "good friend" (he flew with Menon's wife on the Polaris Dawn mission), so it would be difficult to miss the launch.