Today, July 14, 2026, a new Russian-American crew will depart from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to the International Space Station. The launch of the "Soyuz-2.1a" rocket with the "Soyuz MS-29" spacecraft is scheduled for approximately 17:48 Moscow time. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the "Prichal" module of the Russian segment of the ISS around 20:56.
Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, as well as NASA astronaut Anil Menon, will go into orbit. Dubrov will be the spacecraft commander, while Kikina and Menon will be flight engineers. This will be the second flight for the two Russian cosmonauts and the first for the American astronaut.
The journey to the station will take about three hours: "Soyuz MS-29" will reach it via a fast two-orbit scheme. After checking for leaks and opening the hatches, the crew will transfer to the ISS. The cosmonauts and astronaut are expected to spend about eight months in orbit and return to Earth in April 2027. The mission duration will be 261 days.
NASA Director Jared Isaacman will personally observe the launch. He arrived at Baikonur to participate in the farewell ceremony for the international crew. This is the first visit of the head of the American space agency to the Russian cosmodrome in eight years. A meeting between Isaacman and Roscosmos head Dmitry Bakanov is also planned.
During the expedition, the crew will engage in scientific research and testing new technologies. Anil Menon will participate in experiments related to the production of semiconductor crystals, the use of ultrasound with augmented reality and artificial intelligence, the study of blood circulation in weightlessness, and bioprinting of vascular structures.
Along with the crew, scientific equipment and a special set of Russian cuisine dishes, prepared from products already approved for use on the ISS, will be sent to the station. Drawings by children with oncological diseases were also applied to the rocket as part of the "Dream Rocket" project.
The backup crew for the mission consists of Roscosmos cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Konstantin Borisov, as well as NASA astronaut Denise Burnham. They trained with the primary crew and are ready to replace them if necessary.
The launch of the "Soyuz-2.1a" rocket with the "Soyuz MS-29" spacecraft will be broadcast by Roscosmos, NASA, and Kinopoisk.
Read more on the topic:
- The fate of the ISS will be decided in talks on July 14: Russia and NASA to discuss the future of the station
- ISS prepared for the finale: Russia and the USA agreed on a plan for the controlled deorbiting of the station
- "Soyuz-2.1a" is on the launchpad: the rocket with the new ISS crew has been installed at Baikonur