Soyuz-27 rockets to ISS with international crew on board
The Soyuz-27 spacecraft, carrying an international crew, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Onboard are two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut, all headed to the International Space Station (ISS). A crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the rocket launch.
The Soyuz-27 spacecraft, with two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut, launched on Tuesday, April 8, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The crew reached the International Space Station (ISS) after more than three hours of flight.
Mission to the ISS
Onboard the Soyuz are Russians Sergey Ryzhikov and Aleksei Zubritski, along with American Jonathan Kim. The mission participants will spend eight months on the ISS, with their return to Earth scheduled for December 9, 2025.
For Kim and Zubritski, this is their first spaceflight, while Ryzhikov already has experience from two previous missions to the ISS.
Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritski will join three NASA astronauts, three Russians, and an astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
During their time at the station, Jonathan Kim will conduct scientific and technological research aimed at preparing future crews for space missions. The Russian corporation Roscosmos announced that the Russian mission participants will conduct around 50 scientific experiments.
International cooperation
Interestingly, about 2,500 tourists observed the spaceship's launch from Baikonur, setting a record number.
It’s worth noting that the Baikonur Cosmodrome has been leased by Russia from Kazakhstan since 1991 for 115 million dollars annually, under an agreement effective until 2050.
