International Space Station Welcomes US-Russian Crew

A US-Russian crew embarked on a mission to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft. NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian crewmates Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov are set to join other astronauts on the ISS for an eight-month stay, conducting research and technology demonstrations.

The International Space Station received a new US-Russian crew on board the Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft following a successful launch. This mission, marked by international collaboration, began with the launch of a Soyuz booster rocket from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.

The crew consists of NASA astronaut Chris Williams and his Russian colleagues, Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov. They are slated to dock with the station three hours post-launch for an eight-month research-focused residency.

Williams, accompanied for his inaugural flight by first-time cosmonaut Mikaev and returning space traveler Kud-Sverchkov, will engage in experiments and demonstrations aimed at fostering advancements in human space exploration. Their efforts at the orbiting laboratory will be in collaboration with a diverse crew from NASA, JAXA, and Roscosmos.

(With inputs from agencies.)