Tengrinews.kz - The Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle carrying the manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-26 launched on Wednesday evening from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It will deliver two Russian cosmonauts and one American NASA astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS).
According to Roscosmos, the crew of the spacecraft includes participants of the 72nd long-term expedition to the ISS: Russians Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Wagner, and American Donald Pettit.
"The Soyuz MS-26 reached the designated orbit, separated from the third stage of the rocket, and the unveiling of the ship's antennas and solar panels took place in a normal mode," the press release said.
The docking of Soyuz MS-26 with the small research module Rassvet of the Russian segment of the ISS is scheduled for 22:33 Moscow time. On the station, the crew of the 71st long-term expedition awaits the spacecraft: Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolay Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin, and NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, Tracy Dyson, Barry Wilmore, and Sunita Williams.
This was the tenth launch of a Russian carrier rocket in 2024, including the sixth from Baikonur and the second with a Soyuz spacecraft. For the Soyuz-2.1a, it was the 70th flight, and for the Soyuz family of spacecraft, the 176th in history (72 of which were to the ISS), the press service explained.
It is specified that Alexey Ovchinin is making his third spaceflight, Ivan Wagner his second, and Donald Pettit his fourth.
"During the 72nd long-term expedition to the ISS, which is expected to last 202 days, plans include a spacewalk under the Russian program, the arrival of the Progress MS-29 and Progress MS-30 cargo spacecraft, to conduct of scientific and applied research," the press service reported.
Donald Pettit's flight is conducted under the agreement between Roscosmos and NASA as part of the ISS cross-flight program, which allows Russian cosmonauts to fly on American Crew Dragon spacecraft and American astronauts on Russian Soyuz MS spacecraft.
It's noted that the implementation of this agreement ensures that in the event of a cancellation or significant delay of a Russian or American spacecraft launch, there will be at least one Roscosmos cosmonaut and one NASA astronaut on board the ISS to service the Russian and American segments of the station.
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