NASA astronaut Anil Menon, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, arrived safely at the International Space Station on Tuesday, bringing the orbital laboratory’s crew to 10 for about the next two weeks.

The trio launched aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft at 10:47 a.m. EDT (7:47 p.m. local time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After a three-hour trip and two orbits, the spacecraft docked at 1:52 p.m. with the station’s Prichal module.

After the hatch opens, scheduled around 4 p.m., the new arrivals will be greeted by the space station’s Expedition 74 crew: NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot; and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev and Andrey Fedyaev.

NASA’s live coverage of the hatch opening begins at 3:30 p.m. on NASA+, Amazon Prime and YouTube. Learn how to view NASA content across a variety of online platforms, including social media.

While aboard the station, Menon will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at promoting human space exploration and benefiting life on Earth. Research will continue to refine space production of semiconductor crystals to enable large-scale manufacturing of components needed for high-performance computers, artificial intelligence, and improved medical devices. Menon will also perform ultrasounds using augmented reality and artificial intelligence methods that could eliminate the need for medical support from Earth on future space missions. He will be a test subject that will help researchers understand how blood flow is affected in space to protect future astronauts. It will also test bioprinting of vascular constructs in microgravity to improve understanding of the aging process and advance therapeutic developments.

Expedition 75 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, July 26, following the departure of Williams, Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev, as they conclude an eight-month scientific mission aboard the orbital outpost.

Watch the change of command ceremony at 9:40 a.m. Saturday, July 25, as station command transfers from Kud-Sverchkov to Meir, live on NASA+.

Learn more about the International Space Station, its crews, research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Joshua Finch/Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov