US-Russian Crew Launches to the ISS Aboard Soyuz MS-27
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky launched from Kazakhstan on April 8, 2025, toward the ISS for an eight-month mission focused on scientific research and technology demonstrations.
Published on April 8, 2025
On April 8, 2025, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. The launch proceeded as scheduled, and the crew is expected to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) just over three hours later.
The mission is set to last approximately eight months. During his time aboard, Jonny Kim will lead scientific experiments and technology demonstrations designed to support future space missions and yield practical benefits for Earth. The arriving crew will join an existing team on the ISS that includes NASA astronauts Don Pettit, Anne McClain, and Nichole Ayers; Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi; and Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Kirill Peskov, underscoring continued international cooperation in space exploration.