NASA astronaut Anil Menon begins his first spaceflight alongside two Roscosmos cosmonauts on an eight-month mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.
The NASA astronaut prepares to travel aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft. Menon will launch with Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina from Kazakhstan and join the International Space Station’s Expedition 74 crew before continuing into Expedition 75.
| Mission | Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 |
| Launch date | 14 July 2026 |
| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan |
| Scheduled launch time | 10:47 a.m. EDT, corresponding to 7:47 p.m. at Baikonur |
| Crew member 1 | NASA astronaut Anil Menon |
| Crew member 2 | Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov |
| Crew member 3 | Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina |
| Menon milestone | This is Anil Menon’s first spaceflight |
| Destination | International Space Station |
| Planned journey | Two-orbit flight lasting about three hours |
| Scheduled docking | Approximately 1:56 p.m. EDT at the station’s Prichal module |
| Mission duration | Approximately eight months |
| Expedition role | The crew will support Expeditions 74 and 75 |
| Station research | The mission will contribute to scientific research and long-duration human-spaceflight operations |
| What to watch next | Successful launch, orbital insertion, automated docking, hatch opening and initial crew handover |
NASA says the arriving crew will join astronauts and cosmonauts already aboard the station, including personnel from NASA, the European Space Agency and Roscosmos. The launch illustrates continuing operational cooperation on the ISS despite wider geopolitical tensions between Russia and the United States.