US, Russian astronauts launch into orbit for joint space mission

NASA chief Jared Isaacman made a rare visit to the Russia-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome to witness the launch. A joint US-Russian space mission has lifted off from Kazakhstan for the International Space Station (ISS), highlighting a rare partnership that has persisted despite tensions over the Ukraine war.Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, carrying Russian astronauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina along with NASA colleague Anil Menon, took off Tuesday morning from the Russia-operated Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Nine dead as Russia and Ukraine trade drone and missile salvoslist 2 of 3EU sanctions nine people over alleged Russian cyber-spying campaignlist 3 of 3Russia-Ukraine war: What is Europe’s new ballistic missile shield plan?end of listThe crew successfully entered orbit and are scheduled to dock at the ISS, where they will stay for eight months, at ⁠17:56 GMT.NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman attended the launch, marking the first visit to Baikonur by a NASA chief in eight years.Before the launch, Isaacman met Dmitry Bakanov, the head of Russia’s state corporation for space activities, Roscosmos.During a meeting with the crew on Monday, Isaacman thanked Roscosmos for its efforts to prepare for the mission, saying that “the integrated work performed over the past several months reflects the professionalism and dedication of everyone involved”.The mission is Menon’s first space flight and the second for Dubrov and Kikina.NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos astronauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina attend a send-off ceremony before the launch of the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, July 14 [Maxim Shipenkov/Pool via Reuters]The trio will join NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos astronauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev and Andrei Fedyaev.