A NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts introduced towards the Global Area Station nowadays (9/11).NASA astronaut Don Pettit joined Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner at the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which lifted off atop a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan nowadays at 12:23 p.m. EDT (1623 GMT; 9:23 p.m. native Baikonur time). The trio will sign up for the Expedition 71 group for a half-year undertaking aboard the ISS.The flight went flawlessly, in step with NASA’s release commentator Anna Schneider at Johnson Area Middle in Houston. “All 3 levels operated as anticipated all through an eight-minute and 45-second experience to position Soyuz in its initial orbit,” Schneider said as NASA’s protection got here to a detailed. With the a hit orbital insertion, there at the moment are a document 19 other folks in orbit throughout 4 other spacecraft. (20 other folks were in area sooner than at one time, however six of them had been in suborbital area.)
A Soyuz rocket launches the MS-26 undertaking to the ISS from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 9/11, 2024. (Symbol credit score: NASA/Invoice Ingalls)The Soyuz MS-26 pill is scheduled to dock on the Global Area Station (ISS) at 3:33 p.m. EDT (1933 GMT) nowadays. Docking protection starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT). The hatch between Soyuz and the ISS will open at 5:50 p.m. EDT (2150 GMT) with NASA’s protection and opening remarks starting at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2230 GMT). Each occasions will circulation are living right here at Area.com, by way of NASA+ (previously NASA Tv).
A Soyuz rocket launches the MS-26 undertaking to the ISS from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on 9/11, 2024. (Symbol credit score: NASA/Invoice Ingalls)Each and every crewmember in this flight has flown to area sooner than. That is Pettit’s fourth release and can upload to his amassed overall of 370 days in area, in step with NASA statistics. His first undertaking, Expedition 6, used to be anticipated to remaining 2.5 months in area after a release Nov. 23, 2002 on area trip Endeavour’s STS-113 undertaking. 
The Roscosmos Soyuz MS-26 group. Left to proper: NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. (Symbol credit score: Gagarin Cosmonaut Coaching Middle)The touchdown used to be behind schedule to Would possibly 3, 2003, then again, after the trip fleet used to be grounded within the wake of the distance trip Columbia crisis that happened on Feb. 1, 2003, killing seven astronauts. Pettit’s arrival on Earth aboard the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft used to be protected, however eventful: a malfunction brought about the spacecraft to land 295 miles (475 kilometers) off track, inflicting a long extend for floor groups to achieve the group.Breaking area information, the newest updates on rocket launches, skywatching occasions and extra!Similar: 3 spaceflyers arrive on the ISS aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft
NASA astronaut Don Petit aboard a Soyuz spacecraft previous to the release of the MS-26 undertaking to the ISS on 9/11, 2024. (Symbol credit score: NASA+)Pettit additionally flew to area at the trip undertaking STS-126 in November 2008, and (aboard Soyuz TMA-03M) with ISS Expeditions 30 and 31 from Dec. 21, 2011 to July 1, 2012.Ovchinin’s launches have all been aboard Soyuz. His earlier missions come with ISS Expeditions 47 and 48 in 2016, the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft release on Oct. 11, 2018 that aborted safely after a rocket downside, and Expeditions 59 and 60 in 2019 — a a hit retry for Ovchinin following that abort.Vagner’s earlier release used to be aboard Soyuz, for Expeditions 62 and 63, in 2020.
