Russia launches American astronaut and two cosmonauts to ISS amid NASA chief's visit
Russia launched NASA astronaut Anil Menon and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina to the International Space Station on July 14, 2026, continuing a partnership that has survived the collapse of other types of cooperation between Washington and Moscow. The Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 19:47 local time. It reached the station about three hours later, docking with the Russian Prichal module at 22:52. Menon, Dubrov and Kikina will spend about eight months aboard the ISS as members of Expeditions 74 and 75. The mission is Menon's first spaceflight and the second for both Russian cosmonauts. What was perhaps most surprising about the launch is that NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman traveled to Kazakhstan to witness the event and meet Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov. It was the first visit to the Russian-operated launch site by a NASA chief since 2018. The two agency leaders appeared together during launch-day events. Isaacman and Bakanov appeared cordial during the visit, speaking together and attending the launch events side by side. Neither agency announced any new agreements, but their public appearance underscored the working relationship NASA and Roscosmos continue to maintain related to the ISS. The US and Russia remain locked in a political confrontation over the war in Ukraine, but astronauts and cosmonauts continue flying together aboard Soyuz and SpaceX spacecraft. The arrangement helps ensure that both countries remain represented aboard the station if either launch system is temporarily grounded. NASA astronauts continue to fly on Russian Soyuz spacecraft, while Russian cosmonauts receive seats on SpaceX crew missions. Kikina previously took part in such a flight when she launched aboard SpaceX's Crew-5 mission in October 2022. That made her the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a privately operated US spacecraft. Menon also has close ties to SpaceX. Before NASA selected him as an astronaut in 2021, he served as the company's first flight surgeon and helped prepare for its first crewed mission. He previously worked as a NASA flight surgeon supporting crews aboard the space station. His wife, SpaceX engineer and medical officer Anna Menon, flew with Isaacman aboard the privately funded Polaris Dawn mission in 2024. Dubrov spent nearly a year in orbit during his first mission, while Kikina spent more than five months aboard the station during Crew-5. The three new arrivals joined the Expedition 74 crew already aboard the ISS. NASA plans to operate the station through 2030, while the international partners that operate it prepare for its eventual retirement and controlled re-entry.