Three Astronauts Launched Into Space On Soyuz For International Space Station — WATCH

On Tuesday, three astronauts were launched to the ISS on a Russian Soyuz rocket -- NASA's Jonny Kim and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. They are likely to return in December

Written By : ABP Live Science | Updated at : 08 Apr 2025 11:56 AM (IST)

nasa-soyuz-astronauts-launch-live-iss-jonny-kim-april-8-2025 Three Astronauts Launched Into Space On Soyuz For International Space Station — WATCH

Soyuz MS-27 lifts off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Source : NASA

Early on Tuesday, April 8, three astronauts embarked on a journey to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, heading for an extended stay in low Earth orbit.

Soyuz MS-27 with 🇷🇺🇺🇸 astronauts is en route to the ISS. All systems nominal.
50 years after Apollo–Soyuz showed space can unite us, Russia and the U.S. fly together still.
History echoes in orbit.#SoyuzMS27 #ApolloSoyuz #ISS #SpaceCooperation pic.twitter.com/TkqmtwPI4I
— Kirill A. Dmitriev (@kadmitriev) April 8, 2025

If everything stays on track, their Soyuz capsule will dock with the ISS at 5:03 AM EDT (0903 GMT). The excitement doesn’t stop there — the hatch opening is set for around 7:20 AM EDT (1120 GMT), offering a first look at the crew as they enter their new home in space.

The mission marks the beginning of an eight-month stint aboard the orbiting laboratory, where the trio will serve as part of Expedition 72 and 73. Their return to Earth is slated for December.

For Jonny Kim and Alexey Zubritsky, this mission is their first time in space. Sergey Ryzhikov is no stranger to life in microgravity. This flight will be his third mission, following two previous six-month assignments aboard the ISS — first from October 2016 to April 2017, and again from October 2020 to April 2021.

How Many Astronauts Are In Space Right Now?

Four astronauts returned from the International Space Station last month and two others went after them. With Tuesday's Soyuz launch, there are now 13 humans in space. Here's the list of astronauts in space at present: