Russian Soyuz Spacecraft Blasts Off to International Space Station with 3 Cosmonauts Onboard

A three-person crew launched to the International Space Station Thursday aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, marking the latest chapter in ongoing US-Russia space cooperation despite tensions on Earth. The mission sends NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian cosmonauts on an eight-month stay at the orbital laboratory.

The Soyuz booster rocket lifted off on schedule from Russia's leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying the Soyuz MS-28 capsule into orbit. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the space station about three hours after launch.

Joining Williams are Russian cosmonauts Sergey Mikayev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. This marks the first space mission for both Williams, a physicist, and Mikayev, a military pilot. Kud-Sverchkov is making his second trip to space.

The new arrivals will join a busy crew already aboard the station. NASA astronauts Mike Finke, Zena Cardman, and Johnny Kim are currently there, along with Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. Three Russian cosmonauts - Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky, and Oleg Platonov - round out the existing crew.

NASA says Williams will conduct scientific research and technical experiments during his stay. The work aims to advance human space exploration while contributing to improvements in life on Earth.

The mission continues the decades-long partnership between NASA and Russia's space agency, one of the few areas where cooperation remains strong between the two countries. The International Space Station has operated continuously with international crews since 2000, serving as a testament to what nations can accomplish together in space even when relations are strained elsewhere.