NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, along with two Russian crew members, arrived at the International Space Station on Tuesday aboard a Russian spacecraft.
A Soyuz booster rocket successfully launched from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan, carrying the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft with Kim, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky. The crew docked with the ISS just over three hours after liftoff.
Kim and his Russian crewmates are scheduled to spend approximately eight months on the space station. During this time, Kim will focus on scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at preparing for future space missions while also contributing to advancements that benefit life on Earth.
Originally from Los Angeles, Kim serves as a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander, dual-designated naval aviator, and flight surgeon.
They join a diverse crew already aboard the ISS, including NASA astronauts Don Pettit, Anne McClain, and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Kirill Peskov.