A Soyuz rocket carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, bound for the International Space Station (ISS).
The Soyuz rocket, carrying the uncrewed capsule, lifted off at 10:47 a.m. local time and entered Earth’s orbit a few minutes later, according to Russia’s space agency Roskosmos.
On board the capsule are cosmonauts Sergei Rishikov and Alexei Ovchinin, along with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim. The crew is expected to conduct 50 scientific experiments in space before returning to Earth on December 9, Roskosmos said.
Rishikov and Ovchinin will also perform two spacewalks in October.
The successful launch was witnessed by around 2,500 spectators, a new record for the Baikonur Cosmodrome, according to Roskosmos.
The Baikonur Cosmodrome, which has been leased by Russia from Kazakhstan for $105 million per year, will continue to be used until 2050.
The cooperation between the US and Russia in space exploration has continued despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with the Soyuz rocket remaining one of the few means of transportation for crew members traveling between the Earth and the ISS.