Soyuz MS-29 carrying new international crew docks with ISS

MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/. The Soyuz MS-29 crewed spacecraft, launched earlier from the Baikonur spaceport, has docked with the Prichal module of the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS), according to a Roscosmos live broadcast.

A Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur spaceport at 2:48 p.m. GMT carrying the primary crew of the ISS' 75th long-duration expedition. About nine minutes later, Soyuz MS-29 separated from the rocket's third stage and reached the station via a two-orbit fast-track rendezvous profile.

The crew consists of Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, the mission commander, and Anna Kikina, the first woman to serve as a TASS special correspondent aboard the ISS, as well as NASA astronaut Anil Menon. The mission is expected to last 261 days.

The spacecraft also delivered scientific equipment to the station, most of which is intended for biomedical and biotechnology research. During the mission, the crew is expected to carry out about 40 scientific experiments and mission-specific tasks, including two new projects: Gazoanalizator-FS and Teledroid. The former is expected to pave the way for a fully automated atmosphere monitoring system for future crewed deep-space missions. As part of the Teledroid project, the crew will work with a Russian-developed humanoid robot.

The spacecraft also delivered a gourmet selection of Russian cuisine, which will serve as the culmination of the First in Space national gastronomic festival launched during Space Week in April.