NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, along with Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday. Their arrival brings the total number of people living on the station to 10 for the next two weeks.
Launch and Docking Details
The trio traveled aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, which launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 1:47 a.m. EDT (10:47 a.m. local time). After a quick three-hour journey that took two orbits around Earth, they docked to the station’s Prichal module at 4:57 a.m. EDT.
The hatches are expected to open around 7:20 a.m., when Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky will join the current Expedition 72 crew.
Current Crew on the ISS
The station already hosts NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Don Pettit; JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi; and Russian cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Ivan Vagner, and Alexey Ovchinin.
NASA will stream live coverage of the hatch opening starting at 7 a.m. on NASA+, which can be watched on many platforms.
Expedition 73 and Change of Command
Expedition 73 will officially begin on Saturday, April 19, when Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner depart after completing a seven-month mission.
A change of command ceremony will take place at 2:40 p.m. on Friday, April 18. During the event, cosmonaut Ovchinin will hand over command of the station to astronaut Onishi. This ceremony will be live-streamed on NASA+.
About Jonny Kim’s Mission
Jonny Kim’s mission will last about eight months. During this time, he will conduct important scientific research in areas like technology development, Earth science, biology, and human health.
This is the first spaceflight for both Kim and Zubritsky, while Ryzhikov is on his third mission.
