NASA astronaut Jonathan Yong “Jonny” Kim, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, arrived at the International Space Station on Tuesday, bringing the number of residents to 10 for the next two weeks.
The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft carrying Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky docked to the Prichal module at 4:57 a.m. EDT, following a three-hour, two-orbit journey to the space station. They launched at 1:47 a.m. (10:47 a.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
When hatches opened at approximately 7:20 a.m., the trio joined the Expedition 72 crew, including NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Don Pettit, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Ivan Vagner, and Alexey Ovchinin.
Expedition 73 will begin on Saturday, April 19, following Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner’s departure. They are completing a seven-month science mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Earthlings can watch the ceremonial change of command at 2:40 p.m. on Friday, April 18, as Ovchinin transfers the distinction to Onishi, live on NASA+.
Throughout his eight-month stay aboard the orbital outpost, Kim will conduct scientific research in technology development, Earth science, biology, human research, and more. This is the first flight for Kim and Zubritsky, and the third for Ryzhikov.
The International Space Station is a permanently crewed, orbiting laboratory in low Earth orbit (LEO), serving as a unique platform for scientific research and a stepping stone for future deep space exploration, built through a collaborative effort of 15 nations.
It serves as a home and workspace for astronauts and cosmonauts, allowing them to conduct experiments and test technologies in a microgravity environment.
The International Space Station is a large structure, roughly the size of a football field, comprising modules, connecting nodes, and exterior trusses. It orbits Earth at a speed of about 17,500 miles (28,000 km) per hour, completing one orbit every 90 minutes.
The station’s lifespan is currently extended to 2030, but plans for potentially using SpaceX Starship as its successor, are being explored.