# The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft was expected to dock with the station a few hours after liftoff.

*aerospace · news · 2025-11-27 · The Economic Times*

## Key points

- NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev are both on their first spaceflight.
- Soyuz MS-28's entire crew will spend about eight months aboard the International Space Station.
- Sergei Kud-Sverchkov is the only crewmember with prior spaceflight experience on this mission.
- The crew will join seven other international crew members already aboard the station.

Synopsis A US-Russian crew of three, including NASA astronaut Chris Williams and cosmonauts Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, successfully launched Thursday aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan. They are headed to the International Space Station for an approximately eight-month mission. The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft was expected to dock with the station a few hours after liftoff. A U.S.-Russian crew of three began a mission to the International Space Station aboard a Russian spacecraft following a succesful launch Thursday. A Soyuz booster rocket lifted off at 2:27 p.m. (9:27 a.m. GMT) from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan to put the Soyuz MS-28 into orbit. The spacecraft carried NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian crewmates, Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov. They were scheduled to dock at the station about three hours after liftoff. All three are expected to spend about eight months at the orbiting outpost. NASA said this is the first spaceflight for Williams, a physicist, and Mikaev, a military pilot. This is the second flight for Kud-Sverchkov. At the International Space Station, the trio will join NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov, Alexei Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov. Live Events Williams will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations at the orbiting outpost aimed at advancing human space exploration and benefiting life on Earth, NASA said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) AI is forcing a rethink. Can Indian IT finally build a serious corporate VC muscle? From near collapse to INR50k cr value: The journey of MCX Indiabulls’ Spanish connection: Will old charges against Gehlaut now gain traction? TVS, Bajaj borrow Enfield’s playbook on fallen European brands. Will it work? Stock Radar: Sun Pharma stock breaks out from falling trendline resistance; check target & stop loss Time to select & focus on a few as EV inflection point comes closer: 7 auto ancillary stocks with upside potential of up to 39% 1 2 3

**Companies:** NASA
**Countries:** USA, Russia, Kazakhstan

[Read the full story on The Economic Times](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/us-russian-crew-of-3-blasts-off-to-international-space-station-in-russian-soyuz-rocket/articleshow/125611951.cms)

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