Russia Launches Soyuz MS-28 with Three Crew Members to International Space Station

The mission, featuring two Russian cosmonauts and one NASA astronaut, includes cutting-edge AI integration and prepares for a long-duration stay focusing on solar and station maintenance experiments.

Successful Launch and Crew Details

A Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifted off on Thursday. The launch site was the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This rocket carried the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft toward the International Space Station (ISS). The crew includes two Russian cosmonauts and one U.S. astronaut. Liftoff occurred precisely at 12:28 p.m. Moscow time.

The three-person crew features Russian commander Sergei Kud-Sverchkov. This is his second trip into space. His fellow Russian cosmonaut, Sergei Mikayev, is a first-time flier. NASA astronaut Christopher Williams is also beginning his first space journey.

Docking and AI Integration

The spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS at the Rassvet module. This happened at 7:34 a.m. EST, as confirmed by NASA. The crew will soon open the hatches. They will then officially board the orbiting lab.

A major first for this crew is the integration of the GigaChat neural network. This large-scale generative AI model was created by Sberbank. Sberbank is Russia’s largest banking institution. Albert Efimov, a Sberbank vice president, commented on its use. He said the system will help generate reports. It will also manage crew databases. The AI aims to simplify many routine tasks.

Long-Term Mission and Spacewalks

The mission is planned to last for 242 days. The crew’s return to Earth is anticipated for summer 2026. Over 40 experiments will be done under the Russian program. Two major spacewalks are scheduled for this mission. These are planned for April and June 2026.

The first spacewalk will focus on installing the Sun-Terahertz instrument. This device is designed to improve solar flare forecasting. The second spacewalk involves maintenance on the Zarya module. The crew will replace components that have reached their useful life end. Additionally, direct descendants of fruit flies from the Bion-M No.2 biosatellite will fly. They are part of the extensive mission experiments.