NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina launched toward the International Space Station aboard Soyuz MS-29 on July 14, lifting off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The crew docked with the ISS after two orbits, joining seven astronauts already aboard the station. Menon's first spaceflight carries research significance, as he will conduct experiments in semiconductor crystal production and test ultrasound techniques using augmented reality and AI that could reduce medical dependency on Earth during future missions.
The trio will remain on the ISS for approximately eight months. Menon, selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in December 2021, is a former SpaceX flight surgeon. Dubrov and Kikina are both returning to the station for their second missions; Kikina notably flew to the ISS in 2022 aboard SpaceX's Crew-5, making her the first Russian cosmonaut to fly on an American spacecraft since December 2002.