Russia launches Soyuz spacecraft carrying 3 crew members to ISS

A Russian Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft and three members of Expedition 75 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) successfully lifted off from Site No. 31 ("Vostok") at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Tuesday, according to a live broadcast by Russia's Roscosmos space agency.

The spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle about nine minutes after liftoff and entered orbit.

It is scheduled to reach the ISS using a two-orbit rendezvous profile and dock with the Prichal module of the station's Russian segment at approximately 8.56 p.m. Moscow time.

The mission is expected to last 261 days.

The crew consists of Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, who will serve as commander of both the Soyuz spacecraft and Expedition 75, Roscosmos cosmonaut and TASS special correspondent Anna Kikina, and NASA astronaut Anil Menon.

The flight will be the second space mission for Dubrov and Kikina, while Menon will make his first trip to space.

The backup crew includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov and Dmitry Petelin, along with NASA astronaut Deniz Burnham.

During the mission, the crew is expected to carry out around 40 scientific experiments and other planned activities.

The spacecraft is also carrying a selection of Russian dishes prepared as part of the national "First in Space" food festival, launched during Russia's Space Week in April.