NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visits Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome to witness a scheduled launch of a U.S.-Russian crew to the International Space Station (ISS). Reporting from multiple outlets says the trip underscores ongoing cooperation in orbit between Moscow and Washington, even as broader political relations remain strained. Isaacman’s visit is described as rare, marking the first time in eight years that a NASA administrator has gone to the Russia-leased launch site in Kazakhstan.
Ahead of the launch, Isaacman meets with the crew and with Roscosmos leadership, thanking Russia’s state space corporation for its work preparing the mission. The launch is set to be carried out aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 and is planned for an eight-month stay on the ISS.
The crew includes NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, who are expected to join existing ISS residents, including NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway and Chris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and additional Roscosmos cosmonauts.
Sources also note that while past U.S.-Russian space collaboration has faced setbacks linked to geopolitical tensions since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, both countries continue flying crews to the station using their respective spacecraft.
