NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visits Russia’s space launch facilities ahead of a scheduled launch carrying a joint U.S.-Russian crew to the International Space Station (ISS). Multiple outlets report that Isaacman is attending the departure from the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, marking the first visit by a NASA administrator in about eight years.
As reported by AP and echoed across the other summaries, Isaacman meets the crew in advance and thanks Roscosmos for work preparing the mission. He also meets Roscosmos leadership before launch. The crew includes NASA astronaut Anil Menon, along with Russian crewmembers Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, who fly aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 for an expected eight-month stay.
The mission continues long-running ISS cooperation between Moscow and Washington, despite broader political tensions. Coverage notes that after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, relations between the countries deteriorate, but the ISS partnership remains active, with U.S. and Russian crews still traveling to the orbital outpost using their respective spacecraft. Plans for wider collaboration, including potential Russian participation in NASA’s Artemis program, have not advanced, while Roscosmos increasingly cooperates with China.
