Russian Cosmonauts Arrive at International Space Station

Soyuz MS-21 Crew Ship

The Soyuz MS-21 crew ship with three cosmonauts aboard approaches the Prichal module for docking in this view from the space station. Credit: NASA TV

Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov on the Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft launched at 11:55 a.m. EDT on March 18, 2022, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan (8:55 p.m. Baikonur time). They docked to the International Space Station at 3:12 p.m. EDT, while the station was traveling 260 miles over eastern Kazakhstan.

Soyuz MS-21 Rocket Lifts Off

The Soyuz MS-21 rocket lifts off on time from Kazakhstan carrying three cosmonauts to the space station. Credit: NASA

About two hours after docking, hatches between the Soyuz and the station opened and the trio joined Expedition 66 Commander Anton Shkaplerov and cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos, as well as NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei, Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer.


Three Russian cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station on March 18 a little more than three hours after launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft. Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, and Sergey Korsakov docked to the Prichal module on the ISS for the start of a planned six-month mission as part of both the Expedition 66 and 67 crews. Credit: NASA

On March 30, a Soyuz spacecraft will return as scheduled carrying NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anton Shkaplerov back to Earth. Upon their return, Vande Hei will hold the American record for the longest single human spaceflight mission of 355 days.


Expedition 66-67 Soyuz MS 21 Hatch Opening On International Space Station. Credit: NASA

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