NASA Astronaut and Two Roscosmos Cosmonauts Launch to the ISS on Soyuz MS-28

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Soyuz MS-28 launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 27, 2025, carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev to the International Space Station. The spacecraft docked with the station’s Rassvet module at 7:34 a.m. EST after a roughly three-hour, two-orbit flight. NASA confirmed the arrival.

The launch was notable for taking place on U.S. Thanksgiving and for continuing practical NASA–Roscosmos cooperation aboard the ISS. However, “historic” is best understood as contextual rather than as a confirmed spaceflight record.

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What was the Soyuz MS-28 mission?

Soyuz MS-28 was an ISS crew-transport mission operated through the Roscosmos Soyuz program. It launched on Thursday, November 27, 2025, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan—not from Russia—and carried three astronauts and cosmonauts to the orbital laboratory.

The mission supported an ISS crew rotation and the transition from Expedition 73 to Expedition 74. NASA participated with one crew member, while the spacecraft and launch system were part of the Roscosmos-operated Soyuz program. NASA’s mission page identifies the spacecraft, crew and launch details.

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The Soyuz MS-28 crew

Chris Williams

Chris Williams was making his first spaceflight. He served as a NASA flight engineer and was assigned to Expedition 74. NASA selected him as an astronaut in 2021; his background includes astrophysics and medical physics. His planned mission involved approximately eight months aboard the station.

Williams ultimately returned to Earth on July 26, 2026. NASA’s current biography records a 241-day mission and two spacewalks totaling 14 hours and 22 minutes. See NASA’s updated biography.

Sergey Kud-Sverchkov

Sergey Kud-Sverchkov was the experienced member of the crew, making his second mission to the ISS. NASA’s prelaunch coverage identified him as the only returning space traveler among the three Soyuz MS-28 crew members.

Sergei Mikaev

Sergei Mikaev was a Roscosmos cosmonaut making his first spaceflight. NASA’s prelaunch report identified both Mikaev and Williams as first-time flyers.

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NASA’s countdown report provides the crew and flight-experience context.

Launch and docking timeline

NASA’s prelaunch plan had placed docking at approximately 7:38 a.m. EST, but the confirmed docking occurred at 7:34 a.m. The hatch opened at about 10:16 a.m., later than the initially planned 10:10 a.m. NASA reported the docking at Rassvet.

Why was the launch described as historic?

The launch had several legitimate points of significance:

• Thanksgiving timing: It launched on a major U.S. holiday, giving the mission unusual public and cultural resonance.
• Continuing cooperation: NASA and Roscosmos continued sharing ISS crew-transport responsibilities despite broader political tensions between the United States and Russia.
• Crew rotation: The flight delivered three new station residents and supported the planned Expedition 73-to-74 transition.
• Long-duration research: The crew began an approximately eight-month program of science, maintenance and technology demonstrations.

Those points support describing Soyuz MS-28 as significant. The available NASA sources do not establish that it was the first NASA–Russian crew, the first mixed U.S.–Russian Soyuz crew, or a unique record in human-spaceflight history. It is therefore more accurate to call it a notable Thanksgiving launch and an important ISS crew-rotation mission than to present “historic” as a verified record claim.

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What happened with Expedition 73 and Expedition 74?

The terminology matters. Soyuz MS-28 launched and docked while the station was still operating under Expedition 73. The arrival temporarily expanded the station’s crew to 10. Expedition 74 was scheduled to begin after three Expedition 73 crew members departed on December 8, 2025.

Williams was assigned to Expedition 74, but that expedition had not technically begun at the moment of launch or docking. Saying that the crew was “assigned to Expedition 74” is accurate; saying that Expedition 74 was already underway at liftoff is not.

NASA’s assignment announcement explains Williams’ Expedition 74 role.

What research and work was planned?

The mission was more than a transportation flight. NASA said Williams would support:

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• Installation and testing of a modular workout system intended for long-duration missions
• Research into improving cryogenic-fuel efficiency
• Semiconductor-crystal growth in microgravity
• Development of reentry-safety protocols
• General ISS science, maintenance and cargo operations

After arrival, the new crew also worked on microcirculation measurements, blood and saliva sampling, station-systems familiarization, cargo handling and exercise-device operations. NASA’s post-arrival report details these early activities.

What does “Russian Soyuz launch” mean?

The phrase is broadly understandable but needs precision. Soyuz MS-28 was launched through the Russian-led Roscosmos Soyuz program from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is located in Kazakhstan. NASA supplied one member of the three-person crew and participated in the ISS mission, but it did not operate the Soyuz spacecraft or launch vehicle.

The clearest description is therefore: a NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts launched aboard the Roscosmos-operated Soyuz MS-28 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, to the ISS.

What happened to the mission afterward?

The launch-day story was the beginning of Williams’ long-duration mission, not its conclusion. According to NASA’s updated biography, Williams returned to Earth on July 26, 2026, after 241 days in space and two spacewalks.

That later outcome also puts the original “eight-month mission” wording in context: approximately eight months was the prelaunch plan, while 241 days is the eventual duration recorded by NASA.

Bottom line

Soyuz MS-28 was a significant ISS crew-rotation mission: it launched from Kazakhstan on Thanksgiving Day, carried one NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts, docked at Rassvet after about three hours, and began a research-focused stay aboard the station. Its broader importance came from continued ISS cooperation and the Expedition transition—not from a documented spaceflight first.

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