NASA astronaut Chris Williams is set to embark on his inaugural mission to the International Space Station (ISS), where he will serve as a flight engineer and member of Expedition 74. This noteworthy journey will commence aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft in November. Williams will be joined by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev.
The trio is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory, a hub for pioneering scientific research and technological advancements. During his mission, Williams will engage in various scientific investigations and technology demonstrations. These efforts are aimed at preparing humanity for future space expeditions and providing tangible benefits back on Earth.
Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Williams completed his training with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. He commenced preparations for his first space station flight assignment immediately following his initial training. Born in New York City, he considers Potomac, Maryland, his hometown. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Stanford University and a doctorate in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where his research emphasized astrophysics.
His career also includes completing a Medical Physics Residency at Harvard Medical School. Prior to his selection as an astronaut, he was a clinical physicist and researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
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For over two decades, the International Space Station has been a continuous site of human habitation and work, significantly advancing scientific knowledge and achieving research breakthroughs unattainable on Earth. It serves as a vital testing ground for NASA to address the challenges of long-duration spaceflight while enhancing commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.
As commercial enterprises take on the task of providing human space transportation services and creating destinations in a thriving low Earth orbit economy, NASA can increasingly allocate its resources to ambitious deep space missions, including those to the Moon and Mars.
For more detailed information about research and operations on the International Space Station, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/station.
Contact Information:
- Josh Finch / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
[email protected] / claire.a.o’[email protected] - Chelsey Ballarte
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
[email protected]
