A Soyuz rocket successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, carrying members of Expedition 73, including NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew reached their destination the same day, temporarily increasing the number of residents aboard the ISS to ten for the next two weeks.
Expedition 73 is set to officially commence on Saturday, April 19, following the scheduled departure of NASA astronaut Don Pettit, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The trio will be concluding a seven-month science mission focused on various research endeavors aboard the orbital laboratory.
During his eight-month tenure on the space station, Jonny Kim will engage in extensive scientific research covering a range of fields including technology development, Earth science, biology, and human research. These studies aim to advance our understanding of space and improve life on Earth.
For continuous updates and insights into activities aboard the International Space Station, readers are encouraged to follow the International Space Station blog.
Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
