The Soyuz MS-28 rocket was set upright at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 24 for the crewed mission scheduled for November 27. NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev will launch aboard Soyuz MS-28 at 4:27 a.m. EDT and dock to the space station's Rassvet module after two Earth orbits to begin an eight-month research mission. Houston TX (SPX) Nov 26, 2025
The Soyuz MS-28 rocket was set upright at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 24 for the crewed mission scheduled for November 27. NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev will launch aboard Soyuz MS-28 at 4:27 a.m. EDT and dock to the space station's Rassvet module after two Earth orbits to begin an eight-month research mission.
The Cygnus XL resupply spacecraft, part of Northrop Grumman's NG-23 mission for NASA, was removed from the International Space Station and remains secured on the Canadarm2 robotic arm through December 1. This move was coordinated by NASA, Northrop Grumman, and Roscosmos to provide clearance for Soyuz MS-28's arrival. NASA astronauts Jonny Kim and Zena Cardman supervised Cygnus XL operations from within the station. Cygnus XL will be reattached to the station December 1 and will remain until at least March 2026, after which it will dispose of trash during destructive re-entry.
Jonny Kim exercised on the advanced resistive device as part of the CIPHER study into microgravity effects on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and endurance. Zena Cardman performed a fluid physics experiment involving gas injection to examine methods for sustaining cryogenic fluids in space.
NASA's Mike Fincke and JAXA's Kimiya Yui continued transferring scientific cargo delivered by the HTV-X1 spacecraft. Yui trained with Astrobee robotic helpers and replaced parts in the waste and hygiene compartment. Fincke prepared a fluorescence microscope to observe particle dynamics in fluids.
Roscosmos crewmembers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky tested lower body negative pressure suits for their potential to counteract the space-driven flow of fluids toward the head. Oleg Platonov used virtual reality goggles and sensors to monitor how microgravity influences balance and visual perception.
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