Russia to Launch Soyuz MS-27 Manned Spacecraft to Orbital Outpost

The launch of the Soyuz MS-27 manned spacecraft with the crew of the 73rd long-term space expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled for April 8, Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos announced on Tuesday.

Roscosmos Executive Director for Human Spaceflights Sergey Krikalyov said in January that the launch of the Soyuz MS-27 crewed spacecraft to the orbital outpost was scheduled for April of this year, The Caspian Post reports, citing TASS.

"The launch of a Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Soyuz MS-27 piloted spacecraft from the Baikonur cosmodrome is scheduled for April 8, 2025," the Russian space agency said in a statement.

Russia’s Main Medical Commission announced at its meeting on Tuesday that the cosmonauts of the basic and backup crews of the 73rd long-term expedition to the International Space Station were fit for the spaceflight.

"The basic crew of the 73rd long-term expedition includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Aleksey Zubritsky and NASA astronaut Jonathan Kim and the backup crew consists of Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev and NASA astronaut Christopher Williams," Roscosmos said.