July 14, 18:41

Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft launched to the ISS from Baikonur

The Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft was successfully launched by the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle at 17:48 Moscow time on July 14, 2026. The launch took place from pad number 31 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome and placed the spacecraft into near-Earth orbit.

Crew and Mission Objectives

The crew of Soyuz MS-29 includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Petr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, as well as NASA astronaut Anil Menon. These participants will spend the next six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the ISS-75 expedition. Docking with the ISS is scheduled for 20:56 Moscow time.

The Russian crew is set to conduct a number of studies, including testing a new gas analyzer-spectrometer for monitoring atmospheric impurities. They will also continue working with the humanoid robot Teledroid and observe solar activity in the terahertz range using a detector installed on the exterior of the station.

Anil Menon's Experiments

Anil Menon will participate in various biological experiments. These include studying blood flow in space conditions, bioprinting vascular tissue mimics in microgravity, and conducting ultrasound diagnostics using augmented reality.

Launch Context and Issues

This launch is the second and the first crewed flight since the service module cabin on the pad, which collapsed into the gas exhaust pit in November of the previous year during the launch of Soyuz MS-28. Due to this situation, several flights of Soyuz and Progress spacecraft to the ISS had to be postponed.

Artemis Program and Lunar Vehicles

As part of the Artemis program, NASA is studying the possibility of sending the PROMISE rover (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration) to the southern polar region of the Moon. This vehicle will be an advanced version of OPTIMISM, which is a full-scale engineering model of the Perseverance rover and is stored at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Command Testing and Future Plans

PROMISE is initially used for preliminary testing of commands that will later be transmitted to Mars rovers Perseverance and Curiosity. It is planned that the planetary rover will be equipped with a RTG, which will provide it with autonomy from sunlight compared to the VIPER rover and allow for more effective searching for water ice and studying the geology of permanently shadowed polar regions. The agency believes that the experience gained by the team of engineers operating existing Mars rovers should not negatively affect their control, despite the lack of a ground test stand. However, the launch date for the new lunar rover has not yet been determined, and it remains unclear whether NASA can equip PROMISE with an RTG without compromising other space research projects.