A Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying the Soyuz MS-29 crewed spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Roscosmos reported. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
On board are cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, as well as NASA astronaut Anil Menon, for whom this is his first flight.
The rocket lifted off from Baikonur's Site 31 at 17:47:43 Moscow time. The spacecraft's insertion into orbit, separation from the third stage, and deployment of antennas and solar panels proceeded normally.
Docking of Soyuz MS-29 with the International Space Station is expected at 20:56 Moscow time, or 22:56 Astana time.
The spacecraft will deliver the crew of the 75th long-duration expedition and scientific equipment to the ISS. A significant portion is intended for biomedical and biotechnological research.
During the expedition, the crew plans to perform 38 scientific experiments and targeted tasks. The program includes testing the humanoid robot 'Teledroid', collecting data on solar activity to predict magnetic storms, and two spacewalks to be conducted by Dubrov and Kikina.
On the eve of the launch, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman arrived at Baikonur. He met with Kazakhstan's Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Zhaslan Madiyev.
The sides discussed joint projects in space science, astrophysics, satellite technologies, and remote sensing of the Earth, as well as cooperation between universities and research centers of the two countries.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that the ISS-75 expedition is planned for 261 days. For Pyotr Dubrov, this is his second flight — during his first mission, he spent over 355 days in orbit and performed four spacewalks. Anna Kikina will become the first Russian female cosmonaut to have flown on both the American Crew Dragon and the Russian Soyuz, while Anil Menon's participation is organized under the Roscosmos-NASA cross-flight program.