A Russian Soyuz spacecraft has docked at the International Space Station (ISS), carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one US astronaut. The crew, consisting of Sergey Ryzhikov, Alexey Zubritsky, and Jonny Kim, will conduct 50 scientific experiments before returning to Earth on December 9.
The spacecraft launched from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in under four hours, following a tense US-Russia relationship. However, the launch marks a positive step in cooperation between the two nations, which has continued despite recent tensions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s space program faces challenges due to funding issues and corruption scandals, including the failed Luna-25 lunar probe project. The ISS, however, remains a collaborative effort between five space agencies: the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/russian-spacecraft-brings-cosmonauts-astronaut-to-iss/a-72171840