NASA astronaut Anil Menon, along with Roscosmos (Russian Federation) cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, arrived safely at the International Space Station Tuesday, July 14, 2026, bringing the orbiting laboratory’s crew to 10 for about the next two weeks.
A July 14 press release from NASA noted that the trio of American and Russian astronauts launched aboard the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft at 10:47 a.m. EDT (7:47 p.m. local time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After a three-hour, two-orbit journey, the spacecraft docked at 1:52 p.m. with the station’s Prichal module.
The new arrivals were welcomed by the space station Expedition 74 crew: NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, and Chris Williams; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot; and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev, and Andrey Fedyaev.
During his stay aboard the station, Menon will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing human space exploration and benefiting life on Earth, NASA said in the press release.
He will continue research to refine in-space production of semiconductor crystals to enable the large-scale manufacturing of components needed for high-performance computers, artificial intelligence, and improved medical devices.
Menon also will perform ultrasound using augmented reality and artificial intelligence methods that could eliminate the need for medical support from Earth on future space missions. He will be a test subject helping researchers understand how blood flow is affected in space to protect future astronauts. He also will test bioprinting vascular constructs in microgravity to improve understanding of the aging process to advance therapeutic developments.
Expedition 75 is scheduled to begin on Sunday, July 26, following the departure of Williams, Kud-Sverchkov, and Mikaev, as they conclude an eight-month science mission aboard the orbital outpost.
