All-Russian crew departs for International Space Station amid Ukraine crisis
- The express flight to the human outpost was expected to take three hours. On the ISS, the cosmonauts will meet two other Russians and four US crew members
- Sanctions imposed on Moscow because of Russia’s attack on Ukraine have put a heavy strain on space cooperation
Amid severe tensions between Russia and the West due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, an all-Russian crew has departed for the International Space Station (ISS).
The Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft with cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergei Korsakov on board lifted off from the Russian spaceport Baikonur in Kazakhstan on Friday. This was shown in live images from the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
The rocket could be seen rising into the night sky over Central Asia. “Everything is normal on board,” radio messages from the ground station said. The crew was doing well.
The express flight to the human outpost was expected to take three hours. On the ISS, the cosmonauts will meet two other Russians and four US crew members.
German crew member Matthias Maurer celebrated his 52nd birthday on board the ISS on Friday.
The sanctions imposed on Moscow because of Russia’s attack on Ukraine have also put a heavy strain on space cooperation.
Roscosmos has left the future of the station in doubt after the contract expires in 2024. The US space agency Nasa is aiming for a term until 2030.