Russia’s Soyuz MS-29 crewed spacecraft launches to orbital outpost from Baikonur spaceport

Lead

A Russian Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket carrying the Soyuz MS-29 manned spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur spaceport on July 14, headed for the International Space Station (ISS), according to Russia's State Space Corporation Roscosmos. The spacecraft, carrying the crew of the 75th long-term expedition, separated from the rocket's upper stage about nine minutes after launch and entered its designated orbit, Roscosmos announced in a live broadcast.

The Soyuz MS-29 docked with the Prichal module of the Russian segment of the ISS later that day, following a two-orbit fast-track rendezvous profile, as reported by Roscosmos. The crew comprises Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov, who serves as mission commander, and Anna Kikina, as well as NASA astronaut Anil Menon. The mission is expected to last 261 days.

Coverage comparison

All reporting on the mission comes from TASS, Russia's state news agency, which covered the launch, the docking, and the mission's broader context in three separate articles. The launch coverage emphasized the historic nature of the event, particularly the inclusion of Indian schoolchildren's drawings aboard the spacecraft. A second article focused on the successful docking and the delivery of scientific equipment and supplies. A third provided technical details about the launch and orbital insertion. Across these reports, the tone ranged from celebratory to informative, with attribution consistently drawn from Roscosmos statements and official broadcasts.

The launch article, quoting Yelena Remizova, head of Russia's agency for international humanitarian cooperation Rossotrudnichestvo, highlighted that the Soyuz MS-29 carried drawings made by Indian schoolchildren, winners of the "First Forever" competition. That competition marked the 65th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's flight and celebrated Russian-Indian cooperation in space exploration. Remizova described the event as "historic."

In contrast, the docking report, based on a Roscosmos live broadcast, was more matter-of-fact, detailing the spacecraft's approach and the crew's composition. It also noted that the spacecraft delivered scientific equipment, most of it for biomedical and biotechnology research, as well as a "gourmet selection of Russian cuisine" tied to the First in Space national gastronomic festival.

Key claims

The Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle lifted off from the Baikonur spaceport at 2:48 p.m. GMT, carrying the primary crew of the ISS's 75th long-duration expedition, as reported by TASS citing Roscosmos. Approximately nine minutes later, Soyuz MS-29 separated from the rocket's third stage and reached orbit.

The spacecraft docked with the Prichal module of the Russian segment of the ISS at about 8:56 p.m. Moscow time (5:56 p.m. GMT), according to Roscosmos. The docking used an ultra-short two-orbit scheme, as detailed in both the launch and post-docking reports.

The crew consists of Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina, and NASA astronaut Anil Menon. For Dubrov and Kikina, this is their second spaceflight; for Menon, it is his first, as reported by TASS.

The mission is expected to last 261 days. During that period, the crew will conduct about 40 scientific experiments and mission-specific tasks, including two new investigations: Gazoanalizator-FS and Teledroid. According to Roscosmos, Gazoanalizator-FS is expected to pave the way for a fully automated atmosphere monitoring system for future crewed deep-space missions, while Teledroid involves work with a Russian-developed humanoid robot.

The spacecraft also delivered scientific equipment to the station, most of it intended for biomedical and biotechnology research, as well as a selection of Russian cuisine that will serve as the culmination of the First in Space national gastronomic festival.

Additionally, the spacecraft carried drawings by Indian schoolchildren, winners of the "First Forever" competition, which was dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's flight and cooperation between Russia and India in space exploration. This was reported by TASS quoting Yelena Remizova, head of Rossotrudnichestvo.