Russian rocket takes off with US astronaut on board, Putin’s envoy hails joint space effort

The 1st crewed US-Russia space mission saw a Soyuz MS-27, carrying Russians Sergei Ryzhikov & Alexei Zubritsky, with NASA’s Jonathan Kim, blast off for the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, April 8, 2025 | Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

Baikonur, Kazakhstan: President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy on Tuesday hailed U.S.-Russia space cooperation after a Russian Soyuz rocket carrying an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts blasted off for the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-27 was carrying Russians Sergei Ryzhikov and Alexei Zubritsky and NASA’s Jonathan Kim. It was expected to dock at the ISS at 0904 GMT, Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, said.

Kirill Dmitriev, who is trying to spur a reset in U.S.-Russia ties and held talks in Washington last week, said Tuesday’s launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan was the latest example of an enduring relationship which traced its history back to 1975.

That was when the first crewed international space mission carried out jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union saw an Apollo and a Soyuz dock in space.

That mission, which featured the first international handshake in space, was a symbol of Cold War detente.

“Russian and U.S. cooperation in the space industry continues today,” Dmitriev said on Tuesday, posting a video on his official Telegram channel of the Soyuz rocket blasting off.

Despite sweeping U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow over its war in Ukraine, space is one area where cooperation has continued.

Dmitriev, who has talked up the possibility of joint Russian-U.S. investment in the Arctic and in the development of Russian rare earths, has said Moscow could supply a small nuclear power plant for a mission to Mars planned by billionaire entrepreneur and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

However, with the ISS nearing the end of its service life, Russia plans to go it alone with its own space station, for which it plans to launch the first two modules in 2027. It is also expanding its cooperation with China in space exploration.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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