On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, a crewed Soyuz spacecraft carrying the crew of the next expedition to the International Space Station launched from Pad 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The crew includes NASA astronaut Anil Menon, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The launch was observed by family members and colleagues of the crew, including NASA astronaut candidate Anna Menon with her children, who were present at the launch site. The flight is part of ongoing international cooperation in orbit, during which crews regularly rotate to conduct scientific experiments and maintain station operations. The mission proceeds through cooperation between the U.S. and Russian space agencies, underscoring the continuation of partnership in human spaceflight despite the complex geopolitical situation. Following the successful launch, the spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS, where the crew will join current station members to continue work on the expedition program. The launch proceeded nominally, with further details about docking and the crew's scientific program to be announced separately.