NASA Astronaut and Russian Cosmonauts Launch to ISS, Setting Record for People in Orbit

Veteran astronaut Don Pettit joins Aleksey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner on a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

The Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:23 p.m. EDT with NASA's Don Pettit and Russian cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner.
This mission sets a new record for the number of people in orbit simultaneously, with 19 individuals across four different spacecraft.
Don Pettit, making his fourth trip to space, will focus on nighttime photography and capturing unique atmospheric phenomena during his six-month stay.
The mission marks Pettit's first spaceflight in 12 years, adding to his cumulative 370 days in space.
The arrival of Pettit and his crewmates initiates the transition from Expedition 71 to Expedition 72 on the ISS.