Soyuz-2.1a - Soyuz MS-28 - 27 November 2025 (09:27 UTC)

[TALsite]

The prime crew of Soyuz MS-28, during backup training for Soyuz MS-27.

CDR- Sergei Kud-Sverchkov
FE1- Sergei Mikayev
FE2- Christopher Williams

Image Credit: GCTC
https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=7036

[ddspaceman]

https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=7037
GT:
Prevented the “loss” of the ship: cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev successfully passed the exam on the “Teleoperator” simulator
|
March 07, 2025

Today, March 7, 2025, at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, members of the ISS-73 backup crew, completed an examination training session on manual control of the Progress MS cargo transport ship (TCS) in the teleoperator control mode (TORU). Their work was assessed by a commission consisting of representatives of the Cosmonaut Training Center and RSC Energia.

The cosmonauts chose exam tickets and, as is tradition, signed the envelopes. Then the crew took their work places on the "Teleoperator" simulator and began preparing for the training, opening the onboard documentation on the tablets.

During the training, each crew member performed 4 docking modes to different nodes on the ISS. These are MIM1 (small research module Rassvet), MIM2 (small research module Poisk), nodal module Prichal and service module Zvezda. Two dockings were performed in the light, and in two modes – in the shadow. The examination committee, chaired by V. G. Korzun, observed the actions of the cosmonauts and assessed their actions.

According to the flight program, transport cargo ships dock with the ISS in automatic mode, but in the event of an emergency, the crew switches to manual control in the TORU mode. The astronauts, being on board the ISS, remotely control the ship to perform docking and berthing to a given node. During this process, various emergency situations may arise that must be parried.

It is important to remember that manual control in the TORU mode is the last reserve for docking and berthing the TGC with the ISS. If the crew cannot perform manual control, the ship will be lost.

Each of the cosmonauts managed to identify the abnormal situation and cope with the task, earning an excellent rating from the experts.

[Galacic01]

If MS-28 launches in November, it will last 240 days until June 2026 and will work with a crew-11 (November - February 2026) And Crew-12 (February - June 2026) After which Crew-12 will be taken over by the crew of MS-29 or is something wrong?

[ddspaceman]

NASA Astronaut Chris Williams Assigned to First Space Station Mission

Tiernan P. Doyle
Apr 03, 2025

NASA astronaut Chris Williams will embark on his first mission to the International Space Station, serving as a flight engineer and Expedition 74 crew member.

Williams will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft in November, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev. After launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the trio will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory.

During his expedition, Williams will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations that help prepare humans for future space missions and benefit humanity.

Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Williams graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. He began training for his first space station flight assignment immediately after completing initial astronaut candidate training.

Williams was born in New York City, and considers Potomac, Maryland, his hometown. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Stanford University in California and a doctorate in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, where his research focused on astrophysics. Williams completed Medical Physics Residency training at Harvard Medical School in Boston. He was working as a clinical physicist and researcher at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston when he was selected as an astronaut.

For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is able to more fully focus its resources on deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-astronaut-chris-williams-assigned-to-first-space-station-mission/

[ddspaceman]

Chris Williams
@Astro_ChrisW
Thrilled and honored to be representing @NASA as a crewmember on Soyuz MS-28 and Expedition 74 on the @Space_Station!  In the coming months I hope to share my experiences in training and throughout my mission!

https://twitter.com/Astro_ChrisW/status/1908908282363732458

[ddspaceman]

Chris Williams
@Astro_ChrisW
For the past year, our crew have been serving as the backup for Soyuz MS-27.

That means we have been in Baikonur, Kazakhstan for two and a half weeks, in quarantine with with the prime crew before their launch tomorrow.  In addition to backing up and supporting them, it is also an opportunity to get a preview of what it will be like when our turn comes.  There are a lot of training, logistics, and traditions that go on immediately before a Soyuz flight.  This includes events like inspecting the capsule (called a "fit check") and watching the rocket rollout, as well as doing simple but important things like packing clothes in bags for the search and rescue teams to bring you after you land.

I'm extremely grateful to have been able to learn from @JonnyKimUSA and to share this experience with him.  Excited and proud to watch him, Alexei and Sergei launch to the @Space_Station in a few short hours!

Photo credits: Roscosmos

https://twitter.com/Astro_ChrisW/status/1909198949379883440

[marcdrnl]

Does anyone know what will be Kud Sverchkov call sign ?

[SMS]

Does anyone know what will be Kud Sverchkov call sign ?

Krechet means Gyrfalcon.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

Large dump of launch dates from tour operators: https://kosmodrom.space/raspisanie-zapuskov

<snip>
* Soyuz MS-28: November 27 07:26 UTC
<snip>

[SMS]

AstroNana @ImAstroNana

NASA spacex crew-11 members Kimiya Yui, Gina Cardman, Oleg Platonov and astronaut Michael Fink, along with Soyuz MS-28 crew members Sergei Mikhayev, Chris Williams and astronaut Sergei Kud-Svertyukov pose for a commemorative photo during emergency response training on the ISS.

https://twitter.com/ImAstroNana/status/1926171332510634230

[ddspaceman]

https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=7195
GT:
Repetition is the mother of learning or one working day of an astronaut
| Crews
June 20, 2025

"How many years did it take you to get to space?" or "How long did you wait for the launch?" - cosmonauts have to answer these questions more than once. If we answer briefly and generally, these are years of preparation. But you can "look" into the training buildings of the Cosmonaut Training Center and find out what a typical working day of a cosmonaut is like. These days make up the years before the launch to the station.

Roscosmos cosmonauts have a five-day work week and an eight-hour work day with a lunch break. And these eight hours are scheduled literally down to the minute. In some ways, such a schedule resembles studying at school or university, only at the "desk" sit people who have already achieved success in their profession, who do not want to stop there and strive for the stars.

The ISS-74 crew is currently preparing for the space flight: the ship's commander, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, flight engineer, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Mikayev, and flight engineer-2, NASA astronaut Christopher Williams.

"The training of a cosmonaut as part of a crew is carried out in accordance with an individual training plan, which is drawn up for this crew. For me, these are recovery classes on the ship and station systems, preparation for going into outer space. There are classes dedicated to the target work that is planned for the upcoming expedition. At the same time, background data is collected on scientific and medical programs, and the level of knowledge of English is maintained.

In preparation between flights, basically all training is individual, to maintain skills: these are training sessions on manual docking, docking and descent, on the teleoperator mode of controlling the “truck”, and such training is also conducted as part of the crew. A very important part of the training is aimed at team coordination, for example, in terms of actions in abnormal and emergency situations,” said Sergei Kud-Sverchkov.

Thursday morning for the Russian members of the ISS-74 crew began with English classes, one of the two official languages ​​of communication on the International Space Station (the second official language is Russian). Senior teacher Maria Ponomareva prepared materials for analysis dedicated to emergency situations that may occur.

"The phrases used by cosmonauts and astronauts, especially in the event of an accident, must be short and clear. We work together with translators and create a single glossary, because the same concept can be explained in different ways. We are trying to have one template, one clear term that is understandable to everyone in the international crew. And the cosmonauts help us with this. We also interact with teachers from the USA: they also tell us what to pay attention to, and we all work on it together,” Maria Ponomareva explained the specifics of the cosmonauts’ language training.

After a two-hour English lesson, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev had a lecture on the radio-technical navigation systems of the Russian segment of the ISS. During the lesson, the cosmonauts "refreshed" their memory and received information about the changes that have occurred recently.

“Two systems: the Kurs radio-technical approach system and the satellite navigation equipment are responsible for navigation support for the station and the ship during the automatic approach and docking of the Soyuz to the ISS. And, of course, during the lesson we looked at the algorithms for the operation of these systems, as well as emergency situations that may arise, and how the crew can counter them,” said Anatoly Perevezentsev, leading specialist in cosmonaut training for the 1st Directorate of the Cosmonaut Training Center.

After lunch, the cosmonauts began two hours of training on simulators. Sergey Kud-Sverchkov practiced manual control of the Progress cargo ship in teleoperator mode. And Sergey Mikayev, on the Don-Soyuz 2 simulator, perfected his skills in docking and redocking the Soyuz manned transport ship.

"If we compare the training at the stage of the OKS, in a group and in a crew, it differs in a more detailed, deep study of the areas. During general space training, in a short time, we received a general volume of knowledge in various disciplines and practical skills, and during training in a crew, we pay more attention to the individual program of the upcoming flight. “And then there is the training in foreign space agencies – there is no such thing during the OKP,” shared his thoughts Sergei Mikaev, who is currently preparing for his first space flight.

At the end of the cosmonauts' working day, a two-hour period was planned for independent preparation. Here again, it is easiest to find analogies with students: there is no homework, but you need to prepare for the upcoming classes, study the schedule, review the information, find materials and get ready for further work. We will tell you about how the day of astronaut candidates goes in one of the following publications.

[ddspaceman]

A few more pics from above source:

[ddspaceman]

https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=7210
GT:
Blood taken for analysis, oxygenation measured, ECG done: Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev prepare for the Neuroimmunity experiment
| Crews
02 July 2025

Russian ISS-74 crew members Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev are currently undergoing training for the expedition, including practicing the practical skills they need to conduct space experiments.

For several years now, Roscosmos cosmonauts have been participating in a comprehensive medical and biological study called “Neuroimmunity,” which is aimed at obtaining data on the physiological adaptation of the human body to the conditions of long-term space flight and assessing the impact of stress on immunity. This study is being conducted by medical specialists from the Cosmonaut Training Center and the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems (IMBP).

"We have several systems in our body that have a pronounced influence on each other. These are, first of all, the central nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, as well as the purinergic (intercellular) and endocannabinoid systems. And they all react to factors of space flight, such as overloads in zero gravity, isolation, artificial habitat and a number of others. They affect the emotional and cognitive state of a person and can lead to the development of asthenic syndrome and, possibly, chronic stress, which affect the immune system,” explained Galina Vasilyeva, head of the IMBP laboratory and candidate of medical sciences.

To analyze changes occurring in the immune system, the cosmonauts will have to independently perform a number of examinations on board. During the practical lesson, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev studied the operating principles of the Kosmocard device, designed to record changes in heart rate; a pulse oximeter, necessary for measuring blood oxygenation, and an actimeter.

But the most important object of research for the specialists is venous blood, samples of which the crew will have to take on board the ISS themselves. And the cosmonauts also worked on this skill during a practical lesson under the guidance and with the direct participation of the Cosmonaut Training Center teacher Natalia Pekarskaya.

Natalya Petrovna described in detail the order of actions before the procedure, during its implementation and after its completion. Then the cosmonauts took turns "taking blood" on a medical dummy. After such training, Sergei Mikayev, who had no experience of taking venous blood, successfully took blood from the teacher.

"The main part of the experiment is not complicated, the directors prepared logical and clear instructions. As for the practical part of taking venous blood, I didn't hit the vein the first time, but I succeeded on the other hand. Practice is important, the ability to do everything yourself, so that there are no problems during the flight in the future," Sergey Mikaev shared his impressions.

In orbit, the cosmonauts will also have to process blood to preserve samples until they return to Earth. Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev took turns preparing blood smears on slides and then centrifuging the blood (a process that separates blood into fractions).

Sergei Kud-Sverchkov already participated in this experiment during his previous flight and can compare the process of preparation and subsequent on-board implementation:

"The class is designed in such a way that the differences are minimal. The same equipment and medical supplies are used. The only condition we cannot reproduce here is weightlessness. On board there are some nuances in terms of fixing the subject and securing the instruments. It is especially important that we actually take blood, centrifuge it and use the same protocols both on Earth and in space," the cosmonaut said.

The data obtained during the implementation of the comprehensive study will in the future allow us to decipher the mechanism of changes occurring in the immune system and will be important for understanding the processes of mutual influence of consciousness, stress and immunity. This, in turn, will provide the opportunity for further improvement of medical and biological support for long-term orbital and interplanetary flights, and will provide the necessary knowledge to prevent an undesirable immunological response of the body when exposed to various extreme factors and the development of pathological conditions.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev are preparing for the Neuroimmunity experiment
A link to the related video: https://rutube.ru/video/f922a0dcd0057754cda2f4ee220f7aa0/?t=17&r=plemwd

[ddspaceman]

A few more pic's from above source:

[ddspaceman]

https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=7220
GT:
Sergey Mikayev controls the "truck": Roscosmos cosmonaut trained on the "Teleoperator" simulator
| Crews
09 July 2025

Sergey Mikayev is currently undergoing training for his first space flight as part of the main crew of ISS-74. The program includes a series of training sessions on controlling manned and transport spacecraft, in which the Roscosmos cosmonaut is practicing manual control of the Progress cargo transport spacecraft in teleoperator mode.

According to the flight program, the "trucks" dock and berth with the ISS automatically, but if the program fails, the crew must be able to bring the ship to the station manually. The astronauts, being on board the ISS, remotely control the Progress to perform docking and berthing to a given node. During this process, various emergency situations may arise that must be parried.

The cosmonauts practice the necessary skills during training sessions on the Teleoperator simulator. During one of them, Sergey Mikayev performed 4 docking modes to different nodes on the ISS. These are MIM1 (small research module Rassvet), MIM2 (small research module Poisk), nodal module Prichal and service module Zvezda. Two dockings were performed in the light, and in two modes – in the shade. The instructor assessed the correctness of the cosmonaut's actions.

It is important to remember that manual control is the last resort for docking Progress with the ISS. If the crew is unable to perform manual control, the ship will be lost: the cosmonauts will not receive replenishment of water and food supplies, fuel, or valuable equipment needed to conduct scientific experiments.

Here is a link to the related video: https://rutube.ru/video/aeb1ed83bc8f0e8b684bc0510c809384/?t=1&r=plemwd
Sergei Mikayev controls the "truck": the cosmonaut trained on the "Teleoperator" simulator

[ddspaceman]

Cross post
The Space Pirate🏴‍☠️🥷🏻🚀
@TheSpacePirateX
Fire, ammonia leak & depressurization, the ISS-74 backup crew faced it all in emergency drills.

@Roscosmo' Pyotr Dubrov, Anna Kikina & @NASA’s Anil Menon trained for worst-case scenarios aboard the Russian segment & Soyuz, including full suit-up, evacuation & ballistic reentry.

https://twitter.com/TheSpacePirateX/status/1944767924063055945

[ddspaceman]

afec7032 🇷🇺
@robert_savitsky
Emblem of Soyuz MS-28 mission, which is scheduled to launch to the ISS at the end of November (November 27th).

Katya Pavlushchenko
@katlinegrey
Roscosmos shared the emblem of #SoyuzMS28 which will fly to the ISS on November 27, 2025 with Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Sergey Mikayev and Christopher Williams as crew members. The bird on the emblem is gyrfalcon, which is also the call sign of the crew.

https://twitter.com/robert_savitsky/status/1958840753683095727

https://twitter.com/katlinegrey/status/1958841653025726600

[ddspaceman]

https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=7271
GT:
Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev are preparing to conduct the Orbita MG space experiment
| Crews
01 September 2025

The International Space Station received its first expedition in 2000. After 25 years of operation in the aggressive space environment, there was a need to monitor the technical condition of the station module shells, search for possible leaks and control their parameters. To solve these problems, the Orbita MG target work is being carried out on the Russian segment of the ISS (RS ISS), and the technologies are being tested on the pressurized housing of the intermediate chamber (IPC) of the Zvezda module.

Russian members of the ISS-74 prime crew, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, honed their skills in working with the equipment necessary to carry out the target work during practical training conducted jointly by specialists from the Cosmonaut Training Center and RSC Energia.

To search for and control possible cracks, the astronauts have three devices at their disposal. An ultrasonic flaw detector will help detect problem areas under any structures when they cannot be seen or determined in any other way. This scientific equipment will also be useful for monitoring the condition of already repaired leaks on the station.

An eddy current flaw detector is needed to determine the depth of a defect (for example, a through crack or not) and its length. The obtained data can be clarified using an onboard microscope, which allows you to take a picture of the desired location with 200x magnification.

Also, to diagnose areas of possible leaks, an ultrasonic thickness gauge is used, which, as its name suggests, is designed to measure the thickness of a particular material.

Between 2020 and early 2024, astronauts discovered 4 through cracks on the ISS RS, which were successfully sealed. These three devices are monitoring the repaired areas, and so far no atmospheric leaks have been observed there. However, monitoring sessions for possible leaks must be continued.

During their work on the ISS, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev will have to scan potentially problematic and repaired leakage areas once a week during a target work session, as well as monitor areas where leaks are possible. The cosmonauts will spend about 4 hours on this work. In total, 24 such sessions are planned within the framework of the experiment planned for the ISS-74 expedition.

The results of the monitoring in the form of data, as well as photographs (if there is access to the location of the defect) will be transmitted to Earth.

[ddspaceman]

The Space Pirate🏴‍☠️🥷🏻🚀
@TheSpacePirateX
Roscosmos cosmonauts 👨🏻‍🚀 Sergey Kud-Sverchkov & 👨🏻‍🚀 Sergey Mikayev, prime crew of ISS Expedition 74, have completed a Soyuz descent training session.  🧵👇🏻

They practiced a full undocking & descent sequence in the simulator - from sealing hatches to “landing” near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.

The cosmonauts also faced simulated emergencies:
• False depressurization 🚨
• Engine pressurization leak 🔧
• Main engine failure 🚀
• Descent control loop anomaly → switched to ballistic reentry

https://twitter.com/TheSpacePirateX/status/1964004548814721233

https://twitter.com/TheSpacePirateX/status/1964004583987884357

[ddspaceman]

https://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=7280
GT:
Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev performed a spacecraft descent during training
| Crews
05 September 2025

The crew of the main ISS-74 expedition, which includes Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, are preparing for a space flight, the start of which is scheduled for the end of 2025. Their training program includes a series of training sessions on the Soyuz manned transport spacecraft simulator.

On September 4, 2025, the cosmonauts worked through the process of a standard undocking and a standard descent. In real space flight conditions, preparation for the descent begins several days before the scheduled date. At this time, the crew is busy transferring things and equipment to the Soyuz spacecraft. What is intended for disposal is left in the living compartment, what is needed on Earth is placed in the descent module (DM).

Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev donned their spacesuits and went into the "ship" - the Soyuz spacecraft simulator. They worked according to the undocking and descent cyclogram. During preparation for the descent, the crew closes the station and ship hatches and checks the tightness of their closure, then prepares the habitation compartment (HC) for depressurization and separation, moves to the SA and settles there.

Next, the crew members close the hatch between the SA and the living compartment, check the tightness of the spacesuits - this is one of the important operations, since the safety of the astronauts depends on its impermeability. Then they check the SA BO hatch for tightness.

After making sure that the descent module is securely isolated from the other compartments, the crew undocks and safely moves the ship away from the station to prevent a collision. And after one turn - an hour and a half after undocking, a descent impulse is worked out, which is intended to lower the orbit and hit the designated landing point at the standard landing site in the area of ​​the city of Dzhezkazgan (Kazakhstan).

After the descent impulse, the compartments are separated: the household and instrument-assembly compartments are separated from the SA, and the descent vehicle flies to Earth. Entry into the atmosphere, opening of the main parachute system and landing occur.

Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikayev worked through all these stages on the simulator in a mode close to a real flight. In parallel, they parried the emergency situations that the instructor asked them. First, a signal was received about a false depressurization of the descent module. Then the crew discovered a leak in one of the sections of the propulsion system due to low pressure of the pressurization system.

"This situation leads to a loss of boost gas, and if it is not parried, it can lead to abnormal operation of the propulsion system and an accident. Therefore, the crew had to take certain actions - switch to the backup boost section. They found it, dealt with it.

Then they worked through an emergency situation during an engine failure during descent. The system automatically turned off the main engine and turned on the backup one. The crew had to check the impulse recalculation and perform a number of other operations.

After the SA entered the atmosphere, a failure occurred in the descent control circuit. The automatic controlled descent mode should be carried out normally, in our case, after detecting an abnormal situation, the commander gave the command to switch to a ballistic descent," Anton Renzhin, a leading specialist in cosmonaut training for the 1st Directorate of the Cosmonaut Training Center, said about the actions of the cosmonauts.

Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev successfully coped with routine work and emergency situations during training and safely "landed".

Here is a link to the associated video: https://rutube.ru/video/e5f7c3126717a446b7d98b4b512a6ab1/?r=plemwd
GT: Cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev performed a spacecraft descent during training