Soyuz MS-29 spaceship with Russian-U.S. crew put into orbit

MOSCOW. July 14 (Interfax) - A Soyuz-2.1a LV has put the Soyuz MS-29 spaceship with the next International Space Station (ISS) expedition into the target orbit, Roscosmos said in a live stream.

Soyuz MS-29 separated from the third stage of the Soyuz-2.1.a LV and headed for the ISS.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina and NASA astronaut Anil Menon are operating the ship.

The ship will take a two-orbit shortcut, and the journey will last for about three hours and eight minutes. According to Roscosmos, Soyuz MS-29 is scheduled to dock with the Prichal module of the ISS' Russian segment at 8:56 p.m.

The spaceship will stay in orbit for 261 days, Roscosmos said.

Two spacewalks are planned under the Russian program during the expedition.

NASA astronaut Menon is traveling to the ISS under the Russian-U.S. cross-flight agreement.

Roscosmos and NASA signed an agreement on cross flights of Russian cosmonauts by U.S. Crew Dragon spaceships and U.S. astronauts by Russian Soyuz MS spaceships as part of the ISS program in July 2022.