NASA Sets Coverage for Crew Launch to Join Station Expedition 72/73

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft to the International Space Station, accompanied by cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, where they will join the Expedition 72/73 crew in advancing scientific research.

Kim, Ryzhikov, and Zubritsky will lift off at 1:47 a.m. EDT Tuesday, April 8 (10:47 a.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Watch live launch and docking coverage on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms.

After a two-orbit, three-hour trajectory to the station, the spacecraft will dock automatically to the station’s Prichal module at approximately 5:03 a.m. Shortly after, hatches will open between Soyuz and the space station.

Once aboard, the trio will join NASA astronauts Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Don Pettit, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin, Kirill Peskov, and Ivan Vagner.

NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Tuesday, April 8

12:45 a.m. – Launch coverage begins on NASA+.

1:47 a.m. – Launch

4:15 a.m. – Rendezvous and docking coverage begins on NASA+.

5:03 a.m. – Docking

7 a.m. – Hatch opening and welcome remarks coverage begins on NASA+.

7:20 a.m. – Hatch opening

The trio will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbital laboratory as Expedition 72 and 73 crew members before returning to Earth in December. This will be the first flight for Kim and Zubritsky, and the third for Ryzhikov.

For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and making research breakthroughs that are 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 focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

Sandra Jones
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

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Tiernan P. Doyle

X-ray Clues Reveal Destroyed Planet

This image of the Helix Nebula, released on March 4, 2025, shows a potentially destructive white dwarf at the nebula’s center: this star may have destroyed a planet. This has never been seen before – and could explain a mysterious X-ray signal that astronomers have detected from the nebula for over 40 years.

This view combines X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory (magenta), optical light data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (orange, light blue), infrared data from the European Southern Observatory VISTA telescope (gold, dark blue), and ultraviolet data from GALEX (purple) of the Helix Nebula. Data from Chandra indicates that this white dwarf has destroyed a very closely orbiting planet.

Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/Univ Mexico/S. Estrada-Dorado et al.; Ultraviolet: NASA/JPL; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI (M. Meixner)/NRAO (T.A. Rector); Infrared: ESO/VISTA/J. Emerson; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Arcand

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Monika Luabeya

NASA Continues Support for Private Astronaut Missions to Space Station

NASA is seeking proposals for two new private astronaut missions to the International Space Station, targeted for 2026 and 2027, as the agency continues its commitment to expanding access to space. These private missions enable American commercial companies to further develop capabilities and support a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit.

“We are in an incredible time for human spaceflight, with more opportunities to access space and grow a thriving commercial economy in low Earth orbit,” said Dana Weigel, program manager for the International Space Station at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “NASA remains committed to supporting this expansion by leveraging our decades of expertise to help industry gain the experience needed to train and manage crews, conduct research, and develop future destinations. Private astronaut missions are a key part of this effort, providing companies with hands-on opportunities to refine their capabilities and build partnerships that will shape the future of low Earth orbit.”

The new flight opportunities will be the fifth and sixth private astronaut missions to the orbiting laboratory coordinated by NASA. The first three missions were accomplished by Axiom Space in April 2022, May 2023, and January 2024, with a fourth scheduled for no earlier than May 2025.

Each of the new missions may be docked to the space station for up to 14 days. Specific dates depend on spacecraft traffic at the space station and in-orbit activity planning and constraints. Private astronaut missions must be brokered by a U.S. entity and use U.S. transportation spacecraft that meet NASA’s International Space Station visiting vehicle requirements, policies, and procedures. For additional details, refer to Focus Area 4A of NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNJ13ZBG001N.

Proposals are due by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 30, 2025.

For solicitation information, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/jsc-procurement/pam

For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, 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’s Artemis campaign is underway at the Moon, where the agency is preparing for future human exploration of Mars.

Learn more about the International Space Station at: 

https://www.nasa.gov/station

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics

Low Earth Orbit Economy

Commercial Space

Commercial Crew Program

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Ana Guzman

Lagniappe for April 2025

3 Min Read

Lagniappe for April 2025

Explore Lagniappe for April 2025 featuring:

• NASA-Sponsored FIRST Robotics Welcomes Teams to Magnolia Regional
• NASA Leaders Visit Representatives
• Blood Moon in South Mississippi

Gator Speaks

New beginnings feel a lot like the month of April. It is the heart of spring and the season that symbolizes growth and renewal.

April is the perfect time to break free from old routines and try something new.

If you have landed here in this website corner of our digital world, consider this your open invitation to continue ahead on the journey with NASA Stennis by following us on social media.

It is time to say goodbye to the Lagniappe publication as we know it, but do not worry. All of the great news about the center and its frontline activities still will be available, just in a new way – via our social media platforms! Gator wants you to feel more connected than ever as we continue to help power space dreams in south Mississippi. Moving forward, join NASA Stennis in our digital playground for even more of that extra-something special.

This playground is not limited to only fun, or making new friends, or learning new stuff.

Whether you are on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or X, there is a place, and space, for all of that and more. 

As we close out the website edition of NASA Stennis Lagniappe, we turn the page and look forward to new possibilities ahead.

Let’s keep building one connection at a time because here at America’s largest rocket propulsion test site, it is more than just content.

It is where the NASA Stennis team will continue building on its proven expertise in all areas of work, and where you will have a front row seat to experience it unfold.

So, click the links below to become a NASA Stennis follower today. Then, invite your friends to become followers as well.

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NASA Stennis Top News

NASA-Sponsored FIRST Robotics Welcomes Teams to Magnolia Regional

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Center Activities

NASA Leaders Visit Representatives

NASA Space Flight Awareness Program Recognizes Stennis Employees

NASA’s Stennis Space Center employees were recognized with Honoree Awards from NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program during a March 10 ceremony in Orlando, Florida, for outstanding support of human spaceflight.

Blood Moon in South Mississippi

U.S. Senator’s Staff Visit NASA Stennis

NASA Stennis Hosts Leadership Class

NASA Stennis Interns Tour Site

Rocket Test Group Visits NASA Stennis

NASA Stennis partnered with Mississippi Enterprise for Technology to host more than 100 members of the 57^th Rocket Test Group on March 18-19.

The group toured the south Mississippi NASA center on March 19, learning how NASA Stennis operates as NASA’s primary, and America’s largest, rocket propulsion test site to serve the nation and commercial sector with its unique capabilities and expertise.

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NASA in the News

NASA’s Artemis II Orion Service Module Buttoned Up for Launch – NASA

Welcome Home! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Back on Earth After Science Mission – NASA

NASA Science Continues After Firefly’s First Moon Mission Concludes – NASA

NASA Artemis II Core Stage Goes Horizontal Ahead of Final Integration – NASA

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Employee Profile: Rebecca Mataya

A career path can unfold in unexpected ways. Ask NASA’s Rebecca Mataya. The journey to NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, was not planned but “meant to be,” she said.

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Additional Resources

• My Origin Story: NASA Engineers – Bradley Tyree

• Artemis II to the Moon: Launch to Splashdown (NASA Mission Animation)

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Deborah K. Fendley

NASA Space Flight Awareness Program Recognizes Stennis Employees

NASA’s Stennis Space Center employees were recognized with Honoree Awards from NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program during a March 10 ceremony in Orlando, Florida, for outstanding support of human spaceflight.

Melissa Wagner of Pass Christian, Mississippi, is a NASA contract specialist in the Office of Procurement at NASA Stennis. She received the honor for contributions to NASA’s Artemis campaign by identifying potential risks related to propulsion test efforts in support of the initiative, resulting in successful mitigation actions.

Samone Wilson of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is a NASA public affairs specialist in the Office of Communications at NASA Stennis. She received the honor for her work in telling others about NASA and NASA Stennis activities and missions.

Timothy Miller of Pearl River, Louisiana, is a senior drafter for Syncom Space Services at NASA Stennis. Although unable to attend the ceremony, he received the honor for contributions supporting flight systems integration, facility readiness, and cost reduction with his use of Creo Parametric modeling, a powerful 3D software.

Madison Monti of Kiln, Mississippi, is a security support specialist for Chenega Global Protection at NASA Stennis. Although unable to attend the ceremony, she received the honor for contributions supporting the badging office at NASA Stennis to ensure a consistent, efficient, and secure process.

NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, Space Operations Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Kenneth Bowersox, and Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Acting Associate Administrator Dr. Lori Glaze presented the awards.

Bresnik, assistant-to-the-chief of the Astronaut Office for Exploration, was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004. He manages the development and testing of everything that will operate beyond low-Earth orbit on Artemis missions. Bresnik previously served as commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 53 and flight engineer for Expedition 52.

In recognition of flight program contributions, honorees toured NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and viewed the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft named Endurance in conjunction with the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10.

The spacecraft carried NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscomos cosmonaut Kirill Pesko to the International Space Station on March 14 as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program recognizes outstanding job performances and contributions by civil service and contract employees throughout the year and focuses on excellence in quality and safety in support of human spaceflight. The Honoree Award is one of the highest honors presented to employees for their dedication to quality work and flight safety. Recipients must have contributed beyond their normal work requirements toward achieving a particular human spaceflight program goal; contributed to a major cost savings; been instrumental in developing material that increases reliability, efficiency or performance; assisted in operational improvements; or been a key player in developing a beneficial process improvement.

For information about Silver Snoopy and other Space Flight Awareness awards, visit:

SFA Honoree Award – NASA

For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:

Stennis Space Center – NASA

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Deborah K. Fendley