Watch the Launch

Additional Media

Soyuz Crew Launch to the International Space Station (Official NASA Broadcast)

Watch a Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft lift off on a two-orbit, three-hour journey to the International Space Station! NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos...

Трансляция запуска пилотируемого корабля «Ю. А. Гагарин» (Союз МС-18)

9 апреля с космодрома Байконур в 10:42 по московскому времени состоялся пуск ракеты-носителя «Союз-2.1а» с пилотируемым кораблем «Ю. А. Гагарин» (Союз МС-18) и экипажем длительной экспедиции МКС-65. ...

Soyuz MS-18

Overview

Destination: Low Earth Orbit
Mission: Human Exploration

Low Earth Orbit 31/6 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Soyuz MS-18 begins expedition 65 by carrying Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Novitsky, Pyotr Dubrov and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. After launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, they will rendezvous to the station where they will remain for their 6 month stay.

Updates

Nosu • April 9, 2021, 7:53 a.m.

Successful launch of Soyuz MS-18 towards the International Space Station. Docking scheduled at 11:07 UTC.


Nosu • March 10, 2021, 7:30 a.m.

Launch scheduled for April 9 07:42 UTC


Soyuz 2.1a

Family:
Configuration:

The Soyuz 2.1A converted the flight control system from analog to digital, which allowed launch from fixed platforms. It also allowed big fairings and payloads. It is currently used for crewed Soyuz and Progress flights to the ISS.

Specifications
  • Minimum Stage
    2
  • Max Stage
    3
  • Length
    46.3 m
  • Diameter
    2.95 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
    312.0 T
  • Thrust
    4149.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Soyuz 2.1a
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Soyuz 2.1a
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $80000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    7020.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    2810.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    4230.0 kg

Soyuz MS-18


Active Human Rated Crew On-board: 3 Crew Capacity: 3
Destination: International Space Station
Serial Number: Soyuz MS 11F732A48 #748

Launched to the ISS in April 2021.

Soyuz MS Details

Crew


Oleg Novitskiy

Commander - configurations.Country.None - ( RFSA )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: Oct. 12, 1971
Age: 54

Pyotr Dubrov

Flight Engineer - configurations.Country.None - ( RFSA )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: Jan. 30, 1978
Age: 47

Mark T. Vande Hei

Flight Engineer - configurations.Country.None - ( NASA )

Status: Active

Date of Birth: Nov. 10, 1966
Age: 59

Progress Rocket Space Center

Progress Rocket Space Center

(PRSC)

CEO: Dmitry Baranov Founded: 1996 Successes: 44 Failures: 1 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

Progress Rocket Space Centre, formerly known as TsSKB-Progress, is a space science and aerospace research company which is known for manufacturing launch vehicles and satellites. Most notably, Progress Rocket Space Centre is the manufacturer of Soyuz launch vehicles.

INFO WIKI

Related News

Soyuz returns cosmonauts and film crew to Earth

Spaceflight Now

Russian actress returns to Earth after space station movie shoot

STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION A Russian actress and her director-cameraman, wrapping up a 12-day movie shoot aboard the International Space Station, returned to Earth Sunday and promptly filmed a few additional scenes t…

Soyuz MS-18 touchdown in Kazakhstan

Spaceflight Now

Station crew relocates Soyuz spaceship to new Russian module

Two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut strapped into their Soyuz ferry ship Tuesday at the International Space Station, ready to move the craft to a new docking port on Russia’s Nauka lab module that arrived at the complex in July.

NASA Spaceflight

Soyuz MS-18 crew relocates spacecraft to Nauka

The Soyuz MS-18 crew has successfully relocated their spacecraft from the Rassvet module to the Nauka module at the International Space Station.

Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

31/6


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 12 hours ago
Transporter 15 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare)
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.


Soyuz 2.1a
Success
2 days, 22 hours ago
Soyuz MS-28
31/6 - Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Soyuz MS-28 will carry three cosmonauts and one astronaut to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome…


Nuri
Success
3 days, 15 hours ago
CAS500-3
LC-2 - Naro Space Center, South Korea

CAS500-3 is a South Korean Earth observation satellites to be used by the Ministry of Science and ICT for space technology verification and space sci…


Angara 1.2
Success
4 days, 17 hours ago
Kosmos (Unknown Payload)
35/1 - Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Note: Payload identity and Cosmos series numbering not confirmed. Unknown Payload(s) for the Russian military.


Long March 2F/G
Success
5 days, 3 hours ago
Shenzhou 22
Launch Area 4 (SLS-1 / 921) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Shenzhou 22 (Chinese: 神舟二十二号) will be the 22nd flight of the Shenzhou program. The spacecraft will be launched without crew to replace Shenzhou 20 th…


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 22 hours ago
Starlink Group 11-30
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 28 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week ago
Starlink Group 6-79
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 3B/E
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
TJSW-21
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 6-78
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Follow My Speed (BlackSky Gen-3 3)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Note: Payload and customer identities were not publicly announced. 3rd of the BlackSky Gen-3 high resolution Earth-imaging satellites.