Russian Soyuz rocket launches fresh crew to space station

July 14, 2026 | 5:34 PM

Physician-astronaut Anil Menon, a former flight surgeon with NASA and then SpaceX who rejoined NASA as an astronaut along with his wife Anna, rocketed into space Tuesday with two Russian cosmonauts for an eight-month stay aboard the International Space Station.

Soyuz MS-29/75S commander Pyotr Dubrov, flanked on his left by cosmonaut Anna Kikina and on the right by Menon, blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:47 a.m. EDT. Eight minutes and 46 seconds later, the Soyuz was released to fly on its own, catching up with the station after just two orbits and moving in for docking at 1:52 p.m.

NASA astronaut-in-training Anna Menon, married to fellow astronaut Anil Menon, watches with the couple’s two children as her husband blast soff from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for an eight-month visit to the International Space Station.

NASA/John Kraus

While Menon is a space rookie, he’s no stranger to space operations. He met his wife, Anna, while both were working for NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, he as a flight surgeon and she as a biomedical engineer and flight controller. Both left NASA in 2018 and went to work for SpaceX.

Menon was the company’s first flight surgeon, helping establish astronaut medical protocols for commercial space flights. His wife worked as a senior engineer and was one of two SpaceX employees who flew to space in 2024 on a five-day Crew Dragon flight chartered by billionaire Jared Isaacman, now NASA’s administrator.

Menon left SpaceX and returned to NASA after applying and being selected to join the agency’s astronaut corps in 2021. Anna was selected to join the corps in 2025 and will be available for flight assignment after she completes two years of initial training.

NASA astronauts Anna and Anil Menon, posing with their two children.

NASA

Menon’s family flew to Kazakhstan to attend the Soyuz launch as did Isaacman, his first visit to the complex since taking the reigns at NASA.

“In terms of me and Anna, I would say there was a zero percent chance we thought this would happen, but it does go to show that if you keep working at something, you should never count yourself out,” Anil Menon said.

“It also goes to show that if you’re interested in being a part of NASA, going to space, there’s a lot of different ways this could work out. There isn’t a set course. Sometimes … if you work hard and consistently over time, the results can be completely shocking. We’ve been absolutely shocked by this.”

Dubrov monitored the Soyuz spacecraft’s automated approach to the station, ready to take over manual control if needed. But the ship flew itself in for a picture-perfect docking at Russia’s Earth-facing Prichal module as the two spacecraft sailed 260 miles above the Mediterranean Sea.

Before the hatches were opened, Russian flight controllers radioed congratulations to the crew as did Isaacman.

“Congratulations, crew, on a impressive three-hour (rendezvous),” he radioed from Baikonur. “And to my friend Anil, how are you enjoying space flight?”

“Hello, it’s great to hear from you,” Menon replied. “An incredibly fast ride! I’m feeling great.”

“I know you all have a lot of work to do right now, so just passing on to you (that) all your friends here, your family, your nation are proud of you,” Isaacman said. “Godspeed and God bless on the expedition ahead.”

“Thank you very much for those kind words,” Menon said. “The station is a sight to behold and a monument to all the hard work we are able to do together and what we’re able to achieve when we do it.

The crew pauses for a traditional farewell wave to support crews before boarding their Soyuz rocket for launch. Top to bottom: Anna Kikina, NASA astronaut Anil Menon and commander Pyotr Dubrov.

NASA/Bill Ingalls

After post-docking leak checks were complete, the new crew members were welcomed aboard the ISS by Soyuz MS-28/74S commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Andrey Mikaev and NASA astronaut Chris Williams, along with crew 12 commander Jessica Meir, pilot Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

They gathered in the Russian Zvezda module for a brief welcome aboard ceremony with flight controllers, managers and friends back on Earth.

“It’s a great tradition when the arriving crew is welcomed by the smiley faces of our crewmates,” Dubrov said through an interpreter. “We passed a lot of time together during our training, and now we are here all together on the station. And also, those traditional hugs. It’s so amazing, it’s very warm and comes from the heart.”

Menon, Dubrov and Kikina are replacing the Soyuz MS-28/74S crew, who were launched to the space station last November. NASA plans to launch a replacement crew for Meir and her crewmates in September.

The combined 10-member ISS crew during a brief welcome aboard ceremony for newly arrived crewmates (in white, left to right): NASA astronaut Anil Menon, Soyuz MS-29/75S commander Pyotr Dubrov and cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

NASA TV

The fresh Soyuz crew is expected to remain aboard the station for about 260 days, returning to Earth next April. With a few exceptions, station flights have typically lasted for five to six months, but the Russians are now extending visits to eight months to reduce the amount of cargo that has to be shipped up.

In an interview with CBS News, Menon said staying at home with the kids while his wife flew in space was more difficult than he expected. Now that their roles are reversed, both are gaining a better understanding of the challenges faced by both.

“When we talk about what it was like for her to launch and me to be on the ground, I think that was the harder job, and I found it really stressful,” he said. “I was worried about her and the kids, and there were certain challenges related to that.

“I’m able to share that perspective with her, so I’m like, hey, heads up, like it’s going to be a lot easier for me to do this launch.”

For her part, he added, “she’s got insight into what that’s like (to fly in space) and what the launch might be like, and how to make it meaningful. … We’ve talked a lot about that. I think, like, either side of this, my side and her side, hopefully we’re better off, and we understand each other a bit better.”

The Soyuz MS-29/75S crew poses for an official portrait. Left to right: NASA astronaut Anil Menon, Soyuz commander Pyotr Dubrov and cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

NASA/Roscosmos

Menon is part of the Soyuz crew under an agreement between NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian federal space agency, that calls for at least one NASA astronaut to launch aboard each Soyuz and one cosmonaut to go up aboard each SpaceX Crew Dragon.

The agreement ensures at least one American and at least one Russian are always aboard the station to operate their respective systems in case a Soyuz or Dragon has to depart early because of a medical emergency or some other major problem.

Menon said he was lucky to be flying with space veterans like Dubrov and Kikina. He described his Soyuz commander as “kind of on the quieter side, really intellectual, really sharp.”

“He speaks incredibly good English, and he’s into Rubik’s cubes and esoteric science fiction. He’s read the Foundation series (by) Isaac Asimov, and Murderbot before the TV shows made those things popular. We really hit it off, because I love science fiction, too, and that’s super cool.”

As for Kikina, who first flew to space aboard a Crew Dragon in 2022, Menon described her as “100 percent full on energy, and really adds a lot to our team because me and Pyotr are a bit more quiet, and so it’s really cool to have her just like keep the engine running and moving us along.

“And she’s an athlete, like a rafter boater, she was on the Russian version of American Gladiator — it’s called Titan — and won that easily. And so it’s a cool crew, an interesting, fun crew to be a part of as well. They’ve also flown to space, so I got a lot to learn and pick up from them, and it’s a good spot to be in.”

Sailors on carriers like the USS Abraham Lincoln feel the strain as Navy deployments stretch longer

By CNN
August 15, 2026 | 12:07 AM

(CNN) — The USS Abraham Lincoln is in the midst of a record-setting deployment, kept out of port for more than six months as the carrier’s crew faces morale and mental health concerns. The ship may break a record for the longest trip away from its home port for a US carrier since the Vietnam War.That record was set just months ago by the USS Gerald R. Ford after that ship completed a 326-day deployment that included operations against Iran and Venezuela.It’s part of a pattern, with the US Navy increasingly asking its aircraft carrier groups to exceed the service’s recommended deployment duration of seven months, according to a CNN analysis of deployment announcements and the USNI News fleet tracker.Experts and former officials have warned that the trend could place more stress on the ships and lead to burnout among sailors or even push some to leave the Navy altogether.A crew member serving on the Lincoln described morale on the ship as very low and said they had heard repeatedly about suicidal ideation by fellow crew members. And there were regular strains on essential amenities — toilets and water fountains around the ship frequently closed and hot water often unavailable, the crew member said.“Everyday we wake up and listen to our Captain speak, we are desperately hoping and anxious for updates on our return,” the crew member told CNN.Other sailors aboard the Lincoln who spoke with CNN described conditions unlike their prior deployments, largely due to the combat that has kept the carrier from making stops at friendly ports. Ships can take on new supplies and allow its sailors to rest and relax during those port calls.The ship has experienced intermittent food shortages, low supplies of hygiene items, and problems with the water system, sailors and family members told CNN.“You used to be able to go to the ship store and get as many items as you want, with every hygiene product consistently available,” one sailor, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisal, told CNN. Now there are limits on purchases and “hardly any hygiene products (are) readily available.”Kate Kuzminski, a defense expert who oversees research at the Center for a New American Security think tank, said the Navy needs to realign its deployment model with reality to properly set expectations for sailors and their families.“What does it do to a family who’s newly assigned to the Ford?” asked Kuzminski, who argued that “it could drive people’s or families’ decisions to get out (of the Navy).”CNN previously reported that two sailors assigned to the Lincoln strike group have jumped overboard in recent months. Both were rescued alive, US officials said. Others were prevented from jumping, according to reports from the Navy Times and Stars and Stripes.The father of a sailor aboard the Lincoln who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity, said he understands sailors like his child join the Navy to do their jobs and doing them in combat is inherently hard – but he questions why relief hasn’t come sooner and whether some of the mental strain from the long deployment could have been prevented.The Navy said in a statement to CNN, “We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We take every service member’s well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise.”A US official added that the Navy does not believe there is a correlation between deployment length and thoughts of self-harm and that man overboard incidents are not unique to this fleet.President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to address a question about the length of the Lincoln deployment, telling reporters that it had been “not nearly long enough.”The wife of one service member aboard the Lincoln who requested anonymity told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday that the president doesn’t think “before he talks,” and urged both he and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to have “some empathy.”“Take some accountability for what’s going on with your military, your ships, in your war. In your war. It’s infuriating,” she said.Increasing stress on the fleetThe median length of US-based aircraft carrier deployments has steadily increased since 2020, according to the data reviewed by CNN.The Navy’s plan has aimed to provide predictable three-year cycles for sailors that include a seven-month/210-day deployment, according to Adm. Daryl Caudle. Between 2018 and 2022, most deployments remained under or within a few days of the target length.However, the sea service has routinely missed that mark since the October 2023 Hamas terror attacks against Israel sparked a spate of extended deployments.The USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower both saw deployments extended after the Israel-Hamas war began — the Ford returned home in January 2024 after 260 days away, and the Ike’s July 2024 homecoming came after 274 days.Three different carrier deployments that began in 2024 exceeded 250 days.The following year, 2025, saw the carrier force even more stretched, with two extended deployments passing 270 days, including the Ford’s post-Vietnam War record breaker 326-day trip, which began in June 2025.That deployment took the supercarrier from homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, first to Europe and next to the Caribbean, where its planes struck Venezuela during the raid that captured former strongman Nicolas Maduro, and then to the Middle East where it participated in Operation Epic Fury against Iran despite a major fire.Experts told CNN that on extended missions, like that undertaken by the Ford and the Lincoln, components wear out and repairs at sea serve as temporary band aids. Other minor issues also begin to compound: arresting cables that catch landing aircraft begin to fray, and saltwater seeps into shipboard systems, among others.Those issues can add up and increase the chances of mishaps, the sources said.Burnout for crew members and their families can also become a concern, experts and former officials told CNN.Retired Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, who previously served as the Navy Surgeon General during the Covid-19 pandemic, told CNN that one of the “critical factors” of extended deployments during the pandemic, which did not allow ships to make port calls, was “how resilient the sailors and Marines were.”“This is not unprecedented,” Gillingham said. “I mean, when you look at the history of the Navy, world events require that deployments be lengthened, and the sailors answer the call … The Navy plays the away game, that’s the nature of the business, and it’s very good at it. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t put stress on the people and the ships.”Retention of naval aviators and maintenance personnel has been an area of significant concern this year, according to sources familiar with the Navy’s internal discussions.Earlier this year, Hegseth ordered a review of retention struggles for sailors assigned to Navy Strike Fighter Squadrons, according to a March memo from Hegseth obtained by CNN. To retain top talent, the Navy is also offering flight officers and naval aviators tens of thousands of dollars annually in bonuses.Meanwhile, a third 2025 deployment — that of the USS Abraham Lincoln — remains underway nearly nine months after the ship left San Diego on November 21. Most of its crew last touched land in Guam for a December 11 port call. Although a Japan-based carrier, the USS George Washington, is on its way to relieve the Lincoln from its blockade duties in the Persian Gulf, the Lincoln may break the Ford’s deployment length record on its way home to California.Struggles on the LincolnThe continued deployment of the Lincoln has placed strains on families, several relatives of those serving on the carrier told CNN.Care packages sent by sailors’ family members sometimes arrive months late or go missing entirely, Ashley T., the mother of a sailor aboard the Lincoln said. She requested that CNN withhold her last name to protect the sailor’s identity.“I understand they are in a combat zone, but if they aren’t allowed any port calls, the least (the Navy) could do is make sure they are getting packages in a timely fashion,” she said.Another family member, who requested anonymity to protect their sailor, shared photos of overflowing toilets in sewage-saturated restroom areas — an issue also experienced by the Ford during its deployment.The spouse of a service member aboard the Lincoln who spoke to CNN told Tapper on Friday, “He is saying that it is the worst deployment that he’s ever been on.”“My husband is a very leave-it-at-work type of person,” she said. “He gets his job done. He comes home, and he lets it go at work. He does his best. He works very hard for United States military, and he’s even said that he finds himself changing. He feels himself being angrier and more frustrated, and that’s just very unlike him. So it’s very hard to hear that as his wife when I can’t do anything about it. I can’t help him.”The conditions have fueled concerns about sailor mental health as well and scrutiny from lawmakers such as Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who wrote a letter to the Pentagon demanding answers on that status of the crew.Leaders aboard the strike group’s ships are working to improve conditions for their sailors, they previously told CNN.Capt. Casey Mahon, who commands the USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr., acknowledged to CNN’s Pamela Brown aboard the destroyer last month that the combat conditions pose a “very stressful situation” for the sailors. He said the ship holds group therapy and venting sessions where sailors can provide feedback, and leaders encourage lighter-hearted methods of stress relief such as ice cream socials and bulletin boards where sailors can post memes about their experiences.And despite the challenges, the sailors of the Lincoln strike group have launched approximately 10,000 aircraft flights supporting strikes on Iran and enforcing the US blockade of the country, according to US Central Command.Yet Navy officials have been questioning the current model in light of recent operations.The Navy’s top enlisted sailor, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman, recently criticized the existing cycle as a “conveyor belt that’s very prescriptive” derived from a “peacetime mindset.”“We’re going to have to come up with a different force generation model,” Perryman said while discussing the USS Gerald R. Ford’s 11-month deployment during a recent Military Officers Association of America event.Part of the problem is that aircraft carriers are a finite asset: the US has eleven of the ships, some of which are aging and pending replacement with new Ford-class supercarriers. Not all the ships are simultaneously available due to maintenance requirements and reactor fueling schedules as well.The new Ford-class carriers have faced repeated delays, too. The USS John F. Kennedy, which began its final sea trials this week, is scheduled for delivery to the Navy in March 2027 — nearly two years later than originally projected.And recently announced changes to the USS Doris Miller — the next scheduled Ford-class supercarrier — could delay its construction even further, experts told CNN.Trump directed that the Navy scrap its plans to use an electromagnetic system for launching aircraft from future Ford-class ships. The current ships in the class use the system, but the Miller and future ships will use steam-powered launch catapults like those on the legacy Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.That will require the Miller to be redesigned, Hudson Institute shipbuilding expert Bryan Clark told CNN. The cost “will probably be into the billions” and it could delay the carrier — which was expected to be in service around 2034 — “until the end of the next decade.”Any delay could force the Navy to extend deployments to cover for a ship it had planned to have available or operate its last-generation Nimitz-class carriers beyond their 50-year service life.Davis Winkie’s work at CNN is supported by a partnership between Outrider Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners (JFP). CNN retains full editorial control of the reporting.CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, Sean Lyngaas, Zachary Cohen, Brian Todd and Ross Adkin contributed to this report.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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