Soyuz MS-27

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  63520 / 25072A Launch date - time  08 Avril 2025 - 05:47:15 UTC- Launch site  Baikonur, LC31/6 Launch vehicle  Soyuz-2.1a (14S53 No. K15000-075) Manufacturer  Energia Soyuz designation  11F732 nº758 Mass (kg)  ~7152 kg Docking date - time  08 April 2025 - 08:57:43 UTC Target spacecraft/port  ISS/Prichal nadir Earth orbit on :    - Perigee / Apogee  ~400 km    - Inclination  51.64°    - Period   min Undocking date - time  09 December 2025 (planned) UTC Deorbit burn date - time   Landing date - time  09 December 2025 (planned) UTC Landing location   Kazakh Steppe, Kazakhstan Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  in progress Nbr orbits   Landing crew    (crew TMA-)

Launched Crew

Launched crew: Kim, Ryshikov and Zubritsky.

Backup crew: Williams, Kud-Sverchkov and Mikayev.

Backup Crew

Soyuz MS-27 rollout.

Soyuz MS-27 on launchpad.

Soyuz MS-27 launch.

Descriptions:

• ISS Expedition 72/73.
• Soyuz MS-27 is a Russian crewed Soyuz spaceflight that launched on 8 April 2025 from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, bound for the International Space Station. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Soyuz-2.1a rocket carrying three crew members, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, along with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim.

Mission details:

• The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, assembled by Energia, was transported by rail from its manufacturing facility in Korolev, Russia, to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, arriving in December 2024. Final testing and processing commenced in mid-January 2025.
• Meanwhile, the components for the Soyuz-2.1a rocket were manufactured by RKTs Progress in Samara, Russia, and shipped by rail to Baikonur, where assembly was underway by the end of January.
• Final spacecraft preparations resumed in early March. On 24 March, both the primary and backup crews conducted a fit check of their Sokol launch and entry suits and participated in familiarization training inside the flight-ready spacecraft. Propellant loading was completed on 25 March, followed shortly by cargo loading. On 27 March, Soyuz MS-27 was mated to its launch vehicle adapter.
• Additional crew training took place on 2 April, as members of Expedition 73 completed their final onboard exercises inside the fully assembled Soyuz MS-27. The following day, the payload section—including the spacecraft—was transported from the processing facility to the vehicle assembly building at Site 31/6, where it was integrated with the Soyuz-2.1a rocket. Integration was completed on 4 April. On the morning of 5 April, the fully assembled launch vehicle was rolled out to the launch pad at Site 31/6. The rocket was decorated with decals to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
• Three days later, on 8 April at 05:47:15 UTC, Soyuz MS-27 lifted off atop a Soyuz-2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome as scheduled. After an 8-minute 49-second ascent, the third stage engine cutoff occurred, and the Soyuz MS-27 was released into its initial orbit three seconds later. The spacecraft proceeded with a fast-track rendezvous and successfully docked to the nadir port of the Prichal module at 08:57:43 UTC, just 3 hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds after launch. The crew entered the station at 09:28 UTC.

Soyuz MS-27 docked to Prichal module. Photo Credit: NASA

External links:

• Spacefacts: Soyuz MS-27 mission
• Wikipedia: Soyuz MS-27 mission

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Baikonur 10.04.2025.

Launch cancel Baikonur 08.04.25, signed by crew.