ISS, April 9 (V7N) - American astronaut Jonny Kim has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) with two Russian cosmonauts to begin an eight-month mission. Kim, who was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017, joined Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that launched from Kazakhstan early Tuesday morning.

Kim, 41, now becomes one of four Americans currently living on the ISS, though astronaut Don Pettit is set to return to Earth in the coming weeks. Kim’s arrival comes shortly after the Crew-10 mission, which brought four international astronauts to the space station.

The crew's mission, known as MS-27, will focus on maintaining the space station and conducting experiments, primarily aimed at supporting future missions to the Moon and beyond. The Soyuz capsule docked with the ISS after a three-hour journey, and the crew will officially enter the space station later today.

Kim, a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander, pilot, and former Navy SEAL, holds a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a bachelor's degree in mathematics. This is Kim’s first spaceflight, while Ryzhikov, on his third mission, and Zubritsky are both on their first trip to space.

The crew will spend the next eight months on the ISS, with plans to return to Earth in December. The mission is part of Expedition 73, which will continue research and support commercial space transportation development.

END/WD/SMA/