The rotating cast of humanity living aboard the International Space Station

Space · Published 13 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: From naval aviators to Olympic cyclists, the crews orbiting Earth are constantly changing. While some missions focus on immediate station maintenance, others prepare the scientific groundwork for our first footprints on the Moon and Mars. These international teams bring diverse expertise to conduct vital research and technology demonstrations in microgravity.

The International Space Station serves as a continuous laboratory for diverse international teams. Recent rotations have seen a variety of specialists, such as the Expedition 36/37 crew, which included NASA’s Karen Nyberg, Roscosmos commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, and ESA’s Luca Parmitano. Launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, this trio joined an existing crew of three—including station commander Pavel Vinogradov—for a mission lasting five and a half months. The arrival of this group in May was a rapid transition, following a launch from Kazakhstan that reached the station in just six hours. They joined crew members Chris Cassidy and Alexander Misurkin, who had already been stationed there since late March.

Newer commercial partnerships, specifically through NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program with SpaceX, are introducing highly specialized backgrounds to the station. The upcoming Crew-14 mission, slated for no earlier than spring 2027, will feature a crew including NASA’s Kayla Barron, a former Navy submarine warfare officer, and Chris Birch, a former Olympic track cyclist and MIT-trained bioengineer. This mission will join the station during Expeditions 75/76 to conduct technology demonstrations essential for future lunar and Martian exploration. The mission will also include JAXA astronaut Makoto Suwa, who previously worked with the World Bank Group, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Arutyun Kiviryan. This rotation marks the 14th time SpaceX has handled a crew rotation under this specific NASA program.

The work performed by these crews often bridges the gap between orbital maintenance and terrestrial medicine. For instance, the Crew-13 mission, which launched via the SpaceX Dragon capsule 'Grace,' focused on critical biological research. Their objectives included stem cell investigations to better understand Parkinson's disease and studying crop production in microgravity. These experiments are not merely for scientific curiosity; they are vital for developing the life-support capabilities required for much longer, deep-space journeys. The Crew-13 team, which included Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos' Sergey Teteryatnikov, also worked to test new medical monitoring equipment. Their mission patch even paid homage to the Apollo 13 mission to honor the spirit of ingenuity.

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