A change in command arrives at the International Space Station

Space · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Witness the orbital ceremony marking the transition of leadership on the ISS, as a long-duration mission concludes and new leadership takes flight.

On February 29, NASA's Tim Kopra assumed command of the International Space Station, taking over from Scott Kelly. The transition occurred as Kelly prepared to return to Earth alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Volkov and Mikhail Kornienko.

The mission serves a critical scientific purpose: Kelly and Kornienko's 340-day stay provided essential biomedical data regarding how weightlessness affects the human body over long periods. This research is vital for planning future human missions to Mars.

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