Kerala-Origin NASA Astronaut Anil, Two Others Reach ISS

NASA astronaut Anil Menon and two Russian cosmonauts reached the International Space Station to hugs and handshakes in the early hours of Wednesday (India time) onboard Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft after a little over three-hour journey. 

The Roscosmos spacecraft carrying Menon and Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off from Baikonur at 8:17 pm IST on Tuesday just as the orbital laboratory flew over the



cosmodrome.

After an eight-minute climb to the preliminary orbit, the Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft began a nearly three-hour chase to the International Space Station to dock at the Prichal module at 11:52 pm (IST). 

The astronaut then began a series of checks in the spacecraft and the space station before the opening hatch at about 2:00 am (IST). This marks Menon's first spaceflight and the second flight for the Russian cosmonauts, according to NASA.