Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft with Russian-U.S. ISS crew put into orbit

BAIKONUR. Sept 15 (Interfax) - The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft carrying a new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) has entered its intended orbit.

The spacecraft separated from the third stage of the Soyuz-2.1a rocket as scheduled at 6:53 p.m. Moscow time and set course towards the ISS.

On board are Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara.

The Soyuz will follow a superfast double-loop approach scheme and its flight will take approximately 3 hours 12 minutes. It will dock with the Rassvet small research module of the ISS Russian segment at 9:56 p.m. Moscow time, Roscosmos said.

The rocket lifted off as scheduled earlier on Friday at 6:44 p.m. Moscow time from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site No. 31.

The yearlong expedition, with an approximate duration of 375 days, will include four spacewalks by the Russian cosmonauts, four Progress MS space freight deliveries, and scientific experimental research.

Kononenko and Chub are expected to return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-25 in September 2024, while O'Hara will return aboard the Soyuz MS-24 in March 2024.