Soyuz MS-27

Mission

The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, built by Energia, was transported by rail from Korolev, Russia, to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, arriving in December 2024. Final testing and processing began in mid-January 2025. The Soyuz-2.1a rocket components, manufactured by RKTs Progress in Samara, were shipped by rail to Baikonur, with assembly underway by the end of January. Final spacecraft preparations resumed in early March.

On 24 March, the primary and backup crews performed a fit check of their Sokol suits and familiarization training inside the flight-ready spacecraft. Propellant loading finished on 25 March, followed by cargo loading. On 27 March, Soyuz MS-27 was mated to its launch vehicle adapter. Additional crew training occurred on 2 April, as Expedition 73 members completed final onboard exercises in the assembled Soyuz.

The next day, the payload section was moved to the vehicle assembly building at Site 31/6 and integrated with the rocket, completed on 4 April. On 5 April, the launch vehicle was rolled out to the launch pad, decorated with decals for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. On 8 April at 05:47:15 UTC, Soyuz MS-27 lifted off. After an 8-minute 49-second ascent, third stage cutoff occurred, and the spacecraft was released three seconds later.

It performed a fast-track rendezvous, docking to the Prichal module's nadir port at 08:57:43 UTC, 3 hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds after launch. The crew entered the station at 09:28 UTC.