NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two cosmonauts lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 27, 2025. Their mission aboard the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft marks the beginning of an eight-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS), coinciding with the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.
The launch occurred at 4:27 a.m. EST, with Sergey Kud-Sverchkov serving as the commander and Sergei Mikaev as the flight engineer. The Soyuz 2.1a booster propelled the crew into space, successfully separating from the upper stage nine minutes and 45 seconds later. The crew then deployed their solar wings and initiated their journey towards the ISS, aiming for a docking at the Rassvet module at 7:38 a.m.
During an interview prior to the launch, Williams expressed enthusiasm about the mission. He described his crewmates as “wonderful people” who share a genuine curiosity for learning. This collaborative spirit, he noted, has fostered engaging discussions throughout their training sessions in both Star City, Russia, and Houston, Texas.
The Soyuz MS-28 crew is set to replace the previous expedition team, which included commander Sergey Ryzhikov, flight engineer Alexey Zubritsky, and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim. The outgoing team, having launched on April 7, 2025, is expected to return to Earth in early December, concluding their own eight-month mission aboard the station.
Upon arrival at the ISS, Williams and his fellow astronauts will be greeted by the current crew, including NASA Crew 11 commander Zena Cardman and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. This existing team launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in August and is scheduled to return home in early 2026 after welcoming their replacements.
Williams, who has a distinguished background as a volunteer firefighter and an emergency medical technician, holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics from MIT. Before his selection as an astronaut in 2021, he worked as a board-certified medical physicist at Harvard Medical School. He is the second astronaut from the 2021 selection class to embark on a space mission.
Reflecting on his career journey, Williams stated, “I found a lot of satisfaction in knowing that at the end of the shift, I would have made a very direct and immediate positive impact on somebody’s life.” His transition from astronomy to medical physics highlighted the parallels between the two fields, particularly in imaging techniques.
As he embarks on this new chapter, Williams is eager to apply his extensive training. “I think the biggest goal is to put my training into practice and to contribute to the important research we conduct at the space station,” he explained. He emphasized the significance of their work, describing it as both inspiring and a privilege.
The crew’s upcoming eight months in orbit will involve a range of scientific endeavors aimed at advancing human knowledge and technology through research in microgravity. As Williams prepares for the challenges ahead, he remains grateful for the opportunity to serve in such a vital role within the international space exploration community.
