The International Space Station welcomes a new commander, Takuya Onishi, while Expedition 72 crew members prepare for their departure and Expedition 73 gets ready for spacewalks and resupply.
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| As Expedition 72 prepares to depart, the ISS welcomes Takuya Onishi as the new commander. Spacewalks and resupply missions are on the horizon for Expedition 73. Image: NASA |
Houston, Texas, USA — April 19, 2025:
In a significant shift aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi has assumed command of the orbital laboratory, marking the start of Expedition 73. The transition of leadership took place during a change of command ceremony on Friday, as Onishi took over from Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin. The change is just in time as three Expedition 72 crew members, including NASA astronaut Don Pettit and cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Ovchinin, prepare for their return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft.
The Soyuz crew is set to undock from the station at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 20, with a parachute landing in Kazakhstan expected at 9:20 p.m. EDT, coinciding with Pettit’s 70th birthday. NASA will provide live coverage of the farewell, undocking, and landing events beginning at 2 p.m. EDT on Saturday.
As the trio finalizes preparations for their departure, their duties included completing final research sessions and preparing the Soyuz spacecraft. Ovchinin and Vagner conducted a test of the lower body negative pressure suit, designed by Roscosmos to assist astronauts in adapting to Earth’s gravity after long-duration missions. Pettit wrapped up his tasks by cleaning out his crew quarters. Meanwhile, Ovchinin worked on packing the Soyuz spacecraft and activating its systems for the journey back.
Once Expedition 72's crew returns to Earth, Expedition 73 will continue its mission, with a key event approaching: the arrival of NASA's SpaceX 32nd commercial resupply mission. The Dragon capsule, scheduled for launch on Monday at 4:15 a.m. EDT from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, will carry approximately 6,700 pounds of cargo, including new science experiments and crew supplies. Dragon will dock with the Harmony module of the ISS on Tuesday at 8:20 a.m. EDT. Onishi and NASA Flight Engineer Jonny Kim will be on hand to monitor the automated docking procedures.
Expedition 73’s crew is also preparing for the first spacewalk of their mission, scheduled for May 1. NASA Flight Engineers Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers will venture outside the station for a spacewalk to install a new solar array and relocate an antenna. The spacewalk is expected to last about six-and-a-half hours, and the astronauts spent Friday ensuring their spacesuits and the Quest airlock were in proper working order.
Meanwhile, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky have completed their crew handovers. Ryzhikov spent the day collecting biological samples for research into mold and bacteria, while Zubritsky set up Earth observation equipment on the station. With all hands on deck, the crew is preparing for a busy period of operations, marking another milestone in international space exploration and cooperation.