Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov has officially assumed command of the International Space Station. He received the symbolic station key from NASA astronaut Jessica Meir during a traditional ceremony held on board the orbital complex.
The transition of authority marks a symbolic date, occurring exactly 69 years after the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik-1, which took place on October 4, 1957.
The outgoing commander, Jessica Meir, is currently preparing for departure alongside the rest of the Crew-12 mission members. The crew has been stationed on the ISS since mid-February 2026.
The Crew-12 team includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot.
The crew is scheduled to depart the International Space Station on October 7. They will return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
