A flower's point of view of a rocket launch: Space photo of the day

A Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy on April 8, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Spring has sprung at the Baikonur Cosmodrome with bright yellow tulips and the launch of a new crew to the International Space Station.

Why is this amazing?

Though largely a desert landscape, yellow tulips are as common as rocket launches at the Russia-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Here, the liftoff of the Soyuz MS-27 crew to the International Space Station on April 8, 2025, becomes the first launch since spring has sprung on the Kazakh steppe.

Who is aboard the rocket?

The press and launch spectators came out to see two Russian cosmonauts and one U.S. astronaut lift off for the space station.

Soyuz MS-27 commander Sergey Ryzhikov led Alexey Zubritskiy and Jonny Kim on their first flights into space. Three hours and two orbits of Earth after this photo was taken, the three crewmates arrived at their new home for the next eight months.

A Soyuz rocket launches to the International Space Station with Expedition 73 crewmembers — NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritskiy — on board, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Where can I learn more?

You can read about the Soyuz MS-27 launch and the crew's arrival at the space station.