The International Space Station has a new commander. Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) took command of the orbital outpost on Friday in a change of command ceremony.
Onishi took over from Russian cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin from Russia’s national Roscosmos space agency. Onishi will lead the new Expedition 73, expected to last through to 8 December, 2025, when Ovchinin and other Expedition 72 members undock from the ISS’ Rassvet module, aboard the Soyuz MS-26 space craft.
The three Expedition 72 crew, which also includes NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonaut Ivan Vagner will parachute to a landing in Kazakhstan on Sunday.
Ovchinin delivered an emotional farewell to his crew who’ve been conducting dozens of experiments and scientific research projects since their arrival at the station in late September last year.
“I want to say a big thank you to my crew. We work together. We relax together. Also, I want to say a big thank you to all people, instructors who prepared us, who supported us during our flight,” said Ovchinin.
Ovchinin also welcomed Onishi warmly, and requested that he continue on the path of advancing space exploration and taking care of the ISS.
“This is a key from ISS. Now, it's your key. Take care of our station. It's our everything,” added Ovchinin.
Onishi and Ovchinin have been acquainted for some time. The pair first met almost a decade ago as rookies during Expedition 48 to the ISS. Onishi noted that taking over the reigns from Ovchinin is a moment that brings him great honour.
“It's a great honour for me to accept the command of the ISS. And I feel so special that I am taking over the command from you,” said Onishi.
“It's because it's been almost nine years since we met here in 2016 during Expedition 48. At that time, both of us were rookies and here we are, two veterans who are ISS commanders,” he continued.
Onishi wished Ovchinin and the rest of the outgoing Expedition well, and wished them a soft landing back on earth.
The new Expedition crew will soon welcome a SpaceX cargo space craft. NASA’s 32nd commercial resupply mission is set to lift off from the Kennedy Space Centre on Monday, carrying just over three tonnes of new science experiments and crew supplies.
They will also be preparing for their increment’s first spacewalk, planned for 1 May.
