US-Russian crew of 3 starts 8-month mission on the International Space Station

MOSCOW (AP) — A U.S.-Russian crew of three began a mission on the International Space Station after being launched there on a Russian spacecraft Thursday.

A Soyuz booster rocket lifted off at 2:27 p.m. from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan to put the Soyuz MS-28 into orbit.

The spacecraft carried NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russian crewmates, Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov. The craft docked at the International Space Station at 5:34 p.m.

The three are expected to spend about eight months at the orbiting outpost. NASA said this is the first spaceflight for Williams, a physicist, and Mikaev, a military pilot. This is the second flight for Kud-Sverchkov.

Already on the space station are NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman and Jonny Kim, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonauts Sergei Ryzhikov, Alexei Zubritsky and Oleg Platonov.

Williams will conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations aimed at advancing human space exploration and benefiting life on Earth, NASA said.

Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, said in a statement Thursday evening that the crew was “in good health” after the flight. Back in Baikonur, however, a routine inspection of the launch pad, conducted after the liftoff, identified “damage to several launch pad components.”

The extent of the damage was being assessed, but “all necessary spare components are available for repairs, and the damage will be repaired shortly,” Roscosmos said.

In this image, taken from video footage released by the Roscosmos Space Agency, newly arrived to the International Space Station, wearing blue suits, NASA astronaut Chris Williams, left, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, center, and Sergey Mikaev pose among other participants of expedition to the International Space Station, after docking the Soyuz MS-28 spaceship to the station on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Roscosmos Space Agency via AP)

In this photo taken from video released by Roscosmos space corporation, the Soyuz-2.1 rocket booster with Soyuz MS-28 space ship carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev, a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off in Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Roscosmos space corporation, via AP)

In this image released by Roscosmos space corporation, the Soyuz-2.1 rocket booster with Soyuz MS-28 space ship carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev, a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off in Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Roscosmos space corporation, via AP)

In this image released by Roscosmos space corporation, the Soyuz-2.1 rocket booster with Soyuz MS-28 space ship carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev, a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off in Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Roscosmos space corporation, via AP)

In this photo taken from video released by Roscosmos space corporation, the Soyuz-2.1 rocket booster with Soyuz MS-28 space ship carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev, a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off in Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Roscosmos space corporation, via AP)

In this photo taken from video released by Roscosmos space corporation, the Soyuz-2.1 rocket booster with Soyuz MS-28 space ship carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergey Mikaev, a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off in Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. (Roscosmos space corporation, via AP)

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 2, 2026--

What:Cengage, a global edtech company, today announced that three executives will speak at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit, taking place this month in San Diego, California. ASU+GSV is a world-renowned education conference that brings together education, technology, business and government leaders to converge and explore innovations in learning and skills development.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402934046/en/

This year’s Summit - "The Power of Fusion" - focuses on how innovation, infrastructure and workforce pathways advance when institutions and industry leaders partner. Cengage leaders will participate in meaningful discussions about how learning in the classroom and the workplace is evolving alongside AI. View the full list of speakers here.

Cengage executives will speak during the following sessions:

The Agentic AI Wave: Impacts on Learning
Monday, April 13 - 3:50 pm - 4:30 pm PT at Harbor F, Level 2
Darren Person, Chief Digital Officer at Cengage, will join a panel to discuss how institutions can move from reactive responses to intentional readiness amid the rise of agentic AI. Person, along with leaders from BoodleBox, Huston-Tillotson University and Kyron Learning, will examine how agentic AI is reshaping coursework, assessment design and faculty expectations - and what it takes to support instructors as student workflows evolve.

Degree Inflation: Re-Engineering the Bridge to Work
Tuesday, April 14 - 11:15 am - 11:50 am PT at StarTrack, Promenade A/B, Level 3
Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage, will participate in a panel discussion focused on how leaders are architecting new paths bridging credentials to the jobs of tomorrow, as AI automates entry-level roles. Hansen will be joined by leaders from Ascend Learning and Covista.

Building AI-Durable Career Pathways: Lessons from Healthcare
Tuesday, April 14 - 3:00 pm - 3:40 pm PT at Coronado A, Level 4
Justin Singh, Executive Vice President and General Manager ofCengage Work, will join a panel to explore how to direct early talent into durable careers and redirect displaced workers at scale. As the healthcare sector proves how this can work, Singh, along with leaders from Stepful, Ascend Learning and Clasp, will share perspectives on how workforce learning companies are collaborating with employers and policymakers to design visible, stackable pathways into AI-durable work, and what other industries can learn about building resilient talent systems.

Where: ASU+GSV will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California.

When: April 12-15, 2026.

Stay connected with Cengage on LinkedIn for real-time updates on their presence at the ASU+GSV Summit 2026.

About Cengage

Cengage, a global edtech company, supports learners, educators and institutions across more than 100 countries. With products serving nearly 16 million digital users across the Higher Education, School, Work and English Language Learning markets, we've built a learning ecosystem that connects education to employment. We combine trusted content, AI-powered insights and scalable digital platforms to power learning for every future and drive meaningful outcomes at every stage of the learning journey. Visit us at www.cengagegroup.com or find us on LinkedIn or X.

Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage, Darren Person, Chief Digital Officer at Cengage, and Justin Singh, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Cengage Work, are speaking at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit