Expedition 74 Orbital Highlights | International Space Station

Expedition 74 Orbital Highlights | International Space Station

The aurora australis streams across the southern Indian Ocean with an airglow outlining Earth's atmosphere in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 274 miles above.

Roscosmos cosmonaut and Expedition 74 commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov of Russia works outside the International Space Station in his Orlan spacesuit with red stripes. During the six-hour and five-minute spacewalk, Kud‑Sverchkov, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev (out of frame) of Russia, installed a solar radiation experiment and removed physics and microbiology research hardware from the orbital outpost.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer Chris Williams uses a pistol grip tool during a spacewalk to repair the malfunctioning wrist joint on the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robotic arm. Williams, along with NASA astronaut and Expedition 74 flight engineer Jessica Meir (out of frame), spent seven hours and 20 minutes in the vacuum of space during the maintenance spacewalk.

The Soyuz MS‑28 crew spacecraft, launched and docked to the International Space Station on Nov. 25, 2025, is pictured docked to the Rassvet module. The Soyuz MS‑28 will return NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia to Earth at the end of July, completing an eight‑month space research mission. 

The Russian Soyuz MS‑28 crew spacecraft that launched and docked to the International Space Station on Nov. 25, 2025, is pictured docked to the Rassvet module. The Soyuz MS‑28 will return NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud‑Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia to Earth at the end of July, completing an eight‑month space research mission.

The Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft that will carry NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia back to Earth, is pictured docked to the International Space Station. The orbital outpost was soaring 269 miles above the South Atlantic Ocean between the tips of South America and Africa at the time of this photograph.

An orbital sunrise above the Pacific Ocean illuminates Earth's atmosphere, revealing cloud tops and orange and blue hues outlining the planet's horizon. The International Space Station was orbiting 263 miles above the Hawaiian island chain at approximately 4:09 a.m. local time when this photograph was taken.

A diamond‑like orbital sunset, also known as a sun glint, flares briefly, illuminating Earth’s thin atmosphere with fading orange and blue hues that outline the horizon. The International Space Station was orbiting 265 miles above the far eastern China–Russia border at approximately 12:48 a.m. local time when this photograph was taken.

Three Expedition 74 crew members are packing up cargo and handing over their responsibilities with less than one week to go before returning to Earth. The International Space Station’s three newest crewmates are already in the second week of their mission getting used to life on orbit and researching how microgravity affects the human body.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev of Russia are nearing the end of their mission that began with a launch from Kazakhstan aboard their Russian Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft on Nov. 27, 2025. The trio will undock from the Rassvet module in the Soyuz MS-28 over the weekend signifying the beginning of Expedition 75. They will take a short ride back to Earth for a parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan inside the Soyuz. 

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew
Station Commander: Sergey-Kud Sverchkov (Russia)
Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Andrey Fedyaev, Sergei Mikaev

European Space Agency Flight Engineer: Sophie Adenot

NASA Flight Engineers: Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Chris Williams

An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station (ISS). The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada.

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center
Image Dates: May 27-July 13, 2026

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