NASA has selected a crew to fly to the International Space Station in spring 2027 – and they haven’t forgotten Russia

NASA declare The crew of the SpaceX Crew-14 mission is scheduled to depart for the International Space Station in the spring of 2027. The crew will include four astronauts from three space agencies: NASA, JAXA and Roscosmos.

Image source: NASA

The commander of the Crew Dragon spacecraft will be NASA astronaut Kayla Barron, the pilot will be Chris Birch, and the mission experts will be Japanese astronaut Makoto Suwa and Russian astronaut Haruyun Kivillian. After docking with the space station, the astronauts will join the ISS-75/76 expedition.

This will be Kayla Barron’s second flight to the International Space Station. She has already participated in the 2021 SpaceX Crew-3 mission, spending 177 days in orbit, conducting two spacewalks, and performing robotic operations with the space station’s manipulator. Interestingly, Barron was a U.S. Navy submarine officer. She also served on an aircraft carrier.

Chris Birch will go into space for the first time. Prior to serving as a crew member, she participated in NASA training programs, including operational support for the International Space Station and development of the Artemis lunar program. Burch has a scientific background in mathematics, biochemistry and bioengineering, as well as experience as a teacher and member of the U.S. National Track Cycling Team.

For Makoto Suva and Harutyun Kiviryan, the Crew-14 mission will also be the first flight to an orbital station. Suwa previously worked for the World Bank and the United Nations Weather Service, holds a PhD in Earth Sciences from Princeton University, and completed JAXA astronaut training in 2024. Kiviryan was selected into the Russian astronaut team in 2021 and has been a test astronaut since 2023. His flight aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft will be a continuation of the crossover mission between NASA and Roscosmos.

During this long-term expedition, Crew-14’s crew will conduct scientific experiments and technology demonstrations designed to prepare for future human missions to the moon and Mars, as well as research that will benefit Earth. All of this will happen next spring, but in the meantime, the crew of the Crew-13 mission is preparing to be sent to the International Space Station, with just days left before flight.