Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov. Archive photo.
MOSCOW – Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov has been appointed the new commander of the International Space Station (ISS), as announced by Roscosmos on Tuesday.
A statement confirmed, “Today, Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov officially took over command of the ISS from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi.”
The state corporation elaborated on the commander`s responsibilities, which include overseeing the execution of the flight program, managing the crew across both the Russian and American segments of the station, and promptly informing the Mission Control Centers in Korolev (Russia) and Houston (USA) in the event of any emergency situations on board.
During the change of command ceremony, Onishi symbolically handed Ryzhikov the “key to the station,” a traditional gesture, and the crew participated by ringing the ship`s bell.
Ryzhikov, who has been aboard the station since April 2025 alongside fellow Russian cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky and NASA astronaut Jonathan Kim, is currently undertaking his third space flight. The Roscosmos cosmonaut is scheduled to remain as ISS commander until his return to Earth in December.
Meanwhile, Takuya Onishi is expected to return soon aboard an American Crew Dragon spacecraft, accompanied by Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov and American astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth