Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov takes command of ISS from NASA’s Jessica Meir
Version 2: New reporting adds that the replacement mission Crew-13 arrived at the station on Friday, that a bell was rung to mark the change of commander, and that 11 people are now aboard; no earlier fact was disputed.
In short
Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov took command of the International Space Station on 4 October, succeeding NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, who handed him a symbolic key during a ceremony broadcast by NASA. Dubrov said the date carried special meaning because it fell 69 years after the launch of the first Sputnik, and Roscosmos said astronaut Jack Hatheway struck a bell to mark the change of commander. The replacement mission Crew-13 arrived at the station on Friday, bringing the total aboard to 11 people, according to Roscosmos; Crew-12 is expected to leave on 7 October.
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Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov took command of the International Space Station on 4 October, receiving it from NASA astronaut Jessica Meir, according to RIA Novosti, TASS, Vedomosti, iXBT, RBC and Interfax. Vedomosti, iXBT and RBC said the ceremony was broadcast by NASA and that Meir handed Dubrov a symbolic key to the station, after which he formally became commander. Interfax, citing a statement on Roscosmos’s channel in Max, said astronaut Jack Hatheway struck a bell to mark the change of ISS commander. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Dubrov linked the timing to the anniversary of the first satellite. “For me this has special meaning today, because 69 years ago the first Sputnik was launched,” Vedomosti quoted him as saying. iXBT reported that during the NASA broadcast he said it was “a great honour and responsibility to become commander of such an amazing place as the ISS,” and noted that the first artificial Earth satellite, the Soviet PS-1, went into orbit on 4 October 1957. Interfax attributed the same point on the anniversary to Roscosmos. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]
The handover comes amid a crew rotation. iXBT reported that Meir and the rest of the Crew-12 mission are preparing to return to Earth; the crew has been aboard since mid-February 2026 and includes NASA astronauts Meir and Jack Hathaway, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, with departure expected on 7 October aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. Interfax, citing Roscosmos, said the replacement mission Crew-13 arrived on Friday with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, bringing the number of people aboard to 11, including the Soyuz MS-29 crew of Dubrov, Anna Kikina and NASA astronaut Anil Menon. [ 4 , 6 ]
Vedomosti also recalled that on 22 September Roscosmos director general Dmitry Bakanov said Moscow and Washington would extend operation of the ISS to 2030. Bakanov said the US side had made the proposal to Russia. “We met them halfway and will extend operations by another two years, but this will not affect the timeline for creating the Russian orbital [station],” he said. No other document in this set reports the extension. [ 3 ]
Interfax renders the cosmonaut’s surname as “Dubnov” in one passage of its report, while the same report lists “cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina” among the Soyuz MS-29 crew and all other documents use Dubrov. [ 6 ]
Why it matters
Command of the International Space Station has passed to a Roscosmos cosmonaut at a time when NASA and Roscosmos publicly describe continued cooperation, including a stated plan to keep the station operating to 2030. The handover coincides with a crew rotation: the outgoing Crew-12 is due to depart within days while the newly arrived Crew-13 remains aboard, changing who is on the station. The event is reported by Russian state, business and technology outlets, which reflects its standing as an official milestone for the Russian space programme.
Key facts
- Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov took command of the International Space Station, succeeding NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The handover ceremony was broadcast by NASA, and Meir gave Dubrov a symbolic key to the station, after which he formally became commander. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Dubrov said the date was significant because it fell 69 years after the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, the Soviet PS-1, on 4 October 1957. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Roscosmos said astronaut Jack Hatheway struck a bell to mark the change of ISS commander. [ 6 ]
- The Crew-12 mission has been aboard the station since mid-February 2026 and includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrei Fedyaev and European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot; it is expected to leave the ISS on 7 October aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. [ 4 ]
- The replacement mission Crew-13 arrived at the station on Friday, with Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, bringing the total aboard to 11 people. [ 6 ]
- On 22 September, Roscosmos director general Dmitry Bakanov said Moscow and Washington would extend operation of the ISS to 2030, saying the US side had made the proposal. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Pyotr Dubrov became commander of the International Space Station, taking over from NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The handover included Meir passing Dubrov a symbolic key to the station; the ceremony was broadcast by NASA. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Dubrov linked the timing to the 69th anniversary of the launch of the first Sputnik. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the reported extension of ISS operations to 2030 has been formally agreed and signed. The extension is attributed to a single outlet, Vedomosti, citing Roscosmos director general Dmitry Bakanov’s statement of 22 September; no document reports a signed agreement or a US confirmation.
- The exact time of the command ceremony. The documents give publication times and describe the ceremony without stating when on 4 October it took place.
- The planned departure date of Crew-12. Only iXBT gives the 7 October date, and it describes it as expected rather than confirmed.
- The spelling of the cosmonaut’s surname in the Interfax report, which refers to him as “Dubnov” in one passage. The same Interfax report also lists “cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina” among the Soyuz MS-29 crew, and all other documents use Dubrov.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RIA Novosti reports that Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov has taken command of the ISS. [ 1 ]
- TASS reports that command of the ISS passed to Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov, with NASA astronaut Jessica Meir handing it over. [ 2 ]
- Vedomosti reports the ceremony, the symbolic key, Dubrov’s remarks on the Sputnik anniversary and the earlier Roscosmos statement on extending ISS operations to 2030. [ 3 ]
- iXBT reports the handover, the Sputnik anniversary and Crew-12’s expected return on 7 October. [ 4 ]
- RBC reports that Dubrov took command, citing the NASA broadcast. [ 5 ]
- Interfax reports the handover as described by Roscosmos, the bell-ringing, the arrival of Crew-13 on Friday and a total of 11 people aboard the station. [ 6 ]