Rookie NASA astronaut Chris Williams will launch to the ISS on a Russian rocket later this year

A man smiles with all his teeth wearing a blue collared shirt in front of a blue backdrop with an american flag drooped on the left, and nasa flag dropped on the right.

One of NASA's newest astronauts has just been assigned his first space mission.

Chris Williams, who graduated with NASA's 23rd astronaut class last year, has been selected to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) on the upcoming Russian Soyuz MS-28 launch. Williams will spend about eight months living aboard the orbital laboratory, serving as Expedition 74 flight engineer.