Soyuz 42 was a crewed spaceflight mission that launched on March 27, 2013, as part of the Soyuz program. It transported three astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was notable for its role in maintaining the ISS's crew and supporting ongoing scientific research in space. The crew consisted of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, American astronaut Steven Swanson, and European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst. They spent approximately six months aboard the ISS, conducting experiments and performing maintenance tasks, contributing to international cooperation in space exploration.