First Time Flyers From US, Russia to Join ISS Crew - NASA

US astronaut Scott Tingle and Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, both of whom are making their first journey into space, will join the International Space Station crew next year, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced in a press release on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The two first-time space explorers are set to launch in September 2017, along with veteran Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. Both Russians represent their nation’s space agency Roscosmos.

"The space station is a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that enables us to demonstrate new technologies and make research breakthroughs not possible on Earth," NASA said in the release.