US-Russian crewof 3 blasts off toISS in RussianSoyuz spacecraft

 

 

 

A US-RUSSIAN crew of three began a mission to the International Space Station aboard a Russian spacecraft following a successful launch on Thursday. A Soyuz booster rocket lifted off at 2:27 pm local time from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan to put the Soyuz MS-28 into orbit. The spacecraft carried NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two Russian crewmates, Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov.

 

The craft docked at the International Space Station approximately three hours after liftoff at 5:34 pm local time. All three are expected to spend about eight months at the orbiting outpost. NASA said this is the first spaceflight for Williams, a physicist, and Mikaev, a military pilot. This is the second flight for Kud-Sverchkov.

 

At the International Space Station, the trio will join NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, ZenaCardman andJonnyKim, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s astronaut KimiyaYui andRussiancosmonautsSergei Ryzhikov,AlexeiZubritsky and Oleg Platonov. Williams will conductscientific researchand technology demonstrations at the orbiting outpost aimed at advancinghumanspaceexploration and benefiting life on Earth, NASA said.