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| Friday, 15 October 2004 |
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Space station crew blast off from Kazakh steppe BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan, Thursday (Reuters) A Russian rocket carrying a U.S.-Russian space crew to the International Space Station (ISS) blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early on Thursday. "The launch was O.K., right on schedule" said a spokesman for mission control in Moscow after the rocket carrying a Soyuz TMA-5 capsule blasted off at 7:06 a.m. Moscow time (0306 GMT). "Soyuz is firmly in orbit," said an announcer at the launch site to applause from an audience including friends and relatives of the crew. Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov and NASA's Leroy Chiao will replace Russian Gennady Padalka and American Michael Fincke who have manned the ISS since April. Yuri Shargin, a Russian space forces officer, also blasted off with Sharipov and Chiao, but he will return to earth in 10 days with the outgoing crew. The Russian space programme, which uses Baikonur for launches, has borne the brunt of ferrying crew and cargo to the ISS since the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated in February 2003, killing its crew of seven. The United States may resume flights with Space Shuttles to the ISS in May or June, ISS officials have said. Both Sharipov and Chiao have until now only flown into space aboard U.S. Space Shuttles. Besides their maiden trip aboard Soyuz, both will test Russian-made environmental suits during two planned spacewalks. |
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