Russian capsule takes off for International Space Station

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren and Japanese researcher Kimiya Yui are aboard the Soyuz on a six-hour ride to the station, which includes four orbit-correction maneuvers aimed to raise the ship’s altitude and intercept the station for an automated rendezvous and docking. This particular launch has been delayed due to problems with Russia’s Progress spacecraft. One of the astronauts on board is Kjell Lindgren, who has a strong aerospace medicine background, and has Minnesota ties.

NASA’s television feed of the launch showed the trio waving to the video camera while, from the ground, the bright-orange glow of the Soyuz engines dimmed and then disappeared as the spacecraft climbed through the skies of central Asia.

I wrote a lot more about the U.S.-Russia relationship in space in my Adrift series, in this story.

Another Progress successfully launched cargo to the ISS early this month, and NASA agreed the Soyuz was safe to launch.

Once the toy – which Lindgren stated he had chosen with the assistance of his youngsters – begins to drift, the crew will know they’ve reached orbit. Nine days later, the capsule, loaded with three tons of equipment and supplies, fell back into Earth’s atmosphere and was incinerated.

Today marks the first trip to space for Lindgren and Yuri, while Kononenko is a veteran, having logged over a year in space across multiple missions. Yui told a news conference that he was taking some sushi with him as a treat for the others. They will propel it on its path through space. The lift-off was broadcast live on NASA TV. The spacecraft, which is now in flight, will take three new crew members to the worldwide Space Station.