Soyuz Spacecraft Blasts Off for Express Trip to ISS

A Soyuz spacecraft, carrying two Russians and an American, launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The mission, led by Alexei Ovchinin with crew members Ivan Vagner and Donald Pettit, aimed to dock with the International Space Station three hours after lift-off, a stark contrast to typical missions lasting days.

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American blasted off Wednesday for an express trip to the International Space Station.

The space capsule atop a towering rocket set off at 1623 GMT from Russia's manned space launch facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Unusually, it was scheduled to dock with the space station just three hours later, compared to more typical missions that last for days.

The mission commander, Alexei Ovchinin, was accompanied by Russian compatriot Ivan Vagner and American Donald Pettit.

(With inputs from agencies.)