Kuipers and crew blasted into space
Russia's Soyuz TMA-03M spacecraft with three astronauts on board blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, according to Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos.
The new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) consists of Oleg Kononenko from Russia, Andre Kuipers from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Donald Pettit from NASA.
Members of the next expedition to the International Space Station, U.S. astronaut Donald Pettit (L) Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko (C) and Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers (R) before the final test in Star City Cosmonaut Training Centre outside Moscow, Russia 30 November 2011. The lauch of the mission is scheduled for 21 December 2011
Members of the next expedition to the International Space Station, U.S. astronaut Donald Pettit (L) Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko (C) and Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers (R) before the final test in Star City Cosmonaut Training Centre outside Moscow, Russia
A crew member of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 31 Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers (R) takes part in their final prelaunch preparations at the Russian leased Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome, on December 15, 2011.
The Soyuz TMA-03M rocket of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 31 is transported to a launch pad in the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome, on December 19, 2011.
Russian Soyuz TMA-03M rocket of the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 31 stands at a launch pad in the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome, on December 19, 2011.
