Two Russians, one American blast off to ISS

AFP, BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan: Two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut soared into orbit in a Soyuz spacecraft Wednesday at the start of a two-day journey to the International Space Station.
NASA’s Shane Kimbrough and Andrei Borisenko and Sergei Ryzhikov of Roscosmos blasted off at 0805 GMT from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan after their launch had been delayed by nearly one month because of technical issues.
The trio’s mission is expected to last just over four months with docking at the orbital laboratory taking place on Friday. 
They will join Roscosmos’ Anatoly Ivanishin, NASA’s Kate Rubins, and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), whose return to Earth is set for October 30.
The Russian Orthodox Church said it had provided the country’s space authorities with the relics of Seraphim of Sarov, a 18th-century saint, to be taken onboard the flight.
The local Church official who handed over the relics last month, Metropolitan Georgy, had called for the astronauts to receive “God’s help in this blessed and good work,” the Church said in a statement.

 

Two Russians, one American blast off to ISS

AFP, BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan: Two Russian cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut soared into orbit in a Soyuz spacecraft Wednesday at the start of a two-day journey to the International SpaceStation. NASAs Shane Kimbrough and Andrei Borisenko and Sergei Ryzhikov of Roscosmos blasted off at 0805 GMT from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan after their launch had been delayed by nearly onemonth because of technical issues. The trios mission is expected to last just over four months with docking at the orbital laboratory taking place on Friday. They will join Roscosmos Anatoly Ivanishin, NASAs Kate Rubins, and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), whose return to Earth is set forOctober 30. The Russian Orthodox Church said it had provided the countrys space authorities with the relics of Seraphim of Sarov, a 18th-century saint, to be taken onboard the flight. The local Church official who handed over the relics last month, Metropolitan Georgy, had called for the astronauts to receive Gods help in this blessed and good work, the Church said in a statement.