Russian, American, European and Japanese Astronauts Blast Off Into Space

FoxNews.com - Soyuz Crew Blasts Off Into Space: "Russia's Soyuz spacecraft blasted off on its latest mission, to deliver Russia, European, American and Japanese astronauts to the International Space Station.
The launch, which took place at 2:09 pm. EST from the Baikonur cosmodrome on the steppes of Kazakhstan, came despite worries about the re-entry module of the Soyuz craft, which was hastily replaced earlier this month after it was damaged during unloading at the remote Russian launch site.
Russia's Dmitry Kondratyev, NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman and the European Space Agency's Paolo Nespoli of Italy will spend five months at the space station, which has a full schedule for 2011, with the arrival of several cargo craft delivered by the U.S., Russian, European and Japanese space agencies.

The astronauts will also be at the space station in April to mark the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's achievement as the first human flight into space.
'As the crew that is onboard the International Space Station on this very special day, we won't be walking on the pages of history, we'll be floating,' Coleman told reporters from behind a protective glass prior to the launch. The crew was kept in strict isolation in the days ahead of the launch to avoid exposure to infection."