The Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut returned to earth after spending 220 days in space the spacecraft landed in central Kazakhstan after orbiting the earth for more than more than 3,000 times.

Soyuz ms-26 spacecraft brings Russian, American crew back to earth from space station

The Russian space agency Roscosmos launched three men to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-27 on April 8. This includes American astronaut Jonathan Yong "Jonny" Kim and two cosmonauts, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. The capsule launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio is scheduled to reach the orbiting lab on Tuesday at 5:03 am EDT. The docking will happen at 7:20 am EDT and will be live-streamed. They will stay at the ISS for about eight months and return in December.&nbsp;
The American astronaut onboard the Soyuz, Jonny Kim, is on his first trip to space. NASA telecast the launch live on its website and social media handles. Kim has been with NASA for only about eight years and only three years later after he joined the space agency, he was among 17 astronauts picked for the Artemis mission aimed at landing humans on the moon.
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A former NAVY SEAL, Kim has several accolades to his name. He studied Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics. In the US Navy, the 41-year-old served as a flight surgeon and naval aviator. His first space venture has him serving as a flight engineer on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spaceflight.
<h2>Kim was a distinguished student</h2>
Kim's parents immigrated to the US from South Korea in the 1980s. His father started a liquor store in South Los Angeles while his mother was a teacher. A 2020 report revealed that Kim's father used to beat him as a teenager. His father was shot dead by the police in 2002 after he pointed a gun at his family.
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Kim was a bright student and also participated in swimming and water polo events. He received his Bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of San Diego in 2012, and went on to become a Doctor of Medicine from Harvard Medical School in 2016. However, it was his time as a Navy SEAL that propelled him to reach for his dreams.
<h2>Kim credits Navy SEAL for his accomplishments</h2>
Kim admits that he was a shy kid in school who "lacked complete self-confidence". But things changed after he became a Navy SEAL. He started as a seaman in 2002.
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"Going into the Navy was the best decision I ever made in my life because it completely transformed that scared boy who didn't have any dreams to someone who started to believe in himself," he said in an interview.
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He completed his training at Naval Special Warfare and then reported to the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School&nbsp;in Fort Liberty for the Special Operations Combat Medic Course. He was then assigned to SEAL Team 3 with the rating Special Warfare Operator.
<h2>What led Kim to become an astronaut?</h2>
Kim has been a part of over 100 combat missions in various capacities, such as a medic, sniper, navigator, and point man. He was inspired to join NASA during his time at Harvard, where he met astronaut&ndash;physician Scott E. Parazynski. He applied to become an astronaut and was shortlisted from 18,300 applicants for NASA Astronaut Group 22.
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He then trained as a pilot in a program for US Navy &ndash; NASA astronauts who lacked previous military pilot experience. After completing his training, he earned the rare distinction of being a Naval flight surgeon and naval aviator.

American astronaut Jonathan Yong "Jonny" Kim went to space aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-27 capsule on April 8. He will stay there for eight months. Science & Tech | World

The Russian space agency Roscosmos launched three men to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-27 on April 8. This includes American astronaut Jonathan Yong "Jonny" Kim and two cosmonauts, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. The capsule launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio is scheduled to reach the orbiting lab on Tuesday at 5:03 am EDT. The docking will happen at 7:20 am EDT and will be live-streamed. They will stay at the ISS for about eight months and return in December. The American astronaut onboard the Soyuz, Jonny Kim, is on his first trip to space. NASA telecast the launch live on its website and social media handles. Kim has been with NASA for only about eight years and only three years later after he joined the space agency, he was among 17 astronauts picked for the Artemis mission aimed at landing humans on the moon. Also Read: Mars in, moon out? NASA might go a different route under Isaacman A former NAVY SEAL, Kim has several accolades to his name. He studied Medicine at the Harvard Medical School and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics. In the US Navy, the 41-year-old served as a flight surgeon and naval aviator. His first space venture has him serving as a flight engineer on the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-27 spaceflight. Kim was a distinguished student Kim's parents immigrated to the US from South Korea in the 1980s. His father started a liquor store in South Los Angeles while his mother was a teacher. A 2020 report revealed that Kim's father used to beat him as a teenager. His father was shot dead by the police in 2002 after he pointed a gun at his family. Also Read: Artemis astronauts will shift from Orion to Starship in space to reach Moon's surface Kim was a bright student and also participated in swimming and water polo events. He received his Bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of San Diego in 2012, and went on to become a Doctor of Medicine from Harvard Medical School in 2016. However, it was his time as a Navy SEAL that propelled him to reach for his dreams. Kim credits Navy SEAL for his accomplishments Kim admits that he was a shy kid in school who "lacked complete self-confidence". But things changed after he became a Navy SEAL. He started as a seaman in 2002. Also Read: Time on the Moon moves faster than on Earth. This is by how much "Going into the Navy was the best decision I ever made in my life because it completely transformed that scared boy who didn't have any dreams to someone who started to believe in himself," he said in an interview. He completed his training at Naval Special Warfare and then reported to the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Liberty for the Special Operations Combat Medic Course. He was then assigned to SEAL Team 3 with the rating Special Warfare Operator. What led Kim to become an astronaut? Kim has been a part of over 100 combat missions in various capacities, such as a medic, sniper, navigator, and point man. He was inspired to join NASA during his time at Harvard, where he met astronaut–physician Scott E. Parazynski. He applied to become an astronaut and was shortlisted from 18,300 applicants for NASA Astronaut Group 22. Also Read: The Tower of Brahma, a puzzle that dictates when the world will end. 'With a thunderclap...' He then trained as a pilot in a program for US Navy – NASA astronauts who lacked previous military pilot experience. After completing his training, he earned the rare distinction of being a Naval flight surgeon and naval aviator.

Navy SEAL Jonny Kim blasts off to space aboard Russian Soyuz capsule. Who is he?

All modern-day spacecraft can fly autonomously, with minimal manual intervention. However, each spacecraft has the option for full manual control by the crew. Full manual control is a life-safer in contingency scenarios. Irrespective of how proven and reliable a spacecraft is, its crew members must be thoroughly proficient in manually steering the craft in space, docking with a space station, unlocking, de-orbiting for return to Earth, and much more.&nbsp;

As part of his M.Tech research, Indian astronaut candidate Group Captain Ajit Krishnan compared and evaluated the Russian approach and the American approach of manually steering the spacecraft and the spacecraft design followed by the two pioneering nations.&nbsp;

Originally fighter pilots of the Indian Air Force, Group Captain Krishnan and his three fellow astronaut candidates have completed their training at Russia's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in 2021. Since then, they have been training at various facilities of ISRO and the Indian Air Force.&nbsp;

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The astronaut candidates have also been helping ISRO with designing and developing some components and interfaces of the Indian homegrown Gaganyaan spacecraft. In August, two of the four candidates will travel to the US to undergo advanced training at NASA's Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas.&nbsp;

"All operational spacecraft (astronaut capsules) such as SpaceX Crew Dragon, Russia's Soyuz, Boeing Starliner and even the future NASA Artemis Orion feature full manual controls that help the crew control the craft. However, each craft has a different type of interface and controls."

"As part of his research at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Ajit Krishnan compared the controls, interfaces, and crew orientation(angle of view from the craft to the outside) of the American and Russian systems," Pradipta Biswas,&nbsp;Associate Professor, IISc, and Ajit Krishnan's research guide, explained to WION.&nbsp;

Interestingly, the comparisons were done in virtual reality mode, using a commercially available VR headset and a special glove that restricts hand movement, thereby giving a feel of wearing a spaceflight suit. As part of the research, Ajit and a dozen of his fellow test pilots from the Indian Air Force's Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), tried manually steering the American and Russian spacecraft on a simulator that the IISc team had specifically developed for this purpose.&nbsp;

"The Russian Soyuz Spacecraft uses a control stick for steering, like the one in fighter planes, whereas the SpaceX crew Dragon uses a touchscreen panel," Prof Biswas explained. He added that the American craft offered a front view like in aircraft cockpits, while the Russian craft offered a bottom view where the astronauts would have to look below to see the earth.

Twelve ASTE test pilots and 12 civilians with minimal training operated the simulator and tried to manually steer both the American and Russian spacecraft in virtual reality mode. Their mission was to steer the orbiting spacecraft back to Earth. The group came up with very interesting findings.

According to Prof Biswas, the entire group found the Russian craft and its bottom-view, control stick much more user-friendly and intuitive. While virtually operating the Russian system, there was no significant time difference between the manner in which fighter pilots steered the craft and the manner in which amateur civilians did so.&nbsp;

It was also learnt that the American style of steering and operating by using a touchscreen control was more fuel efficient and economical, as opposed to the Russian control stick method. "We constantly keep moving a control stick and every movement of the control stick will spend some amount of fuel. Whereas, in the case of a touchscreen, we have to press the touch panel only when necessary and then the steering is done accordingly. Therefore, the touchscreen method uses up less fuel," Prof Biswas added.&nbsp;

The M.Tech research done by Group Captain Ajjt Krishnan is not connected to and will not have any bearing on India's Gaganyaan programme. However, the results of their study would be helpful for future projects involving spacecraft design, design of spacecraft controls and related systems.&nbsp;

The customized software that we have developed, the VR headset with eye tracker, and EEG tracker, can be used in the process of making decisions on how to design the various facets of an astronaut-carrying spacecraft and even passenger aircraft, Prof Biswas concluded.&nbsp;

All modern-day spacecraft can fly autonomously, with minimal manual intervention. However, each spacecraft has the option for full manual control by the crew. Full manual control is a life-safer in contingency scenarios.

All modern-day spacecraft can fly autonomously, with minimal manual intervention. However, each spacecraft has the option for full manual control by the crew. Full manual control is a life-safer in contingency scenarios. Irrespective of how proven and reliable a spacecraft is, its crew members must be thoroughly proficient in manually steering the craft in space, docking with a space station, unlocking, de-orbiting for return to Earth, and much more. As part of his M.Tech research, Indian astronaut candidate Group Captain Ajit Krishnan compared and evaluated the Russian approach and the American approach of manually steering the spacecraft and the spacecraft design followed by the two pioneering nations. Originally fighter pilots of the Indian Air Force, Group Captain Krishnan and his three fellow astronaut candidates have completed their training at Russia's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, in 2021. Since then, they have been training at various facilities of ISRO and the Indian Air Force. Also read | Indian astronauts Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Prashant Nair chosen to train at NASA The astronaut candidates have also been helping ISRO with designing and developing some components and interfaces of the Indian homegrown Gaganyaan spacecraft. In August, two of the four candidates will travel to the US to undergo advanced training at NASA's Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas. "All operational spacecraft (astronaut capsules) such as SpaceX Crew Dragon, Russia's Soyuz, Boeing Starliner and even the future NASA Artemis Orion feature full manual controls that help the crew control the craft. However, each craft has a different type of interface and controls." "As part of his research at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Ajit Krishnan compared the controls, interfaces, and crew orientation(angle of view from the craft to the outside) of the American and Russian systems," Pradipta Biswas, Associate Professor, IISc, and Ajit Krishnan's research guide, explained to WION. Interestingly, the comparisons were done in virtual reality mode, using a commercially available VR headset and a special glove that restricts hand movement, thereby giving a feel of wearing a spaceflight suit. As part of the research, Ajit and a dozen of his fellow test pilots from the Indian Air Force's Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), tried manually steering the American and Russian spacecraft on a simulator that the IISc team had specifically developed for this purpose. "The Russian Soyuz Spacecraft uses a control stick for steering, like the one in fighter planes, whereas the SpaceX crew Dragon uses a touchscreen panel," Prof Biswas explained. He added that the American craft offered a front view like in aircraft cockpits, while the Russian craft offered a bottom view where the astronauts would have to look below to see the earth. Twelve ASTE test pilots and 12 civilians with minimal training operated the simulator and tried to manually steer both the American and Russian spacecraft in virtual reality mode. Their mission was to steer the orbiting spacecraft back to Earth. The group came up with very interesting findings. According to Prof Biswas, the entire group found the Russian craft and its bottom-view, control stick much more user-friendly and intuitive. While virtually operating the Russian system, there was no significant time difference between the manner in which fighter pilots steered the craft and the manner in which amateur civilians did so. It was also learnt that the American style of steering and operating by using a touchscreen control was more fuel efficient and economical, as opposed to the Russian control stick method. "We constantly keep moving a control stick and every movement of the control stick will spend some amount of fuel. Whereas, in the case of a touchscreen, we have to press the touch panel only when necessary and then the steering is done accordingly. Therefore, the touchscreen method uses up less fuel," Prof Biswas added. The M.Tech research done by Group Captain Ajjt Krishnan is not connected to and will not have any bearing on India's Gaganyaan programme. However, the results of their study would be helpful for future projects involving spacecraft design, design of spacecraft controls and related systems. The customized software that we have developed, the VR headset with eye tracker, and EEG tracker, can be used in the process of making decisions on how to design the various facets of an astronaut-carrying spacecraft and even passenger aircraft, Prof Biswas concluded.

US or Russian spacecraft: Which is user-friendly? Indian astronaut's research study gives details

A Soyuz spacecraft early Saturday (Apr 6) successfully took back a Russian cosmonaut, a guest astronaut from Belarus, and a NASA crew member to Earth. The trio was on the International Space Station (ISS) on a crewed mission.&nbsp;

The Russian crewed Soyuz spaceflight, Soyuz MS-24, had&nbsp;embarked on its journey from Baikonur on September 15, 2023, following which there have been several crew rotations.

Initially, the spacecraft ferried station commander Oleg Kononenko, O'Hara, and Nikolai Chub to the station.&nbsp;

The Soyuz spacecraft is a series of spacecraft designed for human spaceflight operations, originally developed by the Soviet Union and now operated by the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.&nbsp;The spacecraft has been used for various missions, including transporting astronauts and cosmonauts to and from space stations, such the ISS.&nbsp;

<h2>Landing on Earth&nbsp;</h2>

Commander Oleg Novitskiy, Marina Vasilevskaya from Belarus, and NASA's Loral O'Hara, touched down in Kazakhstan at 3:17 am EDT. After their landing on Earth, recovery teams quickly arrived to assist the returning space travellers as they adjusted to Earth's gravity after their journey.

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Notably, Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya had spent two weeks aboard the space station.&nbsp; Novitskiy, Vasilevskaya, as well as NASA veteran Tracy Dyson, were earlier launched to ISS on March 23 this year for crew rotation.&nbsp;

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All three that landed back to Earth were in good health. Vasilevskaya, the first citizen of Belarus to fly in space since the Soviet era, conveyed her overwhelming emotions and reportedly said, "It's something incredible. I wish all people on Earth to treasure and cherish what they have, because this is precious."

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Following medical checks and communication with loved ones, the trio was scheduled to be transported to Karaganda by helicopter, with O'Hara heading to Houston and Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya returning to Star City near Moscow.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A Soyuz spacecraft early Saturday (Apr 6) successfully took back a Russian cosmonaut, a guest astronaut from Belarus, and a NASA crew member to Earth. The trio was on the International Space Station (ISS) on a crewed mission.

A Soyuz spacecraft early Saturday (Apr 6) successfully took back a Russian cosmonaut, a guest astronaut from Belarus, and a NASA crew member to Earth. The trio was on the International Space Station (ISS) on a crewed mission. The Russian crewed Soyuz spaceflight, Soyuz MS-24, had embarked on its journey from Baikonur on September 15, 2023, following which there have been several crew rotations. Initially, the spacecraft ferried station commander Oleg Kononenko, O'Hara, and Nikolai Chub to the station. The Soyuz spacecraft is a series of spacecraft designed for human spaceflight operations, originally developed by the Soviet Union and now operated by the Russian space agency, Roscosmos. The spacecraft has been used for various missions, including transporting astronauts and cosmonauts to and from space stations, such the ISS. Landing on Earth Commander Oleg Novitskiy, Marina Vasilevskaya from Belarus, and NASA's Loral O'Hara, touched down in Kazakhstan at 3:17 am EDT. After their landing on Earth, recovery teams quickly arrived to assist the returning space travellers as they adjusted to Earth's gravity after their journey. Also Read | Mysteries of Antarctic: Researchers find 13 new papillomaviruses in seals Notably, Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya had spent two weeks aboard the space station. Novitskiy, Vasilevskaya, as well as NASA veteran Tracy Dyson, were earlier launched to ISS on March 23 this year for crew rotation. Also Read | Groundbreaking study reveals how to cut cost of prostate cancer scans by half All three that landed back to Earth were in good health. Vasilevskaya, the first citizen of Belarus to fly in space since the Soviet era, conveyed her overwhelming emotions and reportedly said, "It's something incredible. I wish all people on Earth to treasure and cherish what they have, because this is precious." WATCH | 57 companies directly linked to 80% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions: Study × Following medical checks and communication with loved ones, the trio was scheduled to be transported to Karaganda by helicopter, with O'Hara heading to Houston and Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya returning to Star City near Moscow. (With inputs from agencies)

Soyuz spacecraft brings cosmonaut, Belarusian astronaut, and NASA crew member safely back to Earth

A highly anticipated lift-off of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft was successful as it launched&nbsp;three astronauts — one male and two females — to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday (Mar 22). This comes after the lift-off was dramatically halted just seconds before its scheduled departure on Thursday (Mar 21).&nbsp;

The spacecraft carried NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus, and Russian Oleg Novitsky. The launch took place from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.

Following eight minutes, the space capsule detached from the rocket and entered its orbit. This initiated a two-day, 34-orbit journey towards the ISS. The docking procedure with the ISS is now scheduled to take place at 1510 GMT on Monday (Mar 25).

Earlier, on March 21, the mission control amidst the anticipation, announced "Launch!" in Russian. However, soon after, an unexpected message of "automatic cancellation of the launch" echoed through the live stream. The crew, comprising a Russian, an American, and a Belarusian were safely evacuated.

The sudden termination was attributed to a rare occurrence - a fluctuation in the current of a chemical power source, as disclosed by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.

Space chief Yuri Borisov, had stated, "Colleagues, space is like this and the situation is quite understandable." Now, the mission is scheduled for a launch attempt on Saturday (Mar 23).

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The mission is aimed to contribute to vital research for future space exploration endeavours.&nbsp;

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The Soyuz spacecraft carries a crew of three astronauts. It has been used extensively for missions to the International Space Station (ISS), ferrying astronauts and cosmonauts to and from the orbiting laboratory.

The inaugural Soyuz flight took place on November 28, 1966.

However, tragedy struck during the first crewed Soyuz mission, Soyuz 1, which launched on April 23, 1967.

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Unfortunately, the mission ended in disaster due to a parachute failure and cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov&nbsp;was killed.

Launched atop a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz spacecraft was the sole method for transporting crews to and from the International Space Station (ISS) between the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011 and the demonstration flight of SpaceX Crew Dragon in 2020.

Throughout this period, the Soyuz was extensively used for ISS crew transportation. Although China conducted crewed Shenzhou flights during this timeframe, none of them included docking manoeuvres with the ISS.

(With inputs from agencies)

A highly anticipated lift-off of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft was successful as it launched three astronauts — one male and two females — to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday (Mar 22).

A highly anticipated lift-off of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft was successful as it launched three astronauts — one male and two females — to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday (Mar 22). This comes after the lift-off was dramatically halted just seconds before its scheduled departure on Thursday (Mar 21). The spacecraft carried NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus, and Russian Oleg Novitsky. The launch took place from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan. Following eight minutes, the space capsule detached from the rocket and entered its orbit. This initiated a two-day, 34-orbit journey towards the ISS. The docking procedure with the ISS is now scheduled to take place at 1510 GMT on Monday (Mar 25). Earlier, on March 21, the mission control amidst the anticipation, announced "Launch!" in Russian. However, soon after, an unexpected message of "automatic cancellation of the launch" echoed through the live stream. The crew, comprising a Russian, an American, and a Belarusian were safely evacuated. The sudden termination was attributed to a rare occurrence - a fluctuation in the current of a chemical power source, as disclosed by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. Space chief Yuri Borisov, had stated, "Colleagues, space is like this and the situation is quite understandable." Now, the mission is scheduled for a launch attempt on Saturday (Mar 23). Also Read | Scientists are developing 'flavoured lollipops' to detect mouth cancer The mission is aimed to contribute to vital research for future space exploration endeavours. Also Read | Rare star explosion to occur in the night sky that can be seen with the naked eye The Soyuz spacecraft carries a crew of three astronauts. It has been used extensively for missions to the International Space Station (ISS), ferrying astronauts and cosmonauts to and from the orbiting laboratory. The inaugural Soyuz flight took place on November 28, 1966. However, tragedy struck during the first crewed Soyuz mission, Soyuz 1, which launched on April 23, 1967. Watch | Terror attack in Moscow: ISIS claims Moscow attack × Unfortunately, the mission ended in disaster due to a parachute failure and cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov was killed. Launched atop a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the Soyuz spacecraft was the sole method for transporting crews to and from the International Space Station (ISS) between the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011 and the demonstration flight of SpaceX Crew Dragon in 2020. Throughout this period, the Soyuz was extensively used for ISS crew transportation. Although China conducted crewed Shenzhou flights during this timeframe, none of them included docking manoeuvres with the ISS. (With inputs from agencies)

Russian Soyuz spacecraft lifts off with three astronauts to ISS

Russia's space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday (Feb 29) that it launched a Soyuz rocket into space carrying an Iranian research satellite. The satellite would scan Iran's topography from an orbit of 500 kilometres.

Russia's space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday (Feb 29) that it launched a Soyuz rocket into space carrying an Iranian research satellite. The satellite would scan Iran's topography from an orbit of 500 kilometres. According to a report by the news agency AFP, the launch of Pars-I with the Russian Soyuz-2.1b launcher was broadcast live by the state television in Iran. The satellite was launched from Russia's Vostochny launch base. The satellite weighs 134 kilogrammes and is equipped with three cameras. According to Iran's Telecommunications Minister Issa Zareppur, the satellite was fully domestically developed (in Iran). A dozen satellite launches Telecommunications Minister Zareppur said that Iran has carried out a dozen satellite launches over the past two years. In January, Tehran said that it simultaneously launched three satellites into orbit, nearly a week after the launch of a research satellite by its Revolutionary Guards. Also read | Close call: US spacecraft and Russian satellite avoid major collision The West has warned against such launches, saying that the technology (used in satellites) can be used for ballistic missiles, AFP reported. Iran, meanwhile, has said that it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that the satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defence purposes only. Thursday's launch comes after Russia launched Iran's remote-sensing Khayyam satellite into orbit from Kazakhstan in August 2022, stirring controversy that Moscow might use the satellite to boost its surveillance of military targets in its war in Ukraine. 'Air leak from ISS' Russian segment poses no danger' In other space news, Roscosmos officials on Wednesday acknowledged a continuing air leak from the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) but pointed out that it posed no danger to its crew. Also watch | Russia's nuclear anti-satellite weapon sparks a scare in US amid Ukraine war × The officials said that specialists were monitoring the leak, and the crew "regularly conducts work to locate and fix possible spots of the leak." Earlier, NASA's station project manager Joel Montalbano said that the leak in the Russian segment increased but emphasised it remained small and posed no threat to the crew's safety or vehicle operations. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia launches Soyuz rocket into space carrying Iranian satellite Pars-I

Russia is assessing the damage and examining the flight-worthiness of the Soyuz crew capsule docked with the International Space Station (ISS) after the vehicle, known as MS-22. began spraying its coolant into space on December 14. Dramatic Images on NASA TV showed white particles that resembled snowflakes streaming out of the rear of the spacecraft some days ago.

In a press briefing organised by the US space agency, Sergei Krikalev, who leads human spaceflight programmes at Russia's Roscosmos, told reporters the damage was being assessed.&nbsp;

If a thermal analysis -- which assesses how hot it will get inside the cabin -- concludes MS-22 is unfit for crewed flight, then a scheduled launch of another Soyuz capsule in mid-March from Baikonur Cosmodrome could be moved up, and it would launch uncrewed, he said.&nbsp;

"They're looking at late February to send up the next Soyuz vehicle," added Joel Montalbano, NASA's International Space Station programme manager, who was also on the call.&nbsp;

If the new Soyuz vehicle brings the crew back, the damaged spaceship will return to Earth sans the crew.

There are currently seven people aboard the orbital outpost, but if MS-22 were deemed unfit, it would also mean the ISS has just one "lifeboat" capable of carrying four people, in case it needs to be evacuated.&nbsp;

Americans Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann, Japan's Koichi Wakata and Russia's Anna Kikina arrived on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in October.&nbsp;It is unclear why the damage took place, said Montalbano.

But it does not appear as though the Geminid meteor shower, an annual phenomenon, was to blame, since the hull was penetrated from a different direction.&nbsp;

"Both the trajectory team in Houston and the trajectory team in Moscow confirmed it was not from the meteor showers," he said.&nbsp;More work is still needed to determine if it was caused by naturally occurring micrometeoroids,&nbsp;man-made debris in orbit, or a hardware failure, he added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Russia is assessing the damage and examining the flight-worthiness of the Soyuz crew capsule docked with the International Space Station (ISS) after the vehicle, known as MS-22.

Russia is assessing the damage and examining the flight-worthiness of the Soyuz crew capsule docked with the International Space Station (ISS) after the vehicle, known as MS-22. began spraying its coolant into space on December 14. Dramatic Images on NASA TV showed white particles that resembled snowflakes streaming out of the rear of the spacecraft some days ago. In a press briefing organised by the US space agency, Sergei Krikalev, who leads human spaceflight programmes at Russia's Roscosmos, told reporters the damage was being assessed. If a thermal analysis -- which assesses how hot it will get inside the cabin -- concludes MS-22 is unfit for crewed flight, then a scheduled launch of another Soyuz capsule in mid-March from Baikonur Cosmodrome could be moved up, and it would launch uncrewed, he said. "They're looking at late February to send up the next Soyuz vehicle," added Joel Montalbano, NASA's International Space Station programme manager, who was also on the call. If the new Soyuz vehicle brings the crew back, the damaged spaceship will return to Earth sans the crew. There are currently seven people aboard the orbital outpost, but if MS-22 were deemed unfit, it would also mean the ISS has just one "lifeboat" capable of carrying four people, in case it needs to be evacuated. Americans Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann, Japan's Koichi Wakata and Russia's Anna Kikina arrived on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in October. It is unclear why the damage took place, said Montalbano. But it does not appear as though the Geminid meteor shower, an annual phenomenon, was to blame, since the hull was penetrated from a different direction. "Both the trajectory team in Houston and the trajectory team in Moscow confirmed it was not from the meteor showers," he said. More work is still needed to determine if it was caused by naturally occurring micrometeoroids, man-made debris in orbit, or a hardware failure, he added. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

With Soyuz spacecraft damaged, Russia may send vehicle to rescue International Space Station crew

Russia's Soyuz rocket blasted off an Iranian satellite called Khayyam from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

The Iranian satellite has been named after a Persian scientist called Omar Khayyam, who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries.

While there have been allegations that Russia may use it for surveillance of Ukraine amid its military action there, Iran has said no other country will have access to the information it gathers due to its encrypted algorithm.

Hailing the satellite launch as ''an important milestone in Russian-Iranian bilateral cooperation'', Russian space chief Yury Borisov said ''it will open the way to the implementation of new and even larger projects.''

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/what-putin-wants-from-iran-and-why-tehran-might-be-cautious-501262">What Putin wants from Iran and why Tehran might be cautious</a>

The satellite, which will remain fully under Iran's control, has been fitted with a high-resolution camera that will be used for environmental monitoring.

Calling it "a turning point for the start of a new interaction in the field of space between our two countries", Iran's Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour said the event is "historic".

The Iran Space Agency (ISA) said it has received "first telemetric data" from the satellite which will give the country the ability to monitor its archenemy Israel and other countries in the Middle East.

It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin, in one of his few trips abroad since Moscow's February 24 invasion, met Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran last month.

This is not the first Iranian satellite that Russia has put into space as Moscow's Plesetsk cosmodrome deployed Tehran's Sina-1 satellite in 2005.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russia's Soyuz rocket blasted off an Iranian satellite called Khayyam from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The Iranian satellite has been named after a Persian scientist called Omar Khayyam, who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries.

Russia's Soyuz rocket blasted off an Iranian satellite called Khayyam from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The Iranian satellite has been named after a Persian scientist called Omar Khayyam, who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries. While there have been allegations that Russia may use it for surveillance of Ukraine amid its military action there, Iran has said no other country will have access to the information it gathers due to its encrypted algorithm. Hailing the satellite launch as ''an important milestone in Russian-Iranian bilateral cooperation'', Russian space chief Yury Borisov said ''it will open the way to the implementation of new and even larger projects.'' Also see | What Putin wants from Iran and why Tehran might be cautious The satellite, which will remain fully under Iran's control, has been fitted with a high-resolution camera that will be used for environmental monitoring. Calling it "a turning point for the start of a new interaction in the field of space between our two countries", Iran's Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour said the event is "historic". The Iran Space Agency (ISA) said it has received "first telemetric data" from the satellite which will give the country the ability to monitor its archenemy Israel and other countries in the Middle East. It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin, in one of his few trips abroad since Moscow's February 24 invasion, met Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran last month. This is not the first Iranian satellite that Russia has put into space as Moscow's Plesetsk cosmodrome deployed Tehran's Sina-1 satellite in 2005. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Russia's Soyuz rocket blasts off with Iranian satellite from Kazakhstan

As the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-closing-day-live-updates-final-events-underway-followed-by-ceremony-403835">Olympic Games </a>have been going on at a hectic pace in Tokyo, astronauts aboard the International Space Station(ISS) have created their own brand of "Space Olympics".

The crew members had watched the opening ceremony high above the Earth as they split into two teams in space - Soyuz and Crew Dragon although the same <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/indian-army-to-tokyo-olympic-gold-india-javelin-thrower-neeraj-chopras-unknown-journey-in-pictures-403758">Olympic</a> games could not be conducted in zero gravity.

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Space <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> 1/4: 
Lack-of-floor routine – much 👏 to Pyotr for completing his routine without touching anything, a difficult feat! 
🥇 
Gym hors-sol – on ne dirait pas comme ça, mais les immobilisations en plein vol de Piotr requièrent une grande expérience<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissionAlpha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissionAlpha</a> <a href="https://t.co/gXAHSHHmcu">pic.twitter.com/gXAHSHHmcu</a>
— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) <a href="https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1423780299243196422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The crew members came up with new original ideas for the games namely synchronised floating or lack-of-floor routine, very long jumps and no-hand ball as they put mini flags of the participating countries atop the ISS lab.

The ISS crew reportedly take&nbsp;part in two and half hours of daily exercises in space to maintain their fitness levels. The crew is commanded by Akihiko Hoshide of Japan where the Olympic Games are being held with three Americans,&nbsp;two Russian cosmonauts and one French astronaut onboard.

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Space <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> 2/4: 
No-handball – we had to adapt the rules a bit during the match, much investment on both sides for the win. 
🏐 
Handball sans les mains – les règles ont dû être adaptées au cours d’un match que nous décrirons sobrement comme intense. <a href="https://t.co/dVOv3GRThD">pic.twitter.com/dVOv3GRThD</a>
— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) <a href="https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1423780526230548480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The Olympic spirit is very much alive at the ISS with the advent of the cosmic games. &nbsp;French astronaut Thomas Pesquet said "The very first Space Olympics, for crew cohesion, we put together a friendly competition between the Soyuz team and the Crew Dragon team. With sports specific to space, mind you." &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-closing-ceremony-when-and-where-to-watch-ist-time-theme-venue-indian-flag-bearers-403843">Also Read:&nbsp;Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony: When and where to watch</a>

The Maxar Earth observation satellite had earlier captured photos of Japan's National Stadium in Tokyo.&nbsp;

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet had earlier wished the athletes good luck as the Olympic Games kicked off in Tokyo last month with the games now set to close today.

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Space <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympics</a> 4/4: 
Weightless sharpshooting – concentration and skill (or luck) proved necessary to reach the target. 
🎯 
Tir sans gravité – concentration et persévérance ont dicté cette épreuve pour bien négocier la trajectoire des élastiques<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissionAlpha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissionAlpha</a> <a href="https://t.co/eV2cSxEWQ5">pic.twitter.com/eV2cSxEWQ5</a>
— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) <a href="https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1423780871761534980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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In a tweet, Pesquet said: "Weightless sharpshooting – concentration and skill (or luck) proved necessary to reach the target," as the crew celebrated the Olympic spirit.&nbsp;

They also took part in "synchronised space swimming" to exhibit teamwork and crew cohesion.

"No-handball – we had to adapt the rules a bit during the match, much investment on both sides for the win," Pesquet informed.

(With inputs from Agencies) 
&nbsp;

As the Olympic Games have been going on at a hectic pace in Tokyo, astronauts aboard the International Space Station(ISS) have created their own brand of "Space Olympics".

As the Olympic Games have been going on at a hectic pace in Tokyo, astronauts aboard the International Space Station(ISS) have created their own brand of "Space Olympics". The crew members had watched the opening ceremony high above the Earth as they split into two teams in space - Soyuz and Crew Dragon although the same Olympic games could not be conducted in zero gravity. Space #Olympics 1/4: Lack-of-floor routine – much 👏 to Pyotr for completing his routine without touching anything, a difficult feat! 🥇 Gym hors-sol – on ne dirait pas comme ça, mais les immobilisations en plein vol de Piotr requièrent une grande expérience#MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/gXAHSHHmcu — Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) August 6, 2021 × The crew members came up with new original ideas for the games namely synchronised floating or lack-of-floor routine, very long jumps and no-hand ball as they put mini flags of the participating countries atop the ISS lab. The ISS crew reportedly take part in two and half hours of daily exercises in space to maintain their fitness levels. The crew is commanded by Akihiko Hoshide of Japan where the Olympic Games are being held with three Americans, two Russian cosmonauts and one French astronaut onboard. Space #Olympics 2/4: No-handball – we had to adapt the rules a bit during the match, much investment on both sides for the win. 🏐 Handball sans les mains – les règles ont dû être adaptées au cours d’un match que nous décrirons sobrement comme intense. pic.twitter.com/dVOv3GRThD — Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) August 6, 2021 × The Olympic spirit is very much alive at the ISS with the advent of the cosmic games. French astronaut Thomas Pesquet said "The very first Space Olympics, for crew cohesion, we put together a friendly competition between the Soyuz team and the Crew Dragon team. With sports specific to space, mind you." Also Read: Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony: When and where to watch The Maxar Earth observation satellite had earlier captured photos of Japan's National Stadium in Tokyo. French astronaut Thomas Pesquet had earlier wished the athletes good luck as the Olympic Games kicked off in Tokyo last month with the games now set to close today. Space #Olympics 4/4: Weightless sharpshooting – concentration and skill (or luck) proved necessary to reach the target. 🎯 Tir sans gravité – concentration et persévérance ont dicté cette épreuve pour bien négocier la trajectoire des élastiques#MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/eV2cSxEWQ5 — Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) August 6, 2021 × In a tweet, Pesquet said: "Weightless sharpshooting – concentration and skill (or luck) proved necessary to reach the target," as the crew celebrated the Olympic spirit. They also took part in "synchronised space swimming" to exhibit teamwork and crew cohesion. "No-handball – we had to adapt the rules a bit during the match, much investment on both sides for the win," Pesquet informed. (With inputs from Agencies)

Watch: 'Space Olympics' at ISS with synchronised swimming, weightless sharpshooting & no-handball

Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday that the launch of Soyuz rocket was postponed. Now, the lift-off would take place on Friday. The rocket is due to carry 36 UK &nbsp;telecommunication and internet satellites into space.

OneWeb, a London-headquartered company, is working to complete the construction of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites providing enhanced broadband and other services to countries around the world.

The rocket launch operated by European company Arianespace was scheduled for 1743 GMT on Thursday. It was to take place from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russian Far East.

"For technical reasons, the launch...has been postponed to the reserve date," Roscosmos said in a statement on Thursday.

The launch will now take place on Friday (May 28) at 1738 GMT.

So far two batches of 36 OneWeb satellites have been placed into orbit from Russia this year.

The UK company is planning to make its global commercial internet service operational by next year. It is to be supported by about 650 satellites.

The Vostochny launch site is one of Russia's most important space projects, designed to reduce reliance on the Baikonur space centre Moscow currently rents from Kazakhstan.

The project has been consistently behind schedule, with its construction marred for years by multiple controversies including corruption.

(With inputs from agencies)

Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday that the launch of Soyuz rocket was postponed. Now, the lift-off would take place on Friday. The rocket is due to carry 36 UK telecommunication and internet satellites into space.

Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday that the launch of Soyuz rocket was postponed. Now, the lift-off would take place on Friday. The rocket is due to carry 36 UK telecommunication and internet satellites into space. OneWeb, a London-headquartered company, is working to complete the construction of a constellation of low earth orbit satellites providing enhanced broadband and other services to countries around the world. The rocket launch operated by European company Arianespace was scheduled for 1743 GMT on Thursday. It was to take place from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russian Far East. "For technical reasons, the launch...has been postponed to the reserve date," Roscosmos said in a statement on Thursday. The launch will now take place on Friday (May 28) at 1738 GMT. So far two batches of 36 OneWeb satellites have been placed into orbit from Russia this year. The UK company is planning to make its global commercial internet service operational by next year. It is to be supported by about 650 satellites. The Vostochny launch site is one of Russia's most important space projects, designed to reduce reliance on the Baikonur space centre Moscow currently rents from Kazakhstan. The project has been consistently behind schedule, with its construction marred for years by multiple controversies including corruption. (With inputs from agencies)

Soyuz rocket launch postponed, to take place on Friday

Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant Yozo Hirano will be the next tourists to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), Russia's space agency Roscosmos said Thursday.

Maezawa and Hirano will travel aboard a Russian "Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft that is scheduled for launch on December 8, 2021 from the Baikonur cosmodrome" in Kazakhstan, the agency said in a statement.

Maezawa, 45, who made his fortune in online retail, also plans to participate in a 2023 mission around the moon aboard a Starship spacecraft of SpaceX, the Roscosmos rival of US billionaire Elon Musk.&nbsp;

Maezawa and film producer Hirano, who will be documenting the mission, will begin pre-flight training in June at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, a closed town outside of Moscow, Roscosmos added.

It said that the flight will last 12 days and the crew will be led by Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.

"I'm so curious 'what's life like in space?' So, I am planning to find out on my own and share with the world on my YouTube channel," Maezawa said, as quoted by Roscosmos.

It will be the first time that two of the three spots on a Soyuz space rocket will be occupied by tourists.

The last time Roscosmos took a tourist to the ISS was in 2009, with the flight of Canadian Guy Laliberte, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil.&nbsp;

The resumption of these tourist flights comes as Roscosmos lost its monopoly for ferrying crews to the ISS after a reusable SpaceX rocket last year successfully delivered NASA astronauts to space.

(With inputs from agencies)

Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant Yozo Hirano will be the next tourists to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), Russia's space agency Roscosmos said Thursday.

Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa and his assistant Yozo Hirano will be the next tourists to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), Russia's space agency Roscosmos said Thursday. Maezawa and Hirano will travel aboard a Russian "Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft that is scheduled for launch on December 8, 2021 from the Baikonur cosmodrome" in Kazakhstan, the agency said in a statement. Maezawa, 45, who made his fortune in online retail, also plans to participate in a 2023 mission around the moon aboard a Starship spacecraft of SpaceX, the Roscosmos rival of US billionaire Elon Musk. Maezawa and film producer Hirano, who will be documenting the mission, will begin pre-flight training in June at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, a closed town outside of Moscow, Roscosmos added. It said that the flight will last 12 days and the crew will be led by Cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. "I'm so curious 'what's life like in space?' So, I am planning to find out on my own and share with the world on my YouTube channel," Maezawa said, as quoted by Roscosmos. It will be the first time that two of the three spots on a Soyuz space rocket will be occupied by tourists. The last time Roscosmos took a tourist to the ISS was in 2009, with the flight of Canadian Guy Laliberte, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil. The resumption of these tourist flights comes as Roscosmos lost its monopoly for ferrying crews to the ISS after a reusable SpaceX rocket last year successfully delivered NASA astronauts to space. (With inputs from agencies)

Japanese billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa to travel to International Space Station

April 23 in history: Launch of Soyuz 1, discovery of HIV virus and more

Russia`s Soyuz MS-18 Yu spacecraft carrying one NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts of the Russian space agency Roscosmos docked to the International Space Station (ISS) at 7:05 am Eastern Time Zone (EDT) while both spacecraft were flying about 262 miles above northern China, NASA said.

The spacecraft launched ahead of the 60th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, took Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov, and US astronaut Mark Vande Hei to the ISS, Sputnik reported. Gagarin`s name and portrait are painted on the rocket hull.

NASA informed that the hatches between the International Space Station and the newly arrived Soyuz spacecraft officially opened at 9:20 am EDT as they flew 270 miles above the South Pacific.

The arrival of three new crew members to the existing seven people already aboard for Expedition 64 temporarily increases the station`s population to 10, NASA said.NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts arrived on the Soyuz MS-18 after a two-orbit, three-hour flight following their launch from Kazakhstan at 3:42 am EDT.

Russia`s Soyuz MS-18 Yu spacecraft carrying one NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts of the Russian space agency Roscosmos docked to the International Space Station (ISS) at 7:05 am Eastern Time Zone (EDT) while both spacecraft were flying about 262 miles above northern China, NASA said.

Russia`s Soyuz MS-18 Yu spacecraft carrying one NASA astronaut and two cosmonauts of the Russian space agency Roscosmos docked to the International Space Station (ISS) at 7:05 am Eastern Time Zone (EDT) while both spacecraft were flying about 262 miles above northern China, NASA said. The spacecraft launched ahead of the 60th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, took Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov, and US astronaut Mark Vande Hei to the ISS, Sputnik reported. Gagarin`s name and portrait are painted on the rocket hull. NASA informed that the hatches between the International Space Station and the newly arrived Soyuz spacecraft officially opened at 9:20 am EDT as they flew 270 miles above the South Pacific. The arrival of three new crew members to the existing seven people already aboard for Expedition 64 temporarily increases the station`s population to 10, NASA said.NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts arrived on the Soyuz MS-18 after a two-orbit, three-hour flight following their launch from Kazakhstan at 3:42 am EDT.

Russia's Soyuz rocket placed into orbit with 3 astronauts on board

A three-man crew docked at the International Space Station Friday after a flight honouring the 60th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becoming the first person in space.

NASA's Mark Vande Hei and Russia's Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov will spend six months in the ISS working on biology, biotechnology, and Earth science experiments.

"There is contact!" Russia's space agency Roscosmos wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

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Утро 9 апреля на космодроме Байконур, полная фотогалерея: <a href="https://t.co/qvfxW5auup">https://t.co/qvfxW5auup</a> 📸🚀 
 
Открытие переходных люков между кораблем <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%8E%D0%B7%D0%9C%D0%A118?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#СоюзМС18</a> и Международной космической станцией ожидается в 16:00 мск <a href="https://t.co/JOFeBKbjyT">pic.twitter.com/JOFeBKbjyT</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1380486998415265794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Hey, Expedition 64 –- set the dinner table... Can't wait to join you on&nbsp;@Space_Station&nbsp;in a few hours!" Vande Hei tweeted to the crew on board the ISS hours before blast-off.

The launch came just ahead of Monday's anniversary of Gagarin's historic flight on April 12, 1961.&nbsp;

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Reminders of his achievement were everywhere at the Russia-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as Novitsky, Dubrov and Vande Hei prepared for their half-year mission aboard the orbital lab.

The&nbsp;Soyuz&nbsp;MS-18 spacecraft that the trio took off in has been named&nbsp;after the legendary cosmonaut and Gagarin's portrait has been added to its exterior.

Gagarin also came up more than once in the traditional pre-flight press conference on Thursday, where the crew was asked how they planned to mark the anniversary once in space.

"We'll celebrate it together," said 43-year-old Dubrov, who is flying to space for the first time. "And we'll work hard!"&nbsp;

Friday's blast-off was from a different launchpad than the one used for Gagarin's one and only mission, which saw him spend 108 minutes in orbit.

Last used in 2019, the Gagarin launchpad is undergoing upgrades in preparation for a new generation of&nbsp;Soyuz&nbsp;rockets and expected to return to action in 2023.

Gagarin's mission was a propaganda coup for the Soviet Union and a huge win in the space race with the West, which became one of the Cold War's most exciting subplots.

But the anniversary comes at a difficult time for Russia's space industry, which has suffered a number of setbacks recently, from industry corruption scandals to an aborted take-off scuppering a manned mission in 2018.

Perhaps most importantly, Roscosmos and Baikonur last year lost their monopoly over manned ISS launches, as reusable rockets from Elon Musk's Space X delivered NASA astronauts to the station from American soil.&nbsp;

The emergence of commercial competitors has left Roscosmos with a financial headache, NASA has paid the company tens of millions of dollars per seat for astronauts sent to the ISS.

Russian space officials still talk up new ventures, including bringing back samples from Venus and creating a rocket capable of making 100 round trips to space.

Yet the space budget has fallen year by year as President Vladimir Putin prioritises increased military spending.

A three-man crew docked at the International Space Station Friday after a flight honouring the 60th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becoming the first person in space.

A three-man crew docked at the International Space Station Friday after a flight honouring the 60th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becoming the first person in space. NASA's Mark Vande Hei and Russia's Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov will spend six months in the ISS working on biology, biotechnology, and Earth science experiments. "There is contact!" Russia's space agency Roscosmos wrote on Twitter. Утро 9 апреля на космодроме Байконур, полная фотогалерея: https://t.co/qvfxW5auup 📸🚀 Открытие переходных люков между кораблем #СоюзМС18 и Международной космической станцией ожидается в 16:00 мск pic.twitter.com/JOFeBKbjyT — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) April 9, 2021 × "Hey, Expedition 64 –- set the dinner table... Can't wait to join you on @Space_Station in a few hours!" Vande Hei tweeted to the crew on board the ISS hours before blast-off. The launch came just ahead of Monday's anniversary of Gagarin's historic flight on April 12, 1961. Reminders of his achievement were everywhere at the Russia-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as Novitsky, Dubrov and Vande Hei prepared for their half-year mission aboard the orbital lab. The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft that the trio took off in has been named after the legendary cosmonaut and Gagarin's portrait has been added to its exterior. Gagarin also came up more than once in the traditional pre-flight press conference on Thursday, where the crew was asked how they planned to mark the anniversary once in space. "We'll celebrate it together," said 43-year-old Dubrov, who is flying to space for the first time. "And we'll work hard!" Friday's blast-off was from a different launchpad than the one used for Gagarin's one and only mission, which saw him spend 108 minutes in orbit. Last used in 2019, the Gagarin launchpad is undergoing upgrades in preparation for a new generation of Soyuz rockets and expected to return to action in 2023. Gagarin's mission was a propaganda coup for the Soviet Union and a huge win in the space race with the West, which became one of the Cold War's most exciting subplots. But the anniversary comes at a difficult time for Russia's space industry, which has suffered a number of setbacks recently, from industry corruption scandals to an aborted take-off scuppering a manned mission in 2018. Perhaps most importantly, Roscosmos and Baikonur last year lost their monopoly over manned ISS launches, as reusable rockets from Elon Musk's Space X delivered NASA astronauts to the station from American soil. The emergence of commercial competitors has left Roscosmos with a financial headache, NASA has paid the company tens of millions of dollars per seat for astronauts sent to the ISS. Russian space officials still talk up new ventures, including bringing back samples from Venus and creating a rocket capable of making 100 round trips to space. Yet the space budget has fallen year by year as President Vladimir Putin prioritises increased military spending.

NASA's crew in Soyuz MS-18 docks at ISS after flight honouring Gagarin

Russian Soyuz rocket blasts off with 38 satellites

A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday carrying 38 foreign satellites after takeoff was twice postponed due to technical issues, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

Video published by Roscosmos showed the Soyuz blaster launching against grey and cloudy skies at 0607 GMT.

"The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage and 38 spacecraft from 18 countries took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome," Roscosmos said on its Twitter account.&nbsp;

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Первые фотографии сегодняшнего пуска <a href="https://twitter.com/gk_launch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gk_launch</a> 📸🚀 
 
С 11:35 до 11:37 мск запланировано отделение первой партии спутников попутной полезной нагрузки (японские спутники GRUS), а с 13:13 до 13:43 мск ожидается отделение второй партии на третьей целевой орбите (оставшиеся аппараты) <a href="https://t.co/df2pVnC2jx">pic.twitter.com/df2pVnC2jx</a>
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The rocket will place in orbit 38 satellites from more than a dozen countries, including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and Brazil.

Among them is Challenge-1, the first satellite made completely in Tunisia, which was created by the Telnet telecommunications group.

The launch was twice postponed from Saturday after a surge in voltage was detected.

Russia plans to send up a second satellite in 2023 and, combined, the two will offer round-the-clock, all-weather monitoring of the Arctic Ocean and the surface of the Earth, Roscosmos said.

It had launched its space satellite Arktika-M on February 28 on a mission to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic amid a push by the Kremlin to expand the country's activities in the region.

The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades and Moscow is seeking to develop the energy-rich region, investing in the Northern Sea Route for shipping across its long northern flank as ice melts.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian space sector has lagged behind international competitors, plagued by corruption scandals and technological stagnation.

In 2018, a Soyuz rocket carrying a Russian cosmonaut and a NASA astronaut failed mid-flight, forcing the crew to carry out an emergency landing. Both survived without injuries.&nbsp;

A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday carrying 38 foreign satellites after takeoff was twice postponed due to technical issues, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday carrying 38 foreign satellites after takeoff was twice postponed due to technical issues, Russian space agency Roscosmos said. Video published by Roscosmos showed the Soyuz blaster launching against grey and cloudy skies at 0607 GMT. "The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage and 38 spacecraft from 18 countries took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome," Roscosmos said on its Twitter account. Первые фотографии сегодняшнего пуска @gk_launch 📸🚀 С 11:35 до 11:37 мск запланировано отделение первой партии спутников попутной полезной нагрузки (японские спутники GRUS), а с 13:13 до 13:43 мск ожидается отделение второй партии на третьей целевой орбите (оставшиеся аппараты) pic.twitter.com/df2pVnC2jx — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) March 22, 2021 × The rocket will place in orbit 38 satellites from more than a dozen countries, including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and Brazil. Among them is Challenge-1, the first satellite made completely in Tunisia, which was created by the Telnet telecommunications group. The launch was twice postponed from Saturday after a surge in voltage was detected. Russia plans to send up a second satellite in 2023 and, combined, the two will offer round-the-clock, all-weather monitoring of the Arctic Ocean and the surface of the Earth, Roscosmos said. It had launched its space satellite Arktika-M on February 28 on a mission to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic amid a push by the Kremlin to expand the country's activities in the region. The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades and Moscow is seeking to develop the energy-rich region, investing in the Northern Sea Route for shipping across its long northern flank as ice melts. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian space sector has lagged behind international competitors, plagued by corruption scandals and technological stagnation. In 2018, a Soyuz rocket carrying a Russian cosmonaut and a NASA astronaut failed mid-flight, forcing the crew to carry out an emergency landing. Both survived without injuries.

Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches 38 satellites for 18 countries

The chief of Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin on Friday said that American astronauts from NASA will use the country's Soyuz rocket to travel to the International Space Station as US technology is ''unreliable.''

The next launch window for a NASA crew to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket has been pushed&nbsp;to April 20.

The flight marks only the second full-fledged space station crew-rotation mission launched aboard a private company's spacecraft - a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket tipped with the Crew Dragon capsule it will carry into orbit.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russias-soyuz-spacecraft-takes-quickest-crew-trip-to-international-space-station-334731">Also see:&nbsp;Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station</a>

The four-member SpaceX Crew-2 consists of two NASA astronauts, mission commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur, along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and fellow mission specialist Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency.

After docking with the space station, they will join the four SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts who arrived in November, and cosmonauts carried to the orbiting outpost aboard a&nbsp;Soyuz&nbsp;MS-18 spacecraft.

The newly arrived Crew-2 are to remain in orbit six months, while Crew-1 is due to return to earth by early May.

Dmitry Rogozin said in a <a href="https://www.roscosmos.ru/30252/">post</a>&nbsp;on Facebook that&nbsp;''flights to the International Space Station are unstable.''

However, he added, Roscosmos will ''confirm its commitment to joint agreements and the spirit of joint use of the International Space Station.''

''There was an urgent need for them (NASA) to find insurance and send their man on our ship, to make sure their segment on the space station isn't left unattended. The talk of swapping seats has nothing to do with this at all,''&nbsp;he clarified, noting that the agreement was made with Axiom Space, a NASA contractor and private space company which has plans to eventually sell human spaceflight experiences to tourists who want to visit the ISS.

Despite its former Soviet glory, Russia's space sector has suffered greatly in recent years from a lack of financing and corruption.

Moscow and Washington are collaborating in the space sector -- one of the few areas of cooperation left between the Cold War rivals.

However, Russia did not sign the US-led Artemis Accord last year for countries that want to participate in a lunar exploration scheme spearheaded by NASA.

Under the Artemis programme announced during the tenure of former US President Donald Trump, NASA plans to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024.

In another blow to Russia's space reputation,&nbsp;Roscosmos&nbsp;last year lost its monopoly for manned flights to the International Space Station (ISS) after the first successful mission of the US company Space X.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has become a key player in the modern space race and has announced plans to fly several members of the public to the Moon in 2023 on a trip bankrolled by a Japanese millionaire.&nbsp;

A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded after landing in Texas in March,after climbing to an altitude of six miles (10 kilometres). The test flight was part of the company's ambitious project to take people to Mars.

The chief of Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin on Friday said that American astronauts from NASA will use the country's Soyuz rocket to travel to the International Space Station as US technology is ''unreliable.

The chief of Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin on Friday said that American astronauts from NASA will use the country's Soyuz rocket to travel to the International Space Station as US technology is ''unreliable.'' The next launch window for a NASA crew to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket has been pushed to April 20. The flight marks only the second full-fledged space station crew-rotation mission launched aboard a private company's spacecraft - a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket tipped with the Crew Dragon capsule it will carry into orbit. Also see: Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station The four-member SpaceX Crew-2 consists of two NASA astronauts, mission commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur, along with Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and fellow mission specialist Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency. After docking with the space station, they will join the four SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts who arrived in November, and cosmonauts carried to the orbiting outpost aboard a Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft. The newly arrived Crew-2 are to remain in orbit six months, while Crew-1 is due to return to earth by early May. Dmitry Rogozin said in a post on Facebook that ''flights to the International Space Station are unstable.'' However, he added, Roscosmos will ''confirm its commitment to joint agreements and the spirit of joint use of the International Space Station.'' ''There was an urgent need for them (NASA) to find insurance and send their man on our ship, to make sure their segment on the space station isn't left unattended. The talk of swapping seats has nothing to do with this at all,'' he clarified, noting that the agreement was made with Axiom Space, a NASA contractor and private space company which has plans to eventually sell human spaceflight experiences to tourists who want to visit the ISS. Despite its former Soviet glory, Russia's space sector has suffered greatly in recent years from a lack of financing and corruption. Moscow and Washington are collaborating in the space sector -- one of the few areas of cooperation left between the Cold War rivals. However, Russia did not sign the US-led Artemis Accord last year for countries that want to participate in a lunar exploration scheme spearheaded by NASA. Under the Artemis programme announced during the tenure of former US President Donald Trump, NASA plans to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024. In another blow to Russia's space reputation, Roscosmos last year lost its monopoly for manned flights to the International Space Station (ISS) after the first successful mission of the US company Space X. Elon Musk's SpaceX has become a key player in the modern space race and has announced plans to fly several members of the public to the Moon in 2023 on a trip bankrolled by a Japanese millionaire. A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded after landing in Texas in March,after climbing to an altitude of six miles (10 kilometres). The test flight was part of the company's ambitious project to take people to Mars.

Russian space agency chief calls US technology 'unstable' to reach International Space Station

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday carrying Russia's first satellite for monitoring the Arctic's climate, the Roscosmos space agency said.&nbsp;

Video published by the Russian space agency showed the Soyuz blaster launching against grey skies at 0655 GMT, carrying an Arktika-M satellite.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isros-pslv-c51-successfully-places-19-satellites-into-orbit-366785" hreflang="en">ISRO's PSLV-C51 successfully places 19 satellites into orbit</a>

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LIFTOFF 🚀 
 
The Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage and the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArktikaM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ArktikaM</a> spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome. 
 
Watch with us ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/b0mrI021s5">https://t.co/b0mrI021s5</a> <a href="https://t.co/PNM65AKveO">pic.twitter.com/PNM65AKveO</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1365918653762457603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin wrote on Twitter Sunday that the launch was routine.

"The 'Arktika' hydrometeorological and climate monitoring space system is designed to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic region," Roscosmos said in a statement.

The monitoring system will need at least two satellites to operate properly, the space agency said.

"As part of the system, they will provide round-the-clock all-weather monitoring of the Earth's surface and the seas of the Arctic Ocean," it added.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArktikaM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ArktikaM</a>: T+09:22 min → separation of the upper stage from the third stage of the rocket. 
 
After the successful separation of the payload, the Fregat upper stage continued to inject the spacecraft into the assigned orbit. <a href="https://t.co/Hm0lUMUc5k">pic.twitter.com/Hm0lUMUc5k</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1365920895819264000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The launch of the second Arktika-M satellite is planned for 2023, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Economic development of the Arctic is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key goals.

The Arctic holds huge oil and gas reserves that are being eyed by Russia and other countries including the United States, Canada and Norway.

UK scientists last month reported ice was disappearing across the world at a rate that matched "worst-case climate warming scenarios".&nbsp;

The team from the universities of Edinburgh and Leeds and University College London found that some of the largest losses in the last three decades were from Arctic Sea ice.

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday carrying Russia's first satellite for monitoring the Arctic's climate, the Roscosmos space agency said.

A Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday carrying Russia's first satellite for monitoring the Arctic's climate, the Roscosmos space agency said. Video published by the Russian space agency showed the Soyuz blaster launching against grey skies at 0655 GMT, carrying an Arktika-M satellite. Also read| ISRO's PSLV-C51 successfully places 19 satellites into orbit LIFTOFF 🚀 The Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage and the #ArktikaM spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome. Watch with us ➡️ https://t.co/b0mrI021s5 pic.twitter.com/PNM65AKveO — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) February 28, 2021 × Space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin wrote on Twitter Sunday that the launch was routine. "The 'Arktika' hydrometeorological and climate monitoring space system is designed to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic region," Roscosmos said in a statement. The monitoring system will need at least two satellites to operate properly, the space agency said. "As part of the system, they will provide round-the-clock all-weather monitoring of the Earth's surface and the seas of the Arctic Ocean," it added. #ArktikaM: T+09:22 min → separation of the upper stage from the third stage of the rocket. After the successful separation of the payload, the Fregat upper stage continued to inject the spacecraft into the assigned orbit. pic.twitter.com/Hm0lUMUc5k — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) February 28, 2021 × The launch of the second Arktika-M satellite is planned for 2023, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Economic development of the Arctic is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's key goals. The Arctic holds huge oil and gas reserves that are being eyed by Russia and other countries including the United States, Canada and Norway. UK scientists last month reported ice was disappearing across the world at a rate that matched "worst-case climate warming scenarios". The team from the universities of Edinburgh and Leeds and University College London found that some of the largest losses in the last three decades were from Arctic Sea ice.

Russia launches its first Arctic monitoring satellite

Russia's Soyuz spacecraft takes quickest crew trip to International Space Station

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/soyuz-hatch-opening-welcome-at-iss-237444">Soyuz spacecraft</a> carrying<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/russia-launches-humanoid-robot-fedor-to-assist-astronauts-on-international-space-station-245141"> Russia's first humanoid robo</a>t on Saturday failed to dock automatically with the international space station, Moscow news agencies reported.

The craft launched a repeat of the docking manoeuvres after the failure of the first attempt, which had been scheduled for 0530 GMT, the agencies said.

Live broadcast of the event on the Russian space agency Roskomos was interrupted with the Soyuz spacecraft about 100 metres (109 yards) off the ISS.

The life-size robot, named Fedor, was to spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts in the space station.

Short for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research, Fedor is the first-ever sent up by Russia.

Fedor blasted off Thursday in a Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and was to stay on the ISS until September 7.

Soyuz ships are normally manned on such trips, but this time no humans were travelling in order to test a new emergency rescue system.&nbsp;

Instead of cosmonauts, Fedor, also known as Skybot F850, was strapped into a specially adapted pilot's seat, with a small Russian flag in hand.&nbsp;

"Let's go. Let's go," the robot was heard saying during launch, repeating the famous phrase used by first man in space Yuri Gagarin.

The silvery anthropomorphic robot stands 1.80 metres (5 foot 11 inches) tall and weighs 160 kilogrammes (353 pounds).

Fedor has Instagram and Twitter accounts with posts saying it is learning new skills such as opening a bottle of water. It was to trial those manual skills in very low gravity.

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russia's first humanoid robot on Saturday failed to dock automatically with the international space station, Moscow news agencies reported.

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russia's first humanoid robot on Saturday failed to dock automatically with the international space station, Moscow news agencies reported. The craft launched a repeat of the docking manoeuvres after the failure of the first attempt, which had been scheduled for 0530 GMT, the agencies said. Live broadcast of the event on the Russian space agency Roskomos was interrupted with the Soyuz spacecraft about 100 metres (109 yards) off the ISS. The life-size robot, named Fedor, was to spend 10 days learning to assist astronauts in the space station. Short for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research, Fedor is the first-ever sent up by Russia. Fedor blasted off Thursday in a Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and was to stay on the ISS until September 7. Soyuz ships are normally manned on such trips, but this time no humans were travelling in order to test a new emergency rescue system. Instead of cosmonauts, Fedor, also known as Skybot F850, was strapped into a specially adapted pilot's seat, with a small Russian flag in hand. "Let's go. Let's go," the robot was heard saying during launch, repeating the famous phrase used by first man in space Yuri Gagarin. The silvery anthropomorphic robot stands 1.80 metres (5 foot 11 inches) tall and weighs 160 kilogrammes (353 pounds). Fedor has Instagram and Twitter accounts with posts saying it is learning new skills such as opening a bottle of water. It was to trial those manual skills in very low gravity.

Russia's Soyuz spacecraft carrying humanoid robot fails to dock with space station

Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft returning <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russias-soyuz-rocket-blasts-off-into-space-to-international-space-station-181195">from the International Space Station</a>(ISS) carrying Russian, German and US astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan, Russian space agency informed.

"There's been a landing... The crew of the manned Soyuz MS-09 has returned safely to Earth," Russian space agency Roscosmos said.&nbsp;

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ЕСТЬ ПОСАДКА! Добро пожаловать домой, «Алтаи»! Экипаж пилотируемого корабля <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%8E%D0%B7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Союз</a> МС09 благополучно вернулся на Землю спустя 197 суток полёта! 
// 
TOUCHDOWN! Welcome home, Sergey, <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Alex?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Alex</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroSerena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroSerena</a>! <a href="https://t.co/HUXbsjFx3o">pic.twitter.com/HUXbsjFx3o</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1075618149259755520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"The crew feels well after returning to Earth," the space agency added.

Soyuz was carrying Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos.

The landing occurred at 0802 Moscow time (0502 GMT) on the Kazakh steppe, Roscosmos said.

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Специалисты поисково-спасательных групп добрались до спускаемого аппарата и начали проводить эвакуацию вернувшегося на Землю экипажа корабля <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%8E%D0%B7%D0%9C%D0%A109?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#СоюзМС09</a>. Самочувствие Сергея Прокопьева Александра Герста и Серины Ауньён-Чэнселлор хорошее. <a href="https://t.co/t3L2EKGIKh">pic.twitter.com/t3L2EKGIKh</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1075626159424069633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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NASA said that all search and recovery helicopters had arrived at the scene and were extracting the crew.

Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft returning from the International Space Station(ISS) carrying Russian, German and US astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan, Russian space agency informed.

Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft returning from the International Space Station(ISS) carrying Russian, German and US astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan, Russian space agency informed. "There's been a landing... The crew of the manned Soyuz MS-09 has returned safely to Earth," Russian space agency Roscosmos said. ЕСТЬ ПОСАДКА! Добро пожаловать домой, «Алтаи»! Экипаж пилотируемого корабля #Союз МС09 благополучно вернулся на Землю спустя 197 суток полёта! // TOUCHDOWN! Welcome home, Sergey, @Astro_Alex and @AstroSerena! pic.twitter.com/HUXbsjFx3o — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) December 20, 2018 × "The crew feels well after returning to Earth," the space agency added. Soyuz was carrying Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos. The landing occurred at 0802 Moscow time (0502 GMT) on the Kazakh steppe, Roscosmos said. Специалисты поисково-спасательных групп добрались до спускаемого аппарата и начали проводить эвакуацию вернувшегося на Землю экипажа корабля #СоюзМС09. Самочувствие Сергея Прокопьева Александра Герста и Серины Ауньён-Чэнселлор хорошее. pic.twitter.com/t3L2EKGIKh — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) December 20, 2018 × NASA said that all search and recovery helicopters had arrived at the scene and were extracting the crew.

Watch: Soyuz spacecraft with German, US, Russian astronauts returns from International Space Station

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian, American and Canadian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, following the first manned launch since a failed launch in October.

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency blasted off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome earlier in the day.

They successfully docked at the ISS on schedule at 1736 GMT to begin an expected six and a half months aboard the ISS, the Russian Roscosmos space agency said via Twitter.&nbsp;

It was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russias-soyuz-rocket-blasts-off-into-space-to-international-space-station-181195">the first manned voyage for the Soviet-era Soyuz since October 11</a>, when a rocket carrying Russia's Aleksey Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague failed just minutes after blast-off, forcing the pair to make a harrowing emergency landing.

They escaped unharmed but the failed launch -- the first such incident in Russia's post-Soviet history -- raised concerns about the state of the Soyuz programme.&nbsp;

The Soyuz is the only means of reaching the ISS since the United States retired the space shuttle in 2011.

Kononenko, McClain and Saint-Jacques smiled and gave thumbs up to the cheering crowd including relatives as they ascended into the Soyuz capsule on Monday morning.

Minutes after take off, Roscosmos said the capsule was in orbit. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine meanwhile thanked the US and Russian teams "for their dedication to making this launch a success".

Risk 'part of our profession' 
In a successful rehearsal for Monday's flight, a Soyuz cargo vessel took off on November 16 from Baikonur and delivered several tonnes of food, fuel and supplies to the ISS.

Russia said last month the October launch had failed because of a sensor damaged during assembly at the Baikonur cosmodrome, but insisted the spacecraft remained reliable.

While flight commander Kononenko is beginning his fourth mission to add to an impressive 533 days in space, both Saint-Jacques and McClain are making their maiden trip.

Crew commander Kononenko, 54, said during a press conference on the eve of the launch that "risk is part of our profession".&nbsp;

But he added that his team "absolutely" trusted those who had prepared for the flight.

European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergei Prokopyev of Roscosmos were set to greet the trio on arrival at the ISS.

Veteran Kononenko said the crew would conduct a spacewalk on December 11 as part of an investigation into a mysterious hole that has caused an air leak on the ISS.

While on board, Saint-Jacques will be involved in an experiment called "At Home in Space" which "takes a closer look at how crew members adapt to living with each other by creating a shared culture," according to the Canadian Space Agency.&nbsp;

Among the dozens of other experiments the new crew members will take part in is one that will use worms to examine muscle loss in space, led by British scientists.

The experiment could pave the way to new treatments for muscular conditions for people on Earth, according to the UK Space Agency.

'Spacewalking like rugby' 
McClain, 39, served in Iraq and has represented the United States in women's rugby.

She has said that training to spacewalk resembled the sport since it demands "grit, toughness, mental focus, and more".&nbsp;

Russia-US cooperation in space has remained one of the few areas not affected by a crisis in ties between the former Cold War enemies.

But comments by the combative chief of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, have raised eyebrows.

He recently joked Russia would send a mission to the Moon to "verify" whether or not NASA lunar landings ever took place.

In recent years Russia's debt-laden space industry has suffered a number of mishaps including the loss of cargo spacecraft and satellites.&nbsp;

At a press conference following the successful docking, Rogozin announced March 1, 2019, as the date for the next manned launch to the ISS.&nbsp;

He said Ovchinin and Hague would be on board, along with NASA's Christina Koch.&nbsp;

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian, American and Canadian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, following the first manned launch since a failed launch in October.

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian, American and Canadian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, following the first manned launch since a failed launch in October. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency blasted off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome earlier in the day. They successfully docked at the ISS on schedule at 1736 GMT to begin an expected six and a half months aboard the ISS, the Russian Roscosmos space agency said via Twitter. It was the first manned voyage for the Soviet-era Soyuz since October 11, when a rocket carrying Russia's Aleksey Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague failed just minutes after blast-off, forcing the pair to make a harrowing emergency landing. They escaped unharmed but the failed launch -- the first such incident in Russia's post-Soviet history -- raised concerns about the state of the Soyuz programme. The Soyuz is the only means of reaching the ISS since the United States retired the space shuttle in 2011. Kononenko, McClain and Saint-Jacques smiled and gave thumbs up to the cheering crowd including relatives as they ascended into the Soyuz capsule on Monday morning. Minutes after take off, Roscosmos said the capsule was in orbit. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine meanwhile thanked the US and Russian teams "for their dedication to making this launch a success". Risk 'part of our profession' In a successful rehearsal for Monday's flight, a Soyuz cargo vessel took off on November 16 from Baikonur and delivered several tonnes of food, fuel and supplies to the ISS. Russia said last month the October launch had failed because of a sensor damaged during assembly at the Baikonur cosmodrome, but insisted the spacecraft remained reliable. While flight commander Kononenko is beginning his fourth mission to add to an impressive 533 days in space, both Saint-Jacques and McClain are making their maiden trip. Crew commander Kononenko, 54, said during a press conference on the eve of the launch that "risk is part of our profession". But he added that his team "absolutely" trusted those who had prepared for the flight. European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergei Prokopyev of Roscosmos were set to greet the trio on arrival at the ISS. Veteran Kononenko said the crew would conduct a spacewalk on December 11 as part of an investigation into a mysterious hole that has caused an air leak on the ISS. While on board, Saint-Jacques will be involved in an experiment called "At Home in Space" which "takes a closer look at how crew members adapt to living with each other by creating a shared culture," according to the Canadian Space Agency. Among the dozens of other experiments the new crew members will take part in is one that will use worms to examine muscle loss in space, led by British scientists. The experiment could pave the way to new treatments for muscular conditions for people on Earth, according to the UK Space Agency. 'Spacewalking like rugby' McClain, 39, served in Iraq and has represented the United States in women's rugby. She has said that training to spacewalk resembled the sport since it demands "grit, toughness, mental focus, and more". Russia-US cooperation in space has remained one of the few areas not affected by a crisis in ties between the former Cold War enemies. But comments by the combative chief of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, have raised eyebrows. He recently joked Russia would send a mission to the Moon to "verify" whether or not NASA lunar landings ever took place. In recent years Russia's debt-laden space industry has suffered a number of mishaps including the loss of cargo spacecraft and satellites. At a press conference following the successful docking, Rogozin announced March 1, 2019, as the date for the next manned launch to the ISS. He said Ovchinin and Hague would be on board, along with NASA's Christina Koch.

Soyuz arrives at ISS on first manned mission since October failure

Russia's space agency <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/crew-of-soyuz-rocket-alive-after-emergency-landing-russian-space-agency-170888">Roscosmos said today it has</a> "successfully launched into orbit" the first manned Soyuz flight to the International Space Station(ISS).

The Soyuz team consists of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of Canadian Space Agency.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Soyuz&nbsp;MS-11 flight lifted off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

It is the first manned voyage to the ISS since the mission in October was aborted mid-air because of a rocket malfunction.&nbsp; 
According to Russian investigators, the rocket failure was caused due to sensor damage.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SoyuzMS11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SoyuzMS11</a>: T+08:48 min → third stage cut-off and separation of the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft! Oleg Kononenko, <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_DavidS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_DavidS</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroAnnimal</a> are on their way to the International <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>. 
 
Docking to ISS on December 3 at 17:36 UTC <a href="https://t.co/cKyX3zpM3Y">pic.twitter.com/cKyX3zpM3Y</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1069557076798709760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Before the flight, US astronaut Anne Mcclain had said that she trusted the rocket.

"We trust our rocket. We're ready to fly. I think the space flight it's a hard task, it's a complicated task," she said, adding, "we know that systems will fail and so the importance is having redundant systems, and even twice redundant system."

"I think what we learned from the inside in October was how safe this rocket was," she said.

The ISS space laboratory has been orbiting the Earth since 1998.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Russia's space agency Roscosmos said today it has "successfully launched into orbit" the first manned Soyuz flight to the International Space Station(ISS). The Soyuz team consists of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of Canadian Space Agency.

Russia's space agency Roscosmos said today it has "successfully launched into orbit" the first manned Soyuz flight to the International Space Station(ISS). The Soyuz team consists of Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of Canadian Space Agency. The Soyuz MS-11 flight lifted off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is the first manned voyage to the ISS since the mission in October was aborted mid-air because of a rocket malfunction. According to Russian investigators, the rocket failure was caused due to sensor damage. #SoyuzMS11: T+08:48 min → third stage cut-off and separation of the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft! Oleg Kononenko, @Astro_DavidS and @AstroAnnimal are on their way to the International @Space_Station. Docking to ISS on December 3 at 17:36 UTC pic.twitter.com/cKyX3zpM3Y — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) December 3, 2018 × Before the flight, US astronaut Anne Mcclain had said that she trusted the rocket. "We trust our rocket. We're ready to fly. I think the space flight it's a hard task, it's a complicated task," she said, adding, "we know that systems will fail and so the importance is having redundant systems, and even twice redundant system." "I think what we learned from the inside in October was how safe this rocket was," she said. The ISS space laboratory has been orbiting the Earth since 1998.

Russia's Soyuz rocket blasts off into space to International Space Station

An unmanned rocket carrying cargo blasted off into space on Friday in the first launch of a Russian-made Soyuz-FG rocket from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome since a dramatic aborted launch in October.

The rocket took off with a Progress MS-10 spacecraft at 18:14 GMT (00:14 local time) carrying supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Progress MS-10 is expected to dock at the ISS on Nov. 18, Russia's space agency said.

The last manned mission to the ISS was abruptly cut short on Oct. 11 two minutes after liftoff when the Soyuz-FG rocket failed, forcing a Russian cosmonaut and U.S. astronaut to perform an emergency landing.

The rocket failure was caused by a sensor that was damaged during assembly at the Soviet era-cosmodrome at Baikonur, according to Russian investigators.

The first manned mission to the ISS since the failure is due to take off at the beginning of December.

An unmanned rocket carrying cargo blasted off into space on Friday in the first launch of a Russian-made Soyuz-FG rocket from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome since a dramatic aborted launch in October.

An unmanned rocket carrying cargo blasted off into space on Friday in the first launch of a Russian-made Soyuz-FG rocket from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome since a dramatic aborted launch in October. The rocket took off with a Progress MS-10 spacecraft at 18:14 GMT (00:14 local time) carrying supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). The Progress MS-10 is expected to dock at the ISS on Nov. 18, Russia's space agency said. The last manned mission to the ISS was abruptly cut short on Oct. 11 two minutes after liftoff when the Soyuz-FG rocket failed, forcing a Russian cosmonaut and U.S. astronaut to perform an emergency landing. The rocket failure was caused by a sensor that was damaged during assembly at the Soviet era-cosmodrome at Baikonur, according to Russian investigators. The first manned mission to the ISS since the failure is due to take off at the beginning of December.

Russian Soyuz blasts off for ISS in first launch since accident

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