Russian Soyuz Launches Crew to Space Station

An international crew of three lifted-off this morning from the deserts of Kazakhstan bound for earth's orbital outpost as two of them begin a six month voyage in the ocean of space.

A Russian Soyuz FG rocket with the Soyuz TMA16 spacecraft a top launched on time this morning at 3:14:42 am EDT (11:14 am local time) under blue skies from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

American astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams, Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev and space flight participant Canadian Guy Laliberté dressed into their launch suits three hours prior to lift-off and headed out to launch pad #1 -- Yuri's pad -- and climbed aboard. The countdown saw no technical issues as it moved toward zero.

About two minutes into the launch profile, the strap on boosters separated from the core rocket as it approached a speed of 4,950 feet per second. Three minutes later, the main stage separated from the Soyuz upper stage at an altitude of 105 miles high.

The nine minute ride to earth orbit was beautiful as the trio begins a two day journey to the international space station. Williams and Suraev will begin a six month stay aboard the space station as members of expedition 21 & 22 crews. Williams will later command expedition 22. Meanwhile, Laliberté will visit the station for 8 days and return back to the Asian desert on October 11 with the returning crew of Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and NASA astronaut Michael Barratt .

Today's morning launch of the Soyuz now places the space craft in a position to dock with the space station on Friday morning at 4:37 am EDT, as the orbital outpost flies over Asia.

While on board, the pair will work on 47 experiments along with four other crew members. As the space station soars into a new decade, it will be visited by two space shuttles, a new docking module, two progress supply ships and another crew rotation as a Soyuz TMA-17 is currently set to launch on December 21st.

Countdown Underway for Russian Soyuz FG

A Russian rocket is just hours away from carrying two astronauts and one cosmonaut to the International Space Station on Wednesday as two of them begin a six month odyssey in earth orbit.

A Russian Soyuz FG rocket with crew members Maxim Suraev Victorovich, Jeffrey N. Williams and spaceflight participant Guy Lalibert'e will strap into their Soyuz TMA-16 space craft about ninety minutes before the 3:14:42 am EDT lift-off on Wednesday morning.

At 7:45 pm EDT this evening, Williams reported to SpaceLaunchNews.com, "Off to breakfast...last meal for awhile where the food behaves well on the plate. Everybody is happy and calm".

By 8:21 pm, with the three space men's breakfast complete, Williams replied, "Breakfast done. Off we go. See you after docking. Thank you for prayers and support. Enjoy the journey!"

The space trio will spend two days in a lower orbit than the space station which will allow them to catch up quickly and then dock on Friday morning at 4:37 am EDT.

SpaceLaunch News.com will have live television of the launch beginning at 1:45 am EDT, on Wednesday morning. Also, follow our mobile updates directly to your cell phone or PDA phone via Twitter.com/spacelaunchnews.

Next Space Station Crew to Launch Wednesday

Laliberté, Suraev and Williams at Baikonur days ago (RSA)

Two new crew members and one space tourist will depart Russia for the International Space Station on Wednesday, as they replace two current members and begin a six month stay in earth orbit.

Out on historic launch complex 1 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome located in the Republic of Kazakhstan, a Russian Soyuz-FG LV rocket will carry two astronauts and one cosmonaut into space from the desert south of Russia.

Astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams and Cosmonaut Maxim Suraev Victorovich will liftoff inside a Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft on September 30th at 3:14 am EDT, to begin a six month stay aboard earth's orbital outpost. Canadian private citizen Guy Laliberté, who paid Russia around $40 million to travel to the station, will stay for two weeks and return home aboard the currently docked Soyuz TMA-14 capsule with cosmonaut Gennady Pedalka and American Michael R. Barrett.

On Sunday morning at about 6:15 am EDT, Williams messaged this reporter from Baikonur, "Our families will land in Baikonur within 15 minutes. The energy level is up with everybody. The next couple of days tend to fly by!"

The 162-foot Soyuz-FG is a three stage rocket which uses twenty RD-107A engines burning a kerosene fuel, plus several vernier engines for steering during the climb to orbit. The Soyuz-FG can carry up to 16,314 pounds of payload into low earth orbit. The rocket's launch mass is 672,410 pounds.

The Soyuz TMA-16 at right with it's enclosure at left. (Energia)

Nine minutes following launch, the trio will arrive in space and begin two days of work to catch up with the Space Station. The Soyuz TMA-16 craft will keep a lower orbit than the station during those first days to assist in catching up with and later dock on October 2 at 4:37 am EDT.

Once aboard their new home in space, Williams and Victorovich will begin ten days of work as they learn the layout of the station and transfer their personal items to their sleeping compartments.

Williams will serve as the flight engineer during the new Expedition 21 crew which begins on October 11, and later serve as the commander for the Expedition 22 crew beginning on November 30th.

Born in 1958, Williams had been to Earth's orbital outpost twice before logging nearly 194 days in earth orbit, and having performed three spacewalks in support of servicing the station. He was a crew member during the Expedition 13 rotation in 2006.

Russian cosmonaut Victorovich is a colonel in the Russian Air Force and has spent just over 11 years training for this -- his first space flight. He will serve as flight engineer during Expeditions 21 and 22. Of note, in 2007, he received a law degree from the Russian Academy of Civil Service. He will become the first lawyer to travel into space.

And, if Victorovich will become the first lawyer in space, his fellow crew mate will likely become the first clown in space.

First time space flier Laliberté was born in Quebec, Canada in 1959 and early on developed a very comical and entertaining nature about himself. So much in fact that he created the iconic Cirque du Soleil -- an international circus which features many performances from circus' around the globe.

Laliberté has stated recently that he will carry a clown's red nose and perform a type of circus performance on the station in which he hopes the followers of Cirque will enjoy. Performing in microgravity could present a challenge to this performer, however he likes the fact that free falling in space does not require a net.

During Williams and Victorovich's six months aboard, they will see several spacecraft come and go beginning with a Russian Progress M supply craft on October 17th. One month later, the space shuttle Atlantis is set to arrive on a supply mission. Another shuttle flight this February will see one of the final modules docked to the station -- Tranquility.

Williams and Victorovich are scheduled to serve aboard the space station through March 2010.

SpaceLaunch News.com will have live television of the launch beginning at 1:45 am EDT, on Wednesday morning. Also, follow our mobile updates directly to your cell phone or PDA phone via Twitter.com/spacelaunchnews.

Russian Soyuz FG moved to Launch Pad 1

A Russian rocket which will carry a crew of three to the International Space Station on Wednesday was moved out to its launch pad this morning and the countdown ticks along.

The Soyuz FG booster with the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft perched a top, began it's several mile journey before sunrise in the deserts of the Baikonur Cosmodrome located in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

As with all manned crews, the rocket was errected on launch complex 1 - or Yuri's pad - in preparation for its lift-off on Wednesday morning at 3:14 am EDT (11:14 am local time).