Russia launched ships to send people to ISS

Russian spacecraft transports three travelers to the International Space Station (ISS) launched today.

Three astronauts are preparing to board the Soyuz at Baikonur Cosmodrome on November 14. (Photo: AFP)

The Soyuz flew up at 8:18 am local time at Baikonur space airport in Kazakhstan, the BBC reported. The ship brought two Russian astronauts and an American astronaut to the ISS. They were the first astronauts to fly into space by Soyuz since a Russian transport spacecraft fell shortly after the launch in August.

The launch took place in the context of Russia's massive losses in artificial satellite launches and spacecraft in the past few months. Currently Russian experts are racing against time to contact Phobos Grunt spacecraft on earth orbit. The ship was launched towards Mars, but stuck in orbit because its two engines did not start.

Speaking to reporters before boarding the Soyuz, three astronauts said they believed the flight would succeed."We don't think about any misfortune because we trust the devices ," said Anton Shkaplerov, one of the three astronauts.

The Soyuz flight will take place in two days. The ship will then connect to the ISS. Three astronauts on the ISS - including an American, a Japanese and a Russian - will return to earth.

This is the first space flight since the US shuttle fleet stopped operating in July.