At 10:34 UTC (4:34 p.m. local time) Wednesday, a Russian Soyuz-FG carrier rocket launched from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with the Soyuz TMA-15 spacecraft, on a manned spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS). Aboard were three Expedition 20 crew members, Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (RSA), Belgian Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Robert Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). upCrew of the Soyuz TMA-15 From left to right; Thirsk, Romanenko and De Winne The launch was almost cancelled due to strong winds and the threat of swine flu carried by a journalist however, the flight was just delayed by eight hours. "The Russians do a magnificent record of taking people to space and back. They don't have a launch window, they don't have launch date, they have a launch second," said Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut. It will be a two day journey to the ISS with the crew expecting to arrive on Friday. Then there will be six crew members aboard the ISS who will represent all five global space agencies; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency , RSA, ESA and CSA. Romanenko follows his father's footsteps, cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko, into space. upThe rollout of Soyuz TMA-15 on May 25, 2009 DeWinne will become the ISS commander in October following Gennady Padalka . "It is quite an achievement," said Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium , "He represents Europe, he represents Belgium, he represents international collaboration for peaceful application of science."
At 10:34 UTC (4:34 p.m. local time) Wednesday, a Russian carrier rocket launched from at the in Kazakhstan, with the spacecraft, on a to the (ISS). Aboard were three crew members, of the (RSA), Belgian of the (ESA) and of the (CSA). upCrew of the From left to right; Thirsk, Romanenko and De Winne The launch was almost cancelled due to strong winds and the threat of swine flu carried by a journalist however, the flight was just delayed by eight hours. "The Russians do a magnificent record of taking people to space and back. They don't have a launch window, they don't have launch date, they have a launch second," said Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut. It will be a two day journey to the ISS with the crew expecting to arrive on Friday. Then there will be six crew members aboard the ISS who will represent all five global space agencies; (NASA), , RSA, ESA and CSA. Romanenko follows his father's footsteps, Yuri Romanenko, into space. upThe rollout of Soyuz TMA-15 on May 25, 2009 DeWinne will become the ISS commander in October following . "It is quite an achievement," said , "He represents Europe, he represents Belgium, he represents international collaboration for peaceful application of science."
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Soyuz-FG
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Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
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Soyuz TMA-15
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manned spaceflight to the International Space Station
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Expedition 20
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Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency
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Frank De Winne of the European Space Agency
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Robert Thirsk of the Canadian Space Agency
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Soyuz TMA-15
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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cosmonaut
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Gennady Padalka
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Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium