"Soyuz-TMA" spaceship with 8th ISS permanent expedition launched from Baikonur

Soyuz-FG space carrier with Soyuz-TMA-3 spaceship was launched today at 9:38 /Moscow time/ from the Baikonur launching site, Rosaviakosmos reported.

The spaceship will bring to the International Space Station /ISS/ 8th permanent expedition consisting of Russian Aleksander Kaleri and American Michael Foale along with Spanish Pedro Duque, who is the astronaut of the 5th visiting expedition. Duque will spend a week at the ISS.

The docking of the spaceship with the ISS is scheduled for October 20th in automatic mode. Russian astronaut Yury Malenchenko and American Edward Lu, who are currently at the ISS, will return to the Earth on October 28th together with Spanish Pedro Duque.