Russian Rocket with US-Russian Crew Blasts Off for ISS

A Russian spacecraft carrying a U.S. astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts to the International Space Station lifted off early Friday from Russia’s launch facility in Kazakhstan.American Scott Kelly and Russians Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka will join three other crew members on the orbital station after a two-day trip by a Soyuz craft.U.S. space agency NASA says the rocket took off on schedule at 7:10 AM local time Friday.It says less than 10 minutes after launch, the spacecraft reached orbit and its antennas and solar arrays were deployed.The three will begin a five-month tour of duty aboard the orbiting laboratory when they arrive Saturday – Voanews