BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan: Two US astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut blasted off for the International Space Station in a nighttime launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early Wednesday, heading for a five-month mission. The launch marks the first time two US astronauts have blasted off together on a mission to the ISS from Russia's Baikonur since June 2010. Misurkin, 39, who is beginning his second mission aboard the ISS, also has a military background. Vande Hei struck a sombre note in a pre-launch tweet on Monday. Sunrise over Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Source: New Strait Times September 12, 2017 23:37 UTC