A new International Space Station (ISS) expedition lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center on schedule on Wednesday. The spacecraft blasted off from the same launch pad Yury Gagarin used for his trailblazing space flight in 1961. Photo: Astronaut Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency; Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn (From left).
© RIA Novosti . Ramil Sitdikov / Go to the mediabankA new International Space Station (ISS) expedition lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center on schedule on Wednesday. The spacecraft blasted off from the same launch pad Yury Gagarin used for his trailblazing space flight in 1961. Photo: Astronaut Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency; Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn (From left).
![Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/17826/44/178264448_0:0:3019:1996_600x0_80_0_1_fa09bfd63ad489a2f919a9fe4d1cb4cf.jpg)
A new International Space Station (ISS) expedition lifted off from the Baikonur Space Center on schedule on Wednesday. The spacecraft blasted off from the same launch pad Yury Gagarin used for his trailblazing space flight in 1961. Photo: Astronaut Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency; Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn (From left).
© RIA Novosti . Ramil Sitdikov / Go to the mediabankThe spacecraft lifted off at 4:12 pm Moscow Time and separated from the third stage of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle at 4:21 pm. The Soyuz-TMA-07M spacecraft is to dock with the International Space Station in automatic mode at 6:12 pm on December 21. Photo: Relatives and friends of the international crew of the Soyuz-TMA-07M manned spacecraft.
![Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/17826/44/178264460_0:0:2539:1678_600x0_80_0_1_6d1d3acc2b93744f0200669be15812eb.jpg)
The spacecraft lifted off at 4:12 pm Moscow Time and separated from the third stage of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle at 4:21 pm. The Soyuz-TMA-07M spacecraft is to dock with the International Space Station in automatic mode at 6:12 pm on December 21. Photo: Relatives and friends of the international crew of the Soyuz-TMA-07M manned spacecraft.
© RIA Novosti . Ramil Sitdikov / Go to the mediabankThe new crew comprising Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn and Astronaut Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency is to conduct numerous research experiments aboard the International Space Station.
![Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/17826/44/178264474_0:0:3074:1998_600x0_80_0_1_9e0aa682d4a087c309e06b39e483e61b.jpg)
The new crew comprising Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn and Astronaut Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency is to conduct numerous research experiments aboard the International Space Station.
© RIA Novosti . Ramil Sitdikov / Go to the mediabankThe ISS crew will have to conduct over 130 research experiments in line with NASA programs alone. Photo: Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).
![Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/17826/44/178264488_0:0:1886:1263_600x0_80_0_1_e68a2af00d907bd91f8ca2f7799ff3af.jpg)
The ISS crew will have to conduct over 130 research experiments in line with NASA programs alone. Photo: Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).
© RIA Novosti . Ramil Sitdikov / Go to the mediabankThe new ISS crew will also have to unload four Russian Progress-type cargo craft scheduled to arrived during their stay in space. Moreover, expedition members will have to receive an ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle)-4 robotic cargo craft of the European Space Agency, as well as the new Dragon spacecraft developed in the United States. The new ISS crew will also conduct two space walks in line with Russian and US programs. Photo: NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn.
![Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/17826/45/178264502_0:0:1613:2276_600x0_80_0_1_7c48292097404ff828eac0609286cdd1.jpg)
The new ISS crew will also have to unload four Russian Progress-type cargo craft scheduled to arrived during their stay in space. Moreover, expedition members will have to receive an ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle)-4 robotic cargo craft of the European Space Agency, as well as the new Dragon spacecraft developed in the United States. The new ISS crew will also conduct two space walks in line with Russian and US programs. Photo: NASA Astronaut Thomas Marshburn.
© RIA Novosti . Ramil Sitdikov / Go to the mediabankAlthough the Soyuz-TMA-07M launch was initially scheduled for December 5, it was also postponed due to the delayed October launch of the previous ISS expedition. Photo: Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).
![Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off Soyuz-TMA-07M Spacecraft Lifts Off - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/17826/45/178264514_0:0:3026:1999_600x0_80_0_1_e59c5efa6c321a39e5bea313468f44b5.jpg)
Although the Soyuz-TMA-07M launch was initially scheduled for December 5, it was also postponed due to the delayed October launch of the previous ISS expedition. Photo: Cosmonaut Roman Romanenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).