Russian space rocket lifts off with astronauts who survived rocket failure
The Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 15, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian-made Soyuz rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Thursday, carrying three astronauts into space, two of whom survived a mid-air rocket failure in October.
The Soyuz MS-12 took off at 1914 GMT, as planned, and is due to bring Russian cosmonaut Alexei Ovchinin and U.S. astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch to the International Space Station around eight hours later.
For Ovchinin and Hague, it is the first flight since an emergency landing two minutes after they blasted off on Oct. 11, 2018.
The Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 15, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
An investigation showed then that the abortive launch was caused by a sensor damaged during the rocket's assembly at the cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
This week, Ovchinin and Hague said they were confident this time about reaching the International Space Station, though they said a small fault had been discovered on their rocket during final checks.
Photographers take pictures as the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 15, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
(Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
The International Space Station (ISS) crew members Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. walk shortly before leaving to board the spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Christina Koch of the U.S. reacts in a bus before leaving for pre-flight preparation at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov Photographers take pictures as the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 15, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 15, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 15, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 15, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 15, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew members Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. wave after donning space suits shortly before their launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Nick Hague of the U.S. looks on during space suit check shortly before launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Christina Koch of the U.S. speaks after donning space suit shortly before launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Nick Hague of the U.S. looks on during space suit check shortly before launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia is assisted during his space suit check at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Christina Koch of the U.S. waves from a bus shortly before leaving to board the spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia waves before his space suit check at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovRussia's Roscosmos space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin greets the International Space Station (ISS) crew members astronaut Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. shortly before their departure to board the spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew members Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia boards the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft for the launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERSThe International Space Station (ISS) crew members Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. board the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft for the launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERSThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Christina Koch of the U.S. looks on during space suit check shortly before launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew members Aleksey Ovchinin of Russia, Nick Hague and Christina Koch of the U.S. talk after donning space suits shortly before their launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovThe International Space Station (ISS) crew member Nick Hague of the U.S. gestures after donning space suits shortly before launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov
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