Soyuz heads to ISS carrying Russian, US, Japanese astronauts

A Soyuz spacecraft lifted off on Tuesday with a Russian, a US and a Japanese astronaut aboard headed for the International Space Station (ISS).

The spacecraft carrying American Mike Fossum, Russian Sergei Volkov and Satoshi Furukawa of Japan lifted off at about 2012 GMT from the launchpad at Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

“The flight is normal,” the control centre told the international crew.

The three will join Russians Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrey Borisenko and American Ronald Garan aboard the ISS.