Soyuz TMA-15 launches crew to International Space Station

May 28, 2009 At 10:34 UTC (4:34 p.m. local time) Wednesday, a Russian carrier rocket launched from  at the  in Kazakhstan, with the  spacecraft, on a  to the  (ISS).

Aboard were three crew members,  of the  (RSA), Belgian  of the  (ESA) and  of the  (CSA). The launch was almost cancelled due to strong winds and the threat of swine flu carried by a journalist however, the flight was just delayed by eight hours. "The Russians do a magnificent record of taking people to space and back. They don't have a launch window, they don't have launch date, they have a launch second," said Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut.

It will be a two day journey to the ISS with the crew expecting to arrive on Friday. Then there will be six crew members aboard the ISS who will represent all five global space agencies; (NASA),, RSA, ESA and CSA.

Thirsk will spend six months aboard the ISS, "It's only in those situations where you are able to realize what your own weakness and strengths are and the weaknesses and strengths of your astronaut colleagues as well, and then work as a team to meet everyone's needs."

Romanenko follows his father's footsteps, Yuri Romanenko, into space. DeWinne will become the ISS commander in October following. "It is quite an achievement," said, "He represents Europe, he represents Belgium, he represents international collaboration for peaceful application of science."