Manned mission to space from Russia was successful
November 16, 2011
After the third failed attempt to send a moon probe to mars, Russia's space program finally saw some success. Three astronauts climbed aboard the Soyuz spacecraft and were launched from Kazakhstan to dock with the International Space Station on Monday, according to Reuters.
Yesterday, the crew safely docked with the station and were greeted warmly by the station's current crew members. The success of this mission provided relief to officials who had feared that the space station may have otherwise been left unattended for the first time in 10 years.
"We are doing great, there were no problems whatsoever," cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov, who is in space for the first time, told his family over a video link, according to the news source. "We are now flying over Australia. The view is breathtaking."
NASA recently stopped sending up manned spacecrafts, which leaves Russia as the only location from which crews can travel to and from the International Space Station. People can make calls to Russia to ask their friends if they were able to see Monday's launch streaking across the sky as it left Earth's atmosphere.