Soyuz Rocket Lifts Off for International Space Station

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — A Soyuz rocket blasted into the cosmos as the sun rose over the Central Asian steppes Friday, carrying a Russian, an American and an Italian to the international space station a month before NASA revives a shuttle program grounded after the Columbia disaster two years ago.

For more than two years, Russia’s space program has been the only lifeline to the station, delivering fresh scientists and supplies to the orbiting laboratory.

Russian Sergei Krikalev and American John Phillips were headed for a six-month stay on the space station while their European Space Agency colleague, Italian Roberto Vittori, was to return in 10 days with the current station crew.

Russian Salizhan Sharipov and American Leroy Chiao have been aboard the space station since October.

Jets of fire and billows of smoke accompanied the liftoff, which was being monitored at Russian Mission Control outside Moscow. Applause rippled through the hall as space engineers watched the launch on a large screen and an announcer said the Soyuz had reached orbit with all systems working fine.

The three-stage rocket propelled the Soyuz to 13,420 mph within 71/2 minutes of the launch.

As the Soyuz crossed the horizon, Mission Control wished Phillips “Happy Birthday” in Russian. He turned 54 Friday.

His wife, Laura, and teenage daughter, Allie, watched at Baikonur Cosmodrome with a crowd of officials bundled up against the cold. Temperatures were just above freezing.

“I had never seen a Soyuz launch before and I agree it was very beautiful. I didn’t know what to expect but the sunrise, with the beautiful rocket launch . . . it was just outstanding,” Laura Phillips said, adding that she already missed her husband.

Krikalev, at 46, is one of the most experienced space flyers, having logged 624 days in space on missions both to the international space station and Russian space station Mir. At the end of the current mission, his sixth, he will have spent more than 800 days in space — more than anyone.

A main task for the new crew will be welcoming a U.S. space shuttle to the station after a two-year absence.

Since the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it returned to Earth on Feb. 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board, shuttle flights have been suspended. NASA aims to revive shuttle flights as early as May 15, with a mission by Discovery to the space station.

The Columbia disaster was caused by a chunk of insulating foam that fell off the tank during liftoff and gashed the shuttle’s wing.

In Cape Canaveral, Fla., NASA on Thursday successfully tested a redesigned external fuel tank, which underwent major modifications after the Columbia disaster. NASA removed foam from some places on the tank and applied the insulation differently to prevent big chunks from breaking off.

Heaters also were installed to prevent the formation of ice at spots that no longer have insulation.