New space station crew ready for launch

Three men are set to take off Monday for the 2-day trip to the International Space Station, two of them to replace the existing crew for a 183-day stay.

It is the third time a Russian rocket is providing the lift into orbit since the U.S. space shuttle was grounded.

The new crew is made up of American Michael Finkle and Russian Gennady Padalka. The third space traveler, Andrew Kuipers of the Netherlands, is making his first trip into space and it will last less than two weeks, since he will return to earth with the existing crew.

U.S. astronaut Michael Foale and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri have been in orbit since October.

The cost of providing the transport to the International Space Station is prompting the Russians to press NASA to keep the crew in place as long as a year in orbit, so there will be fewer trips back and forth.