International Mission: US-Russian Crew Embarks on Space Journey

A US-Russian crew of three has embarked on a mission to the International Space Station from Kazakhstan. The trip marks the first spaceflight for two members and the second for the third, aiming to conduct scientific and technological research over eight months.

A US-Russian crew of three successfully began their mission to the International Space Station, launching aboard a Russian spacecraft. The journey commenced Thursday with the Soyuz booster rocket lifting off at 2:27 pm local time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz MS-28 carried NASA's Chris Williams and Russian crewmates Sergei Mikaev and Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, docking at the space station three hours later. The expedition marks the first space venture for Williams and Mikaev, while Kud-Sverchkov embarks on his second.

The astronauts will spend about eight months aboard the station, conducting scientific research and technology demonstrations to propel human exploration and benefit terrestrial life, said NASA. They'll join a diverse team of international astronauts already on board.

(With inputs from agencies.)