Space capsule with 3 astronauts blasts off to orbiting lab
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A Soyuz space capsule has successfully blasted off for the International Space Station, carrying an American astronaut, a Russian and an Italian.
NASA's Randy Bresnik, Russia's Sergei Ryazansky and Italy's Paolo Nespoli lifted off from the Russia-leased launch pad in Kazakhstan at 21:41 p.m. Friday (1541 GMT, 11:41 a.m. EDT). They will travel six hours before docking at the space station.
The three will join NASA's Jack Fischer and Peggy Whitson as well as the veteran Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin.
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Bresnik previously logged 10 days in space when he flew on a mission in 2009, performing two spacewalks.