Russia launched a manned spacecraft on Monday morning, which carries three astronauts including a replacement crew of two, toward the International Space Station (ISS) from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome.

At 09:18 a.m. (0318 GMT), a Soyuz rocket was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in western Kazakhstan, sending the Russian-made Soyuz TMA-4 spacecraft into orbit toward the ISS with the crew of American, Dutch and Russian astronauts.

The spacecraft is scheduled to dock at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday.

Two of the astronauts, American Edward Michael Fincke and Russian Gennady Padalka, will replace US astronaut Michael Foale and Russia's Alexei Kalery who have been working at the ISS since October.

Fincke and Padalka are expected to stay for six months and carry out two space walks in June and August to install equipment necessary for a European-built new automated transfer vehicle, due to arrive at the station in April 2005.

Dutchman Andre Kuipers is making his first voyage into space on behalf of the European Space Agency to conduct experiments, and will stay at the ISS for nine days before returning to earth on April 30 along with Foale and Kalery.

Source: Xinhua