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Spacecraft with new ISS crew, relics of Orthodox saint launched from Baikonur spaceport

The crew comprises Russia’s Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko, as well as US astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough

Photo {{sliderIndex+1}} from 8

Orthodox priest conducts a blessing ceremony at the launch pad where the Soyuz FG rocket booster with the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft was installed, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

US astronaut Robert Kimbrough

© AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev

Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov ahead of the launch

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

Expedition 49/50 main crew members at a press conference ahead of the launch

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

US austronaut Shane Kimbrough at a spacesuit check

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

US astronaut Shane Kimbrough, Russian cosmonauts, Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko, members of the main crew to the International Space Station, prior to the launch of the Soyuz MS-02 space ship

© AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, pool

Robert Shane Kimbrough, Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko

© Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP

© Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

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BAIKONUR/Kazakhstan/, October 19. /TASS/. The Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft with the next crew of the International Space Station (ISS) was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, a representative of the Roscosmos state space corporation told TASS.

"The Soyuz-FG carrier rocket with the Soyuz MS-02 manned transportation spacecraft has been launched," he said.

The spacecraft has successfully reached the near-earth orbit and is en route to the ISS. "The spacecraft has separated from the third stage of the Soyuz-FG carrier rocket," he said.

The crew comprises Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhkov and Andrey Borisenko, as well as US astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough.The spacecraft will be on an automated flight for two days. It will dock the Russian module Poisk at 12:59 pm Moscow time on October 21.

The Soyuz MS-02 carries a part of relics of Saint Seraphim of Sarov, one of the most renowned Russian monks. After the six-months-long flight ends, it will be handed over to a church in the Star City, in the Moscow region.

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