Rocket with Soyuz MS-26 manned spaceship launched to ISS from Baikonur

BAIKONUR. Sept 11 (Interfax) - The Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle with Soyuz MS-26 transport manned ship lifted off from Baikonur on Wednesday, an Interfax correspondent reported from the cosmodrome.

The rocket launched at 7:23 p.m. Moscow time from Baikonur Launch Site No. 31. The ship is carrying a crew of Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexei Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner and NASA astronaut Donald Pettit.

The Soyuz MS-26 separated from the third stage of the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle reaching its target orbit at 7:32 p.m. Moscow time and headed to the ISS.

The Soyuz MS-26 is to follow a superfast two-orbit rendezvous profile to approach the ISS, which takes around three hours and ten minutes. The spacecraft's docking with the Rassvet small research module of the Russian segment of the ISS is scheduled for 10:33 p.m. Moscow time on Wednesday.

The Soyuz is also carrying around 130 kilograms of supplies, including equipment for research experiments, the crew's personal belongings and photo and video gear.

Pettit is flying to the ISS under a Russian-U.S. agreement on cross flights.