Soyuz rocket blasts off from Baikonur to carry Japanese space tourists to ISS

MOSCOW. Dec 8 (Interfax) - A Soyuz-2.1a rocket coupled with the Soyuz MS-20 piloted spaceship that would bring Japanese space tourists to the International Space Station (ISS) has blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Roscosmos is broadcasting the launch live. The rocket normally took off from Site 31 at 10:38 a.m. Soyuz MS-20 is carrying Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin and spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Jozo Hirano, The mission is due to last for 12 days.

This is a four-orbit flight, and the spaceship with dock with the Poisk mini-research module at 4:41 p.m.

"It is due to deliver about 162 kilograms of payload, including materials for medical and biological research and experiments, expendables, hygiene items, food rations and 13 kilograms of fresh fruit, to the ISS," Roscosmos said.

Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubov will receive mail from their nearest and dearest, personal gifts, favorite music recordings, and homemade food for the holiday feast, it said.