Expedition 8 Launch

The Soyuz TMA-3 vehicle launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2003, carrying Expedition 8 Commander and NASA Science Officer Michael Foale, Expedition 8 Soyuz Commander Alexander Kaleri and European Space Agency astronaut Pedro Duque of Spain to the International Space Station. The trio will arrive at the ISS Oct. 20, as Foale and Kaleri take over command of Station operations for the next 6-1/2 months. Duque will return to Earth Oct. 28 with Expedition 7 Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA Science Officer Ed Lu in another Soyuz capsule already docked to the ISS. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)