On July 23, 2015 at 00:02 UTC (on July 22 at 21:02 Moscow time) the Russian “Soyuz TMA-17M” spacecraft was launched from Baykonur Cosmodrome. The space vehicle was orbited by the Russian “Soyuz-FG” rocket-carrier. The spacecraft is piloted by 3 cosmonauts: Commander, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko (center); flight-engineer, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui (油井 亀美也) (right); flight-engineer, American astronaut Kjell Lindgren (left).

Photo by Russian Cosmonaut training center.

The space vehicle is to dock with the International Space Station on July 23. Kononenko, Kimiya Yui and Lindgren will join current ISS expedition members Padalka, Kornienko and Kelly.