U.S. space tourist Gregory Olsen (L) points at his relatives to cosmonaut Valery Tokarev of Russia after donning his space suit at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan October 1, 2005. (Reuters photo)

An Orthodox priest blesses International Space Station expedition participants U.S. space tourist Gregory Olsen, left, Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev and U.S. astronaut William McArthur, right, at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005.(Xinhua/AFP photo)

    MOSCOW, Oct. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- The world's third space tourist, US millionaire Gregory Olsen, started his flight to the international space station (ISS) on Saturday along with a Russian cosmonaut and an American astronaut.

    The Russian-built Soyuz TMA-7 capsule carrying the three blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in the middle of Kazakhstan's barren steppes at 7:54 a.m. Moscow time (0354 GMT).

    After liftoff, the space craft will rendezvous in two days with the ISS, about 400 km above Earth. Enditem