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MOSCOW, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Three astronauts lifted off Thursday from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.
The astronauts are Anatoly Ivanishin from Russia, Kate Rubins from the United States and Takuya Onishi from Japan.
The trio will take a two-day flight in Russia's new Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft, during which they will modify the systems of the spacecraft.
The Soyuz spacecraft is due to dock with the International Space Station at 0412 GMT on July 9. The astronauts will then join three other astronauts, who are known as Expedition 48 NASA crew members and who have been on the International Space Station since March.
"The Expedition 48 crew members will spend four months conducting more than 250 science investigations in fields such as biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development," NASA said in a statement.
The updated Soyuz spacecraft, developed by a Russian manufacturer, is equipped with an advanced navigation radar, more efficient solar panels and a new communication system. It will also work as a crew rescue vehicle and can be used for emergency return to the earth.
