Soyuz Rocket Launches Space Station Crew on Express Trip: (Expedition 36/37 Photos)

Soyuz Seen from International Space Station

NASA TV

A camera on board the International Space Station catches sight of an approaching Russian Soyuz spacecraft framed by one of the station's solar arrays. Image released May 28, 2013

Soyuz Spacecraft Nears ISS: Expedition 36/37

NASA TV

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying the Expedition 36/37 crew to the International Space Station is seen in station cameras just before docking on May 28, 2013.

Space Station Seen from Soyuz

NASA TV

The Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying a crew of three astronauts makes its final approach to the International Space Station. Image released May 28, 2013.

Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Rocket Launch

NASA/Bill Ingalls

A Soyuz rocket with Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), Flight Engineers: Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, center, and Karen Nyberg of NASA, onboard, launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station, Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

Expedition 36 Launches

NASA TV

Three Expedition 36 crew members launched to the International Space Station, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 (local time), Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Two Expedition 36 Crew Members in Soyuz Capsule

NASA TV

Expedition 36/37 Soyuz Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and ESA Flight Engineer Luca Parmitano sit inside the Soyuz capsule during launch to the International Space Station on May 29, 2013 (local time). The stuffed animals in the foreground indicate when weightlessness is achieved.

Expedition 36 Live Feed of Launch

NASA/Carla Cioffi

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (second from left) and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver (third from left) watch a live feed from Baikonur, Kazakhstan of the Expedition 36 crew aboard the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft moments after it launched to the International Space Station on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

How New "Fast Track" Technique Cuts Travel Time to Space Station From Two Days to Six Hours (Infographic)

Karl Tate, Space.com Infographics Artist

By compressing flight tasks, crews going to the International Space Station can make the trip in one-eighth the time. See how Russia's fast-track 6-hour Soyuz flights to the space station work in this Space.com infographic.

Expedition 36 Launches on Soyuz Rocket

NASA TV

Three Expedition 36 crew members launched to the International Space Station, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 (local time), Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 36 Launch Live Feed

NASA/Carla Cioffi

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (second from left) and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver (third from left) watch a live feed from Baikonur, Kazakhstan of the launch of the Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft carrying the Expedition 36 crew to the International Space Station on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Expedition 36 Crew Launches on Soyuz Rocket

NASA TV

Three Expedition 36 crew members launched to the International Space Station, Wednesday, May 29, 2013 (local time), Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.