Soyuz Launch Photos: Space Station's US-Russian Expedition 39/40 Crew Blasts Off

Expedition 39 Door Signing

Expedition 39 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut hotel prior to departing the hotel for launch in a Soyuz rocket with fellow crew mates, Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, Tuesday, March 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Steve Swanson: Expedition 39 Door Signing

Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA, performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut hotel prior to departing the hotel for launch in a Soyuz rocket with fellow crew mates, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, Tuesday, March 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 39 Crew Walkout

Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos, are seen as they depart the Cosmonaut Hotel, Tuesday, March 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 39 Preflight Blessing

Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA, left, receives the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel prior to his launch on the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station, Tuesday, March 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 39 Door Signing

Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev, left, of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, performs the traditional door signing at the Cosmonaut hotel as Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, looks on, Tuesday, March 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Expedition 39 Preflight: Sokol Suit Pressure Check

Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Expedition 39 Preflight: Sokol Suit Prep

Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow cremates, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on Tuesday, March, 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Launch of the Soyuz rocket will send Skvortsov, Swanson, and Artemyev on a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 39 Sokol Suit Prep

Expedition 39 Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow cremates, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on Tuesday, March, 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Soyuz Commander Russian Sokol Suit Prep

Expedition 39 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, is helped into his Russian Sokol suit as he and fellow cremates, Flight Engineer Steve Swanson of NASA and Flight Engineer Oleg Artemyev of Roscosmos prepare for their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station, on Tuesday, March, 25, 2014, in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

Alexander Skvortsov Sokol Suit Pressure Check

Expedition 39 Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, has his Russian Sokol suit pressure checked in preparation for his launch onboard the Soyuz TMA-12M spacecraft on Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.