Oct 23, 2012

Two days from now, the International Space Station (ISS) will gain three new tenants, Kevin Ford of the U.S. and Russia’s Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin. The trio took off early this morning aboard the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for their five month stay in low-earth orbit. After docking, the new crew will immediately be put to work conducting a spacewalk for repairs and preparing SpaceX’s Dragon capsule for its descent back to Earth.

When NASA decommissioned the space shuttle missions in 2011, it meant that private companies like SpaceX in California and Orbital Sciences Corp. in Virginia had to step in to keep the ISS supplied with clothing, groceries and gear, including new science experiments. This also meant that the only remaining way for astronauts to reach it was aboard a Soviet-era Soyuz spacecraft.

Today marks the second journey to the ISS for astronaut Kevin Ford, who piloted the space shuttle Discovery on a scientific equipment run three years ago. Despite the retirement of his previous ride, Ford remains optimistic about the ISS, which is facing criticism due to the estimated $100 billion spent on its efforts over the past 12 years. “We’re going to learn the bulk of everything we know about the science that we’re doing up there in the next decade,” said Ford, according to the Associated Press.

The ISS currently is home to U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams, Russia’s Yuri Malenchenko and Japan’s Aki Hoshide who will be returning to Earth next month.

: October 23, 2012: In this handout image provided by NASA, the Soyuz rocket with Expedition 33/34 crew members, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy, Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS onboard the TMA-06M spacecraft launches to the International Space Station in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

: October 23, 2012: In this handout image provided by NASA, members of the media photograph the Soyuz rocket as it launches with Expedition 33/34 crew members Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy, Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS to the International Space Station in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

: October 23, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin blasts off from its launch pad 31 at the Baikonur cosmodrome. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

: October 23, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft blasts off from the Russian leased Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 23, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin blasts off from its launch pad 31 at the Baikonur cosmodrome. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

: October 23, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin blasts off from its launch pad 31 at the Baikonur cosmodrome. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

: October 23, 2012: The International Space Station (ISS) crew members, U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford (C) and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy (bottom) and Evgeny Tarelkin wave as they board the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft at the Baikonur cosmodrome. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

: October 23, 2012: Expedition 33/34 crew members, Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA (L), Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy, and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS (R) receive the traditional blessing from a Russian Orthodox priest at the Cosmonaut Hotel on the morning of their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (NASA/Bill Ingalls/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 23, 2012: Expedition 33/34 crew members, Flight Engineer Kevin Ford of NASA, left, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy, and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin of ROSCOSMOS, right, depart the Cosmonaut Hotel to head to another building across the Baikonur Cosmodrome where they will suit-up for their soyuz launch in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. (NASA/Bill Ingalls/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 23, 2012: Chief Epidemiologist of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Sergei Savin, and others watch and wait for Expedition 33/34 crew crew members, Flight Engineer Kevin Ford, Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy, and Flight Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin to depart a room at the Cosmonaut Hotel on the morning of their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Doors at the Cosmonaut hotel are traditionally signed by each crew member before departing the hotel. (NASA/Bill Ingalls/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 22, 2012: An Orthodox priest conducts a blessing service in front of the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft set up on its launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

: October 22, 2012: A Russian Orthodox priest blesses the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft of the next expedition to the International Space Station (ISS) at the launch pad of the Russian leased Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 21, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spaceship is mounted on a launch pad at the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 21, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spaceship is mounted on a launch pad at the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 21, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spaceship is mounted on a launch pad at the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 21, 2012: A locomotive drives away from the Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft transported to its launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

: October 21, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spaceship is mounted on a launch pad at the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 21, 2012: A fox crosses a railroad track before the Soyuz TMA-06M spaceship transportation at a launch pad (background) at the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 21, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spaceship is transported for its launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 21, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spacecraft is transported from the assembling hangar to its launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome. (Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters)

: October 21, 2012: The Soyuz TMA-06M spaceship is transported for its launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Russian leased Kazakh Baikonur cosmodrome. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 18, 2012: The International Space Station (ISS) crew member U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford climbs into the Soyuz spacecraft in the Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 17, 2012: Russian cosmonauts Evgeniy Tarelkin (R), Oleg Novitskiy (C) and NASA astronaut Kevin Ford pose for a picture at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 17, 2012: Russian cosmonaut Evgeniy Tarelkin plays billiards at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 17, 2012: Russian cosmonauts Evgeniy Tarelkin, Oleg Novitskiy and NASA astronaut Kevin Ford attend a training session at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 17, 2012: Russian cosmonauts Evgeniy Tarelkin (front) and Oleg Novitskiy attend a training session at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 17, 2012: Russian cosmonauts Evgeniy Tarelkin (L), Oleg Novitskiy (C) and NASA astronaut Kevin Ford pose for a picture as they plant trees at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 17, 2012: Russian cosmonauts Evgeny Tarelkin (L), Oleg Novitskiy (C) and NASA astronaut Kevin Ford plant a tree at Baikonur cosmodrome. The board reads “The tree planted by Ford Kevin (USA) 2012.” (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 12, 2012: A Soyuz rocket carrying a pair of Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites lifts off from Europeâs Spaceport in Sinnamary, 12km from Kourou, French Guiana. (Jody Amiet/AFP/Getty Images)

: October 12, 2012: In this handout image supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Soyuz rocket lifts off for the third time from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place the second pair of Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites into orbit from Kourou, French Guiana. Galileo will become fully operational by 2020 and intends to give Europe full independence from the US, Russian and Chinese controlled GPS systems. (S. Corvaja /ESA via Getty Images)

: October 10, 2012: The International Space Station (ISS) crew members, U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford (L) and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy (C) and Evgeny Tarelkin, pose in front of the Soyuz spacecraft as they undergo training at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 10, 2012: The International Space Station (ISS) crew member U.S. astronaut Kevin Ford is seen inside the Soyuz spacecraft during training at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 10, 2012: The International Space Station (ISS) crew member Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy is seen inside the Soyuz spacecraft during training at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: October 10, 2012: The International Space Station (ISS) crew member Russian cosmonaut Evgeny Tarelkin is seen inside the Soyuz spacecraft during training at Baikonur cosmodrome. (Sergei Remezov/Reuters)

: September 21, 2012: Crew members of the next expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), US astronaut Kevin Ford, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Evgeny Tarelkin, speak as they sit in front of a mock-up of a Soyuz TMA space craft before their final preflight practical examination at the Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, outside Moscow. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/GettyImages)

: September 21, 2012: One of the crew members of the next expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), US astronaut Kevin Ford (partly seen bottom L), sits inside a mock-up of a Soyuz TMA space craft during his final preflight practical examination at the Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, outside Moscow. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/GettyImages)

: September 21, 2012: Crew members of the next expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), US astronaut Kevin Ford and Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy speak as they sit in front of a mock-up of a Soyuz TMA space craft before their final preflight practical examination at the Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, outside Moscow. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/GettyImages)

: September 21, 2012: One of the crew members of the next expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy, sits inside a mock-up of a Soyuz TMA space craft during his final preflight practical examination at the Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, outside Moscow. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/GettyImages)

: September 21, 2012: Crew members of the next expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), US astronaut Kevin Ford (L) joins hands with crew members Russian cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy (C) and Evgeny Tarelkin (R) in front of a mock-up of a Soyuz TMA space craft before their final preflight practical examination at the Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, outside Moscow. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/GettyImages)

Soyuz rocket successfully launches 1 American, 2 Russians towards the ISS

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