SPACE WIRE
Russian rocket blasts off for first post-Columbia mission
MOSCOW (AFP) Apr 26, 2003
 A Russian rocket blasted off Saturday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with a two-man crew for the first space flight since the Columbia shuttle disaster three months ago, mission control in Moscow said.

The Soyuz rocket, carrying US astronaut Edward Lu and Russian cosmonaut Yury Malenchenko, lifted off at 0354 GMT and is due to dock with the International Space Station early Monday.

All US space missions have been grounded since the Columbia shuttle disintegrated and burnt up on entry, killing all seven crew members, on February 1.

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