Astronaut Leroy Chiao blasts off for his new adventure in Space

Astronaut Leroy Chiao blasts off in Soyuz for his new adventure in Space

Astronaut Leroy Chiao is on his way to a new adventure in Space. The Soyuz TMA-5 spaceship carrying Dr. Chiao, Expedition 10 commander and NASA International Space Station (ISS) science officer, cosmonaut Salizhan S. Sharipov, Russias Federal Space Agency flight engineer and Soyuz commander, and Russian Space Forces cosmonaut Yuri Shargin to the ISS, blasted off at 11:06pm EST on Oct. 13 (9:06 a.m. Baikonur time (306 GMT) on Oct. 14).

The crew is scheduled to dock to the Station on Oct. 16.

Chiao and Sharipov will replace the current Station crewmembers, cosmonaut Gennady I. Padalka, Expedition 9 commander, and astronaut Edward M. (Mike) Fincke, NASA ISS science officer and flight engineer, who will return to Earth Oct. 24 with Shargin.

Click here for AsianConnections' exclusive interview with Leroy.