Russian space corporation Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov blasted off successfully from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft at 8:55 p.m. Friday (11:55 a.m. EDT). They smoothly docked at the station just over three hours later, joining two Russians, four Americans and a German on the orbiting outpost.
The blastoff marked the first space crew launch since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
The war has resulted in canceled spacecraft launches and broken contracts. Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin has warned that the U.S. would have to use "broomsticks" to fly into space after Russia said it would stop supplying rocket engines to U.S. companies. Many worry, however, that Rogozin is putting decades of a peaceful off-planet partnership at risk, most notably at the International Space Station.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson played down Rogozin's comments, telling The Associated Press: "That's just Dmitry Rogozin. He spouts off every now and then. But at the end of the day, he's worked with us,"
In this photo released by Roscosmos Space Agency, Russian cosmonauts, commander Оleg Аrtemyiv, centre, flight engineers Denis Мatveev, right, and Sergei Korsakov, members of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), walk prior to the launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, March 18, 2022. Credit: Roscosmos Space Agency via AP 
In this handout photo released by Roscosmos Space Agency, head or Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin, left, speaks with Russian cosmonauts, commander Оleg Аrtemyiv, centre, flight engineers Denis Мatveev, right, and Sergei Korsakov, members of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), prior the launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, March 18, 2022. Credit: Roscosmos Space Agency via AP 
In this handout photo released by Roscosmos Space Agency, Russian cosmonauts, commander Оleg Аrtemyiev flight engineers Denis Мatveev and Sergei Korsakov, members of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), wave near the rocket prior the launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, March 18, 2022. Credit: Roscosmos Space Agency via AP
"The other people that work in the Russian civilian space program, they're professional," Nelson told the AP on Friday. "They don't miss a beat with us, American astronauts and American mission control. Despite all of that, up in space, we can have a cooperation with our Russian friends, our colleagues."
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei—who on Tuesday broke the U.S. single spaceflight record of 340 days—is due to leave the International Space Station with two Russians aboard a Soyuz capsule for a touchdown in Kazakhstan on March 30.
In April, another three NASA and one Italian astronaut are set to blast off for the space station.
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