Astronauts launch toward space station The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of U.S. astronaut ...

Astronauts launch toward space station

The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin blasts off from its launch pad at Baikonur cosmodrome, May 15, 2012. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin blasts off from its launch pad at Baikonur cosmodrome, May 15, 2012. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

The Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft carrying the International Space Station (ISS) crew of U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin blasts off from its launch pad at Baikonur cosmodrome, May 15, 2012. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

(From L- R) U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin, members of the International Space Station (ISS) crew, report to members of the State Committee before the launch of the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft at Baikonur cosmodrome, May 15, 2012. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

The International Space Station (ISS) crew members, U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba (top) and Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, wave as they board the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft at Baikonur cosmodrome, May 15, 2012. (REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov)

Russia's spacecraft Soyuz TMA-04M with a crew of three blasted off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, according to Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos.

The Soyuz rocket, carrying the manned spacecraft, was launched from the Gagarin launch pad with two Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin and a NASA astronaut Joe Acaba. The spaceship is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station (ISS) at 8:39 (0439 GMT) Moscow time on May 17 in an automatic mode.