U.S.-Russian crew to take off aboard Soyuz to ISS

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U.S.-Russian crew to take off aboard Soyuz to ISS

The Associated Press Published Sunday, April 3, 2011 3:07PM EDT

U.S. astronaut Ron Garan, left, Russian cosmonaut Alexander Samokytyaev, centre, and Andrei Borisenko, crew members of the mission to the International Space Station, pose after a news conference in the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Sunday, April 3, 2011. (AP / Dmitry Lovetsky)

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BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan - Two Russian cosmonauts making their first flights into space say they're counting on their U.S. crewmate when the three blast off together for the International Space Station.

American Ron Garan logged 13 days in space on a space shuttle mission in 2008, which makes him the most experienced member of the crew. At 49 he is also the oldest.

Garan and Russian cosmonauts Andrei Borisenko, 46, and Alexander Samokutyayev, 40, will ride into space on a Russian Soyuz to be launched early Tuesday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are expected to reach the orbiting station two days later.

The launch is just a week shy of the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic journey into space from the same launch pad.