A Russian Proton rocket is hoisted into launch position for the Aug. 17 launch of the new Express AM4 communications satellite from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
A Soyuz rocket soars skyward after launching from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on on July 13, 2011. The rocket carried six new satellites into orbit for the Globalstar network.
A dazzling view of the Oct. 14, 2009 (Eastern Time) launch of the Progress 35 cargo ship to the International Space Station was provided live via the Russian Federal Space Agency.
An International Launch Services (ILS) Proton rocket launches the Thor 5 satellite into orbit on Feb. 11, 2008.
A Russian Proton M rocket stands poised to launch three Glonass navigation satellites on Dec. 22, 2008. Liftoff occurred as planned on Dec. 25 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
An International Launch Services Proton rocket launches the AsiaSat 5 satellite from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Aug. 11, 2009.
The unmanned Russian Progress 40 cargo ship blasts off atop a Soyuz rocket on Oct. 27, 2010 to deliver 2.5 tons of supplies to the International Space Station.
An International Launch Services Proton M rocket launches the DIRECTV10 communications satellite into orbit on July 6, 2007 EDT from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The Sirius 4 telecommunications satellite launches spaceward atop a Russian Proton M rocket at 5:39 p.m. EST (2239 GMT) on Nov. 17, 2007.
A Russian Soyuz rocket launches the Progress 28 cargo ship to the International Space Station on Feb. 5, 2008.
A Russian-built Soyuz rocket sits atop its Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan as it prepares to loft the Progress 20 cargo ship to the ISS on Dec. 21, 2005.
An ILS Proton rocket launches the Astra 1M direct-to-television broadcast satellite from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Nov. 5, 2008.
A Russian Proton rocket launches a new military satellite from Baikonur Cosmodrome , Kazakstan on Feb. 28, 2009.
A Russian Soyuz rocket stands poised to launch the unmanned Progress 33 cargo ship toward the ISS. The space freighter launched on May 7, 2009 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
A Russian Soyuz 2-1b rocket launches a new Meteor M1 weather satellite and other payloads on from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Sept. 17, 2009 in this still from a video broadcast.
A Soyuz-2 rocket carrying the MetOp-A weather satellite stands poised to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct. 17, 2006. The attempt was scrubbed secons before liftoff.
An International Launch Services Proton rocket blasts off with the Nimiq 5 satellite on Sept. 17, 2009 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
The Soyuz TMA-16 rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, carrying Canadian space tourist Guy Laliberte and professional spaceflyers Jeff Williams and Maxim Suraev.
A Land Launch Zenit rocket blasts off Monday, Nov. 30, 2009 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan to deliver the new Intelsat 15 communications satellite to orbit.
The AMC-23 communications satellite launches spaceward atop a Proton rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Dec. 28, 2005 EST.
A Russian Proton rocket blasts of from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying three new satellites.
A Russian Proton rocket lifts off on April 25, carrying the SES-1 (AMC-4R) communications satellite.
The unmanned Russian Progress 37 cargo craft atop its Soyuz rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 28, 2010 to deliver new supplies to the International Space Station. Full Story.
The Soyuz-Fregat launch vehicle carrying GIOVE-B, the second of ESA's two Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element demonstrators for the Galileo global navigation satellite system, lifts off from launch complex at the Baikonour spaceport, Kazakhstan, on April 26, 2008 (EDT).
A Proton rocket launched the new Sirius XM Radio satellite into orbit on Oct. 14, 2010 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
A Soyuz 2 rocket is raised into position at Baikonur Cosmodrome ahead of the planned Oct. 19, 2010 launch of six new Globalstar mobile communications satellites. The vehicle was rolled out from its integration building to Launch Pad #6 on a transporter/erector rail car.
An Arianespace Soyuz 2 rocket launches six new mobile communications satellites to boost a network for the service provider Globalstar.
An International Launch Services Proton rocket launched Eutelsat’s Ka-Sat broadband satellite into orbit on Dec. 27, 2010.
A Russian soyuz rocket lofts the recoverable Foton M-2 spacecraft on a 16-day mission to fly numerous experiments in orbit, some of which were orginally flown aboard NASA's lost Columbia flight STS-107 and the ill-fated Foton M-1 mission.
The new Soyuz TMA-01M blasts off with a crew of three astronauts from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 7:10 p.m. EDT (2310 GMT) on Oct. 7, 2010.
A Soyuz rocket carrying the unmanned freighter Progress 19 launches toward the International Space Station (ISS) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
A Russian Soyuz rockets launches the unmanned Progress 23 cargo ship towards the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 23, 2006.
The Russian-buit Progress 22 spacecraft sits poised for launch atop its Soyuz booster at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft launched toward the ISS on June 24, 2006.
A Soyuz 2 roket carrying the European MetOp-A weather satellite launches into space from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 19, 2006.
The European planet-hunting observatory COROT launches spaceward atop a Russian-built rocket on Dec. 27, 2006.
An ILS Proton rocket launches the Nimiq 4 satellite for Canada.
The unmanned Russian cargo ship Progress 32 launches toward the International Space Station from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Feb. 10, 2009 in this still from a Russian state broadcast.
A Russian Soyuz rocket soars into a blue sky carrying the unmanned cargo ship Progress 34 toward the International Space Station on July 24, 2009. The rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The Russian Soyuz rocket launches from the Baikonour Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Each of Space Adventures' spaceflight participants launched aboard a Soyuz rocket.
The Russian Poisk module is packed atop its rocket at the ready to launch to the International Space Station Nov. 10, 2009.
A Russian Proton rocket launches the DirecTV-12 satellite to orbit from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec. 28, 2009.
The Soyuz TMA-20 rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec. 15, 2010 carrying Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, NASA astronaut Catherine (Cady) Coleman and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli to the International Space Station.
A Russian Soyuz TMA-21 spacecraft, named for famed cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space - launches from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 4, 2011 at 6:18 p.m. EDT.
An ILS Proton M rocket carrying the ArabSat 4A satellite is raised into launch position at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
The Proton rocket lifts off with three Glonass navigation satellites.
A Soyuz U rocket is rolled out to its Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in anticipation of an April 25, 2002 liftoff to the International Space Station.
The Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1) awaits the launch of Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, which would make him the first human to travel into space.
The Soviet Union's powerful Vostok launch vehicle put cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's capsule high enough for one 108-minute orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961.
Here the re-entry capsule of the Vostok 3KA-3 (also known as Vostok 1) spacecraft (Vostok 1) is seen with charring and its parachute on the ground after landing south west of Engels, in the Saratov region of southern Russia.
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin prepares to board the Vostok 1 spacecraft on April 12, 1961 to make history's first human spaceflight.
