First Brazilian astronaut accompanies ISS replacements
{{date|March 30, 2006}}

A Russian-US crew bound for the [[w:International Space Station|International Space Station]] launched at 8:30 a.m. [[w:UTC%2B6|ALMT]] Thursday (0230 [[w:Coordinated_Universal_Time|UTC]]) from the cosmodome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan in a Russian [[w:Soyuz|Soyuz]] TMA rocket. Included with the crew was [[w:Marcos César Pontes|Marcos César Pontes]], 43, [[w:Brazil|Brazil]]'s first astronaut.

Pontes, who flies for the Brazilian Air Force, was joined on the trip by Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov and U.S. astronaut Jeffrey Williams. The Russian and U.S. astronauts will be spending the next six months onboard the ISS. In ten days Pontes will return along with outgoing astronauts American Bill McArthur and Russian Valery Tokarev.
==Sources==
*{{source
|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060330/sc_nm/space_launch_dc_6
|title=Brazilian and Russia-US crew blast off to space
|author=Michael Steen
|pub=Reuters
|date=}}

[[Category:Science and technology]]
[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Brazil]]
[[Category:South America]]
[[Category:Soyuz programme]]
[[Category:International Space Station]]
[[Category:Baikonur Cosmodrome]]
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{{Archive-unreviewed}}

[[ca:Primer astronauta brasiler viatja cap a l'Estació Espacial Internacional]]
[[de:Samba im Weltraum: Brasilianer fliegt zur ISS]]
[[es:Primer astronauta brasileño viaja hacia la Estación Espacial Internacional]]
[[pt:Primeiro astronauta brasileiro ruma para Estação Espacial Internacional]]
A Russian-US crew bound for the International Space Station launched at 8:30 a.m. ALMT Thursday (0230 UTC) from the cosmodome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan in a Russian Soyuz TMA rocket. Included with the crew was Marcos César Pontes, 43, Brazil's first astronaut.

Pontes, who flies for the Brazilian Air Force, was joined on the trip by Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov and U.S. astronaut Jeffrey Williams. The Russian and U.S. astronauts will be spending the next six months onboard the ISS. In ten days Pontes will return along with outgoing astronauts American Bill McArthur and Russian Valery Tokarev.


ca:Primer astronauta brasiler viatja cap a l'Estació Espacial Internacional
de:Samba im Weltraum: Brasilianer fliegt zur ISS
es:Primer astronauta brasileño viaja hacia la Estación Espacial Internacional
Primeiro astronauta brasileiro ruma para Estação Espacial Internacional
Science and technology Space United States North America Brazil South America Soyuz programme International Space Station Baikonur Cosmodrome