Soyuz blasts off over Kazakhstan

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan -- A Russian space capsule has blasted off on a historic mission to double the crew of the international space station.

The Soyuz craft soared into the hot afternoon skies over Kazakhstan on time Wednesday on a two-day journey to the orbiting station.

Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko, and Belgium's Frank De Winne will join the three crewmembers already on board the space station.

It will be the first time the station has had six permanent members.

NASA says in the future the space station could take as many as 13 people as the crew hosts short-term visitors.