Rollout of Soyuz TMA 2 Aboard an R7 Rocket

It takes a big rocket to go into space. In 2003 April, this huge Russian rocket was launched toward Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS), carrying two astronauts who will make up the new Expedition 7 crew. Seen here during rollout at the Baikonur Cosmodrome , the rocket's white top is actually the Soyuz TMA-2 , the most recent version of the longest serving type of human spacecraft. The base is a Russian R7 rocket , originally developed as a prototype Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in 1957. The rocket span s the width of a football field and has a fueled mass of about half a million kilograms. Russian rockets like this remain a primary transportation system to the International Space Station (ISS). Last week, a similar rocket successfully launched a spaceflight participant and two Expedition 12 astronauts to the space station.