The craft successfully reached orbit nine minutes later and will dock at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday.

"It was a beautiful blast-off. We could see everything right up to the separation of the rocket and the [orbital module], which is extremely rare," Michel Tognini, head of an astronaut centre in Germany who was present at lift-off, told AFP.

The Soyuz TMA-6 took off on schedule at 0046 GMT carrying the commander of the new ISS team, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, flight engineer and NASA astronaut John Phillips of the United States and Italian Roberto Vittori.

Krikalev and Phillips are to remain at the space station for almost six months, the 11th long term mission at the ISS, and will replace Russia's Salizhan Sharipov and American Leroy Chiao, who arrived at the space station in October.

Vittori will stay at the station for ten days to carry out a range of scientific experiments before his return to Kazakhstan with Sharipov and Chiao April 24 on the Soyuz TMA-5, which is currently docked at the ISS.

"The Soyuz TMA-6 will remain docked with the ISS for approximately six months, serving as an emergency lifeboat," the European Space Agency said. In all it is the sixth TMA flight to the ISS.

Vittori becomes the first European astronaut to visit the ISS twice.

"During his 10-day mission, eight of them on the ISS, (Vittori) will carry out an extensive experiment programme in the fields of human physiology, biology, technology and education," the ESA said.

The 22 experiments include tests on astronaut fatigue, the durability of components of microsatellites, research into electromagnetic waves emanating from earth that may be linked to earthquakes, and the growing of shoots as a potential source of food for those in orbit.

Vittori's food experiment will be followed by schoolchildren planting seeds at the same time to generate an interest in space science.

"I hope it will fire the children's imaginations, they will become our scientists and engineers of tomorrow," explained Daniel Sacotte, a director at

Vittori revealed ahead of blast off he may be a very welcome guest at the

"One of the particularities of this mission is that we'll be taking Italian food with us, traditional products from the Lazio region (around Rome), to give the international space station an Italian flavour," he said.

Other welcome guests will arrive at the ISS on the American space shuttle Discovery, which is due to blast off between May 15 and June 3 after a two-year break in operations.

"It'll be a celebration for us as not only will Discovery bring equipment but other astronauts. While you are in space every visit is welcome as it breaks the routine," said Krikalev.

A second American shuttle is also due to dock at the ISS during the current mission carrying German astronaut Thomas Reiter to the station.

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