Earlier this week, a senior Russian space official was quoted by a news agency as saying that delays to the schedule of US shuttle launches to the space station were resulting in extra work for Russian rocket crews without financial compensation.

BBC: Space shuttle touches down safely

Until the eve of the launch, United States and Russian space officials argued about the overlap of the Soyuz rocket launch and the continued docking of U.S. space shuttle Endeavour at the space station.

CNN: Space tourist feels 'great' in orbit

The two monkeys were part of the joint Russian-American Bion 11 mission in 1997, flying aboard the space shuttle.

BBC: 'Hidden health risks' of space travel

That will soon be literally true since, with the retirement of the last space shuttle this Fall, we will be entirely dependent on Russian launchers to put people into space.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Farewell to space

This is the first spaceflight for the two Russian Cosmonauts, but Ford was at the station in 2009 on a quick jaunt piloting the Space Shuttle Discovery.

FORBES: Soyuz Launches With New Crew For Space Station

Russian space officials refused to delay Saturday's launch but agreed to put the Soyuz in a holding pattern if the shuttle was still at the space station on Monday.

CNN: Space tourist feels 'great' in orbit