14 DAY TRIAL // This amazing image shows the highly-reliable Soyuz rocket taking off on Sunday, July 15 (at 0240 GMT), from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in the steppes of Kazakhstan. The delivery system carried the Soyuz TMA-05 M space capsule in orbit.
Manned by three astronauts, the spacecraft is currently heading towards the International Space Station, where it's due to arrive on Tuesday, July 17. The people aboard represent the second leg of the current Expedition 32.
Personally, I think that the Soyuz rockets, and the Russian manned space program in general, are among the most reliable in the world. Granted, they had some setbacks, such as losing a Progress resupply capsule last year, but never a more significant failure.
To me, what RosCosmos' space program signifies is a triumph of sturdy, basic engineering over highly-complex spacecraft. Let's hope that it continues to function properly, for the benefit of all.