The Soyuz TMA-17 rocket is seen several hours before its launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. The Soyuz rocket will carry Expedition 22 NASA Flight Engineer Timothy J. Creamer of the U.S., Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov of Russia and Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of Japan to the International Space Station. (Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)