▁the ▁Ba ikon ur ▁Cos mod rome . ▁ ▁La unch ▁ ▁The ▁So y uz ▁T MA - 2 1 ▁space craft ▁launched ▁on ▁schedule ▁from ▁the ▁Ba ikon ur ▁Cos mod rome ' s ▁G ag arin ' s ▁Start ▁launch ▁pad ▁in ▁Kaz akh stan , ▁at ▁ 2 3 : 1 8 : 2 0 ▁UTC ▁on ▁April ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁Sou yz ▁Commander ▁Sam ok ut y ae v ▁was ▁launched ▁from ▁the ▁So y uz ' s ▁center ▁seat ▁with ▁flight ▁engineer ▁Bor isen ko ▁stra pped ▁in ▁to ▁his ▁left ▁and ▁NASA ▁astr onaut ▁Ron ald ▁Gar an ▁on ▁his ▁right . ▁ ▁The ▁So y uz - F G ▁ro cket ▁followed ▁a ▁nom inal ▁as cent , ▁and ▁successfully ▁inserted ▁the ▁space craft ▁into ▁orbit ▁ 8 ▁minutes ▁and ▁ 4 5 ▁seconds ▁after ▁lif to ff . ▁In ▁orbit , ▁the ▁space craft ▁deployed ▁its ▁two ▁solar ▁pan els ▁and ▁communic ations ▁anten nas ▁as ▁planned . ▁ ▁Sam ok ut y ay ev , ▁carried ▁a ▁small ▁stuff ed ▁dog ▁given ▁to ▁him ▁by ▁his ▁daughter . ▁H anging ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁crew , ▁live ▁NASA ▁TV ▁launch ▁foot age ▁showed ▁that ▁the ▁dog ▁begun ▁to ▁float ▁as ▁the ▁space craft ▁so ared ▁sky wards , ▁an ▁indic ation ▁of ▁the ▁weight less ness ▁of ▁space . ▁" Launch ▁was ▁great , ▁and ▁we ▁are ▁in ▁orbit ▁and ▁we ▁are ▁doing ▁great ," ▁said ▁Sam