BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan — A Russian rocket carrying three astronauts blasted off in southern Kazakhstan on Friday, kicking off a tightly packed schedule at the International Space Station in the coming days.

The Soyuz craft carrying California native Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Russians Alexander Skvortsov and Mikhail Kornienko soared from the Baikonur cosmodrome in southern Kazakhstan in a carefully regimented operation that has been perfected over the decades.

At the scheduled time of 10:04 a.m., powerful booster rockets shattered the stillness of the immense and arid Kazakh steppe, propelling the Soyuz heavenward atop an iridescent flow of flames against the limpid blue sky.

Spectators gazed as the craft disappeared into a faint dot. They broke into applause when officials announced the Soyuz had entered into orbit.

The craft, which thundered into orbit at more than 8,000 mph about 10 minutes into the flight, will dock Sunday with the space station.