A technical error in the ground system threw a spanner in the works a few minutes before departure on Monday. There were problems with the supply of fuel needed for launch, but these have now been resolved.
The crew members arrive at their destination about a day after departure. In the space station ISS they will conduct dozens of different studies for six months.
One of the crew members is Sultan al-Neyadi (41) from the Emirates. His country wants to profile itself with space travel. Another crew member is 37-year-old American Warren Hoburg. He is being trained to go to the moon in a few years. The other two others are American Stephen Bowen (59) and Russian Andrey Fedjaev (42).
There are now seven residents on the space station, four of whom will return to Earth this month. Replacement transport arrived for the other three on Sunday, a new vessel with which they can return in September. The spaceship with which they were supposed to leave has been destroyed by the impact of space debris. That craft will go to Earth without people on board.