By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 20:36 EST, 15 July 2012 | UPDATED: 21:30 EST, 15 July 2012 They may have been bitter enemies during the Cold War space race, but these days the U.S. and Russia work together to transport astronauts through the cosmos. And it's just as well - for since the demise of the space shuttle programme last year, NASA has been forced to piggy-back off other countries rockets for its space expeditions. This enforced co-operation was on show on Sunday, when American Sunita Williams joined colleagues from Russia and Japan on a Soyuz capsule headed to the International Space Station for a four-month mission.
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Russian, Japanese and U.S. crew blasts off successfully
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Moscow hopes to restore confidence in space programme
It comes as budget restraints and shifting priorities have held back @placeholder manned space launches.