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Olympic Torch Arrives at International Space Station

The Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft, emblazoned with the Sochi 2014 logo and a blue-and-white snowflake pattern, is seen before blast-off at the Baikonur cosmodrome Nov. 7, 2013.
1/5 The Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft, emblazoned with the Sochi 2014 logo and a blue-and-white snowflake pattern, is seen before blast-off at the Baikonur cosmodrome Nov. 7, 2013.
Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, center, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, bottom and U.S. astronaut Rick Mastracchio, pose with an Olympic torch prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket  at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Nov. 7, 2013.
2/5 Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, center, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, bottom and U.S. astronaut Rick Mastracchio, pose with an Olympic torch prior the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Nov. 7, 2013.
学生觉醒召集人张俊豪但张俊豪表示雨伞运动仍未结束 (美国之音 汤惠芸摄)
3/5 学生觉醒召集人张俊豪但张俊豪表示雨伞运动仍未结束 (美国之音 汤惠芸摄)
International Space Station crew members, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and U.S. astronaut Rick Mastracchio, pose with the torch of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games after a news conference behind a glass wall at the
4/5 International Space Station crew members, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and U.S. astronaut Rick Mastracchio, pose with the torch of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games after a news conference behind a glass wall at the
The Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft decorated with the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games logo and a blue-and-white snowflake pattern, blasts off from the launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Nov. 7, 2013.
5/5 The Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft decorated with the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games logo and a blue-and-white snowflake pattern, blasts off from the launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome, Nov. 7, 2013.
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The Sochi Olympic torch is onboard the International Space Station, before being taken on an unprecedented spacewalk.

Accompanying the torch were three crew members: a Russian, an American, and a Japanese citizen, who blasted off on a Soyuz-FG rocket early Thursday from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Two Russian cosmonauts living at the station are expected to take the torch on a first-ever spacewalk on Saturday before bringing it home to Earth on Monday.

The torch will remain unlit for safety reasons. After its return to Earth, it will travel across Russia before being used to light the Olympic flame at the opening of the Games February 7 in Sochi.
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