A SpaceX rocket carrying three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut was launched today from Florida to the International Space Station (ISS).
American-Russian cooperation continues in space PHOTO NASA X
The four astronauts will have a six-month mission, and space is one of the few areas where the United States and Russia continue to cooperate closely, despite the war in Ukraine, the BBC reports.
The three men and a woman are in a capsule used in space four times previously by Elon Musk's company SpaceX. Their plans include conducting various scientific experiments on the International Space Station.
The research will include growing artificial replicas of human organs to study degenerative diseases in a low-gravity environment – something not possible on Earth.
The team launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 22:53 local time (03:53 GMT, Monday). The first launch attempt on Saturday was canceled due to strong winds.
The leader of the mission is Matthew Dominick who, together with his American colleague, Jeanette Epps and the Russian Alexander Grebenkin, are making the first trip into space.
The other crew member is doctor Michael Barratt, on his third visit to the ISS.
The International Space Station is a rare area of international cooperation between different global governments and is maintained by the space agencies of Canada, Europe, Japan, the United States and Russia.
