A crew of four from four countries is in orbit following a successful launch to the International Space Station at 3:27 EDT (11:27 am UAE time) on Saturday, August 26, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
NASA said in a press release.
The agency's SpaceX Crew-7 mission is NASA's seventh commercial crew rotation mission.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov for a science expedition aboard the orbital laboratory.
"Crew-7 is a shining example of the power of both American ingenuity and what we can accomplish when we work together," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Aboard the station, the crew will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations to prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, all while benefitting humanity on Earth. By partnering with countries around the world, NASA is engaging the best scientific minds to enable our bold missions, and it's clear that we can do more – and we can learn more – when we work together."
President Donald Trump said the US was considering "winding down" its military operation against Iran, as Iran and Israel traded attacks on Saturday and Iranian media said the nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz had been attacked.
Robert Mueller, the no-nonsense former FBI chief who documented Russia's interference in the 2016 US election and its contacts with Donald Trump's campaign but opted not to bring criminal charges against a sitting president, has died at age 81.
Fourteen people died and 25 were seriously injured in a fire at a car parts factory in the South Korean city of Daejeon, fire authorities said on Saturday.
Russian attacks on Ukraine killed two people in Zaporizhzhia and left most of the northern region of Chernihiv without power on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said.