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."
The US and Iran failed to reach an agreement to end their war despite marathon talks that concluded on Sunday in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, jeopardising a fragile ceasefire.
Russia and Ukraine accused each other on Sunday of breaching the 32-hour ceasefire in their four-year war, reporting more than a thousand drone and shelling attacks just hours after the truce began on Saturday to mark Orthodox Easter.
At least 30 people were killed on Saturday in a stampede at the Laferriere Citadel in the northern countryside of Haiti, authorities said, warning that the death toll could rise.
A cyclone battered New Zealand's North Island on Sunday, cutting power to thousands of residents and forcing hundreds to evacuate, as officials warned conditions would worsen through the day.
Negotiations between the United States and Iran appeared to have concluded for now, Iran's government has announced early on Sunday, after a series of talks in Pakistan to end the six-week war between Washington and Tehran.