SpaceX launches groundbreaking mission to the ISS

SpaceX has taken to its social channels to announce that it launched its Falcon 9 rocket with its Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

Elon Musk's company took to Twitter to provide live updates on the launch and the condition of the Dragon capsule as it separated from the rocket. The Dragon capsule harbored the Crew-5 astronauts and launched from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The flight to the ISS is expected to take approximately 29 hours, and the four astronauts currently aboard the Dragon capsule are: NASA's Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

SpaceX's launch and the presence of NASA's Nicole Mann marks the first time a Native American woman has reached the final frontier, along with cosmonaut Anna Kikina being the very first Russian to fly on a private American spacecraft. On October 1, Mann said during a press conference, "I am very proud to represent Native Americans and my heritage. We're all from very unique, different backgrounds. We all came from different educations and different job specialties. And it's really great to see everyone coming together."

Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata spoke to mission control right after the separation of the rocket, saying, "It was a smooth ride, and I see all the three happy faces here, to be back in zero-g."

If you are interested in tracking the Dragon spacecraft's long journey tailing the International Space Station, you can use SpaceX's live tracker on its website here.