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Elon Musk's SpaceX launches Russian cosmonaut with first female-led crew
Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station and included a Russian cosmonaut among its crew.The launch is the first mission of its kind to be commanded by a female astronaut.NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann, who is also the first Native American woman to travel into Earth orbit is the first woman to command one of Musk's SpaceX craft.Also in the capsule are Nicole’s NASA colleague Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata; and Anna Kikina, a Roscomos cosmonaut who joined this mission as part of a US-Russian ride-sharing agreement.READ MORE: Russia shows off model of new space station to replace its involvement in the ISSNASA webcast of the launch showed the two-stage, 230-foot Falcon 9 being lifted into orbit by its nine Merlin engines.Mission Control wished the crew "Godspeed, Endurance," and mission commander Mann replied, "Awesome, Falcon team.
