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S. Korea's first astronaut blasts into space

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A Russian capsule carrying two cosmonauts and Korea's first astronaut blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome Tuesday, en route to the international space station.

The Soyuz TMA-12 craft lifted off on time, roaring into the evening skies over Kazakhtsan's barren steppes before turning down range.

South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, 29, and cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Volkov will spend two days in the cramped capsule before docking at the orbiting station. It's the first space flight for all three, including Volkov, the son of a decorated Soviet-era cosmonaut.

Live footage broadcast from inside the capsule showed Yi smiling and waving and giving the thumbs-up sign. "Everything is in order," Volkov said.

Ahead of the launch, Yi told cheering Russian and Korean well-wishers, including her family, that she felt great as she was escorted to the launch facility.
jcwelker

2 responses // S. Korea's first astronaut blasts into space

  • always nice to hear people going into space, especially on a international level
    franklinpeanut
  • It's awesome that the nation of S. Korea's first astronaut was a woman! Tally one for international brilliance.
    superfinet

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