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First Russian woman in International Space Station mission | First Russian woman in International Space Station mission |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Russia has sent a woman into space for the first time in 17 years as part of a joint US-Russian mission to the International Space Station (ISS). | Russia has sent a woman into space for the first time in 17 years as part of a joint US-Russian mission to the International Space Station (ISS). |
Yelena Serova and two male colleagues, an American and a Russian, docked with the ISS six hours after blasting off from Kazakhstan in a Soyuz spacecraft. | |
Ms Serova is only the fourth female Russian cosmonaut to enter space, and is the first to fly to the ISS. | |
The 38-year-old engineer has spent seven years training for the role. | The 38-year-old engineer has spent seven years training for the role. |
The team is due to spend six months on board the ISS. | The team is due to spend six months on board the ISS. |
Space hair | Space hair |
At a news conference before lift-off on Friday, Ms Serova was forced to respond to questions about how she would look after her hair on board the space station. | |
"Can I ask a question, too?" she replied, flanked by her male counterparts. "Aren't you interested in the hair styles of my colleagues?" | "Can I ask a question, too?" she replied, flanked by her male counterparts. "Aren't you interested in the hair styles of my colleagues?" |
She has fielded similar questions before and reportedly offered to give a demonstration of how she intends to wash her hair on board. | She has fielded similar questions before and reportedly offered to give a demonstration of how she intends to wash her hair on board. |
Ms Serova was also asked about how her 11-year-old daughter would cope with her six-month absence. She stressed, however, that this was her job. | Ms Serova was also asked about how her 11-year-old daughter would cope with her six-month absence. She stressed, however, that this was her job. |
"I'll be the first Russian woman who will fly to the ISS. I feel a huge responsibility towards the people who taught and trained us, and I want to tell them that we won't let you down" she said. | "I'll be the first Russian woman who will fly to the ISS. I feel a huge responsibility towards the people who taught and trained us, and I want to tell them that we won't let you down" she said. |
The last female astronaut on the ISS was the American Karen Nyberg who was in orbit for six months in 2013. | The last female astronaut on the ISS was the American Karen Nyberg who was in orbit for six months in 2013. |
Russia was the first country to send a woman into space, when Valentina Tereshkova blasted off in 1963. | Russia was the first country to send a woman into space, when Valentina Tereshkova blasted off in 1963. |
The mission to the ISS comes amid increased tensions between the US and Russia over the Russian annexation of Crimea and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. | The mission to the ISS comes amid increased tensions between the US and Russia over the Russian annexation of Crimea and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. |
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