NASA, SpaceX launch 4 astronauts to space station (4)

Astronauts pose for a group photo before they board the Crew Dragon spacecraft at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral of Florida, the United States, April 23, 2021. NASA and SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) early on Friday, the third crewed mission of the U.S. commercial rocket company in less than a year. The Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying four astronauts from three countries has safely reached orbit a few minutes after the liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 5:49 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (0949 GMT), according to NASA's twitter. It was the first time that Elon Musk's SpaceX reused a capsule and a rocket to launch astronauts. The spacecraft is due to arrive at the ISS early Saturday following a flight of over 23 hours. The four-member team includes U.S. astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, France's Thomas Pesquet, and Japan's Akihiko Hoshide. (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani/Handout via Xinhua)