US Dragon crewship launches to International Space Station

Four astronauts have launched from US state of Florida to the International Space Station (ISS).

According to the reports, this is the first crew launch from US soil this year.

Americans Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Frenchman Thomas Pesquet and Japanese flier Akihiko Hoshide rode to orbit in a Dragon capsule launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

The new crew’s arrival at the ISS will bring the onboard complement at the high-flying outpost to 11 individuals, albeit briefly.

The Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon are central to NASA’s goal of ending the agency’s sole reliance on Russia to ferry astronauts to and from the station aboard Soyuz spacecraft at up to $90 million a seat.