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Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina thanks Roscosmos, NASA for successful launch

Anna Kikina was the first Russian cosmonaut to travel to the ISS under the cross-flight program concluded between NASA and Roscosmos

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER /US/, October 5. /TASS/. Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, who is aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft now travelling to the International Space Station (ISS), has thanked all those taking part in the launch, according to a live NASA webcast on Wednesday.

"Thank you Roscosmos, NASA and JAXA for giving us this opportunity. We’re so glad to do it together. Thank you everybody for being with us," Kikina said in Russian and in English after the spacecraft had been put into orbit.

Kikina was the first Russian cosmonaut to travel to the ISS under the cross-flight program concluded between NASA and Roscosmos. Initially, the launch was scheduled for October 3, but NASA experts postponed it twice due to Hurricane Ian. The automatic docking with the ISS is due at 16:57 on October 6, US East Coast time (23:57 Moscow time). The crew’s mission aboard the ISS will last 145 days.

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