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Girl invited by Putin to space launch gets autographed photo from ISS crew

Roscosmos General Director Yuri Borisov also invited a ninth-grader from Rostov-on-Don to work in the rocket and space industry in the future

BAIKONUR SPACEPORT /Kazakhstan/, September 15. /TASS/. Director General of Roscosmos Yury Borisov gave Maria Andreeva, a ninth-grader from Rostov-on-Don, who was invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin to watch the launch of a manned spacecraft, an autographed photo of the crew of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft, a TASS correspondent reports from the scene.

"The whole crew wrote some life advice for you and signed. You have something to show your classmates to prove that you really saw the spaceport and the launch," Borisov said, handing over the photo.

The Roscosmos CEO also invited the girl to work in the rocket and space industry in the future. "We are waiting for you to join our friendly family not only by yourself, but also with your classmates. We need such young, energetic, ambitious people," Borisov said.

In turn, Andreeva noted that she was encouraging not only her classmates, but the entire Rostov region to join the space industry. However, when asked by journalists whether her desire not to be an astronaut but to build satellites had changed, the girl answered in the negative. "No, it has not changed," Andreeva said.

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