Mission Reports

A Russian cosmonaut, a Japanese billionaire and his production assistant rocketed into orbit Wednesday and headed for the International Space Station for an 12-day visit, the first by paying “space tourists” in more than a decade.

Japanese space tourist Yusaku Maezawa, his assistant Yozo Hirano, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2:38 a.m. EST (0738 GMT) Wednesday on a Soyuz rocket to begin a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. The Soyuz docked at the space station at 8:40 a.m. EST (1340 GMT).

A Russian Soyuz rocket is set for blastoff Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire businessman, his production assistant, and a veteran Russian cosmonaut commander on a 12-day trip to the International Space Station.