BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan -- South Korea's first astronaut is on her way to the International Space Station.
Yi So-yeon, 29, is on board a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that blasted off from the Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan Tuesday.
She is traveling with two cosmonauts who are also making their first space flights.
So-yeon is a bioengineer. She has expressed hope that her historic journey will encourage the reunification of North and South Korea.
The South Korean government has a $20 million deal with Russia to co-sponsor the flight in exchange for So-yeon's trip. She was chosen from among 36,000 applicants for the job in a nationwide competition two years ago.
So-yeon plans to conduct 18 scientific experiments during her 9-day stay on the space station.
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