In a groundbreaking moment for space travel, a spacecraft has lifted off with a flight attendant on board for the first time. Marina Vasilevskaya, a former flight instructor for Belavia Airlines in Belarus, traded her attendant uniform for a Russian Sokol pressure suit as she became the first Belarusian to fly into space. Launching on Saturday (March 23), Vasilevskaya joined cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky of Roscosmos and NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Filled with pride and a sense of duty, Vasilevskaya expressed her honor to be part of this extraordinary mission. "It's a big honor for me and a big responsibility to be in this unbelievable mission," she said. "This is our national project. It's such a big honor. I'm so proud to represent our republic."

The crewmates successfully took off from Pad 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan at 8:36 a.m. EDT (1236 GMT or 4:36 p.m. local time). This was their second attempt, as a technical issue earlier halted the countdown on Thursday. Riding atop a Soyuz-2.1a rocket, the three astronauts soared into space.

To mark their entry into Earth's orbit, a toy known as the "zero-g indicator" indicated that Novitsky, Dyson, and Vasilevskaya had successfully reached their destination. The Soyuz spacecraft is set to autonomously dock with the ISS after completing 34 loops around the planet. The scheduled docking time is set for 11:09 a.m. EDT (1509 GMT) on Monday.

Once aboard the ISS, Vasilevskaya, Novitsky, and Dyson will be warmly welcomed by Expedition 70 commander Oleg Kononenko, cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Alexander Grebenkin of Roscosmos, and NASA astronauts Loral O'Hara, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps. Dyson will serve as a flight engineer, joining the resident crew for the next six months.

Novitsky and Vasilevskaya's stay on the ISS will last for 12 days before their return to Earth. Accompanied by O'Hara, they will leave the orbiting laboratory and land on the steppe of Kazakstan on April 6 on Soyuz MS-24. To enable Vasilevskaya's participation in this space journey, Kononenko and Chub will extend their stay on the ISS for an additional six months. Following a year-long stay, Kononenko and Chub will return to Earth alongside Dyson in September on Soyuz MS-25.

Vasilevskaya, 33, was selected as a spaceflight participant through a nationwide contest held by the Belarus Academy of Sciences and Belarus Space Agency. Out of more than 3,000 female candidates, she emerged as one of six finalists and was ultimately chosen for this historic opportunity. Anastasia Lenkova, a pediatric surgeon, was named as Vasilevskaya's backup.

Describing Vasilevskaya's dedication and work ethic, Dyson spoke highly of her in an interview. "She's a flight attendant. That's her day job, and flight attendants don't just serve drinks. They're primarily responsible for our personal safety on board the aircraft, so she's no stranger to emergency situations," said Dyson. "She's really stepped up to whatever role she's been assigned and what she lacks in experience as a cosmonaut, she makes up for with a great attitude."

Before her work as a flight attendant, Vasilevskaya dedicated 15 years to professional ballroom dancing. Novitsky, on the other hand, is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Russian Air Force and is making his fourth space mission as commander of Soyuz MS-25. Dyson, a chemist with a doctorate, is undertaking her third mission to the ISS after a space shuttle visit in 2007 and a long-duration stay in 2010.

The launch of Soyuz MS-25 marks Russia's 71st Soyuz mission to the ISS since 2000 and the 154th Soyuz flight since 1967. This historic journey not only showcases the international collaboration in space exploration but also represents a significant milestone for Belarus and its presence in the cosmos.