SpaceX rocket takes off with four astronauts

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A SpaceX rocket carrying three American astronauts and a Japanese astronaut launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Sunday bound for the International Space Station (ISS).

The mission, which is the first crewed mission to use a SpaceX rocket, successfully began Sunday evening after being delayed from an initial planned launch on Saturday due to onshore winds, according to a NASA press release.

Sunday’s launch was attended by Vice President Pence and his wife Karen Pence, who wore masks and watched from a balcony.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon craft is expected to dock with the ISS Monday evening. The three U.S. astronauts participating in the mission are Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins; they are accompanied by Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

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