MOSCOW

Maria Vasilevskaya has become the first Belarusian woman cosmonaut who flew into outer space as she is on a crewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday.

A Soyuz MS-25 crewed spacecraft started its journey to the ISS from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome with Vasilevskaya, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky, and US astronaut Tracy Dyson aboard.

The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the ISS on March 25.

At the ISS, Vasilevskaya plans to carry out five scientific studies and two public works in the fields of medicine, biology, physiology, and remote sounding of the Earth.

Vasilevaskaya is a former flight attendant for Belarusian national air carrier Belavia Airlines.