The first female Saudi Arabian astronaut to go into space has arrived at the International Space Station on a SpaceX rocket.
The chartered flight arrived at the orbiting lab less than 16 hours after blast-off from Florida.
"This shows how space brings everyone together," said the astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi, who is also a stem cell researcher.
"I'm going to live this experience to the max."
Ms Barnawi's flight was sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government, as was that of fellow passenger, Saudi fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni.
"This mission is not just for me and Rayyanah," the pilot said.
"This mission is also for the people with ambition and dreams."
Axiom Space, the company which organised the trip, would not say how much the journey cost.
But last year Axiom said three businessmen paid $US55 million ($83 million) each for a similar trip.
Also on board the rocket the latest flight were John Shoffner, a US businessman and former racing driver, and retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson.
The new astronauts will use their time on the space station to conduct experiments, photograph Earth, and chat with schoolchildren back on Earth.
They will spend just over a week at the space station, taking its population to 11.
Only one other Saudi has previously been to space, a prince who rode on NASA's shuttle Discovery in 1985.
Women have gradually been given more rights in the conservative kingdom under a reform program which has included them being given the right to drive.
ABC/AP
