A three-man crew is en route to the International Space Station today, leaving behind a planet overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Russia's Roscosmos space agency and NASA's Chris Cassidy blasted off from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, where Covid-19 has caused changes to pre-launch protocol.
Under usual circumstances, the departing crew would face questions from a large press pack before being waved off by family and friends.
Neither were present this time round because of travel restrictions imposed over the virus, although the crew did respond to emailed questions from journalists in a press conference yesterday.
Read more on rte.ie