REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – A Soldier launches from American soil for the first time since 2008 to serve as mission commander on her second journey to space.

Army astronaut Col. Anne C. McClain successfully launched into space aboard SpaceX’s 10th operational rotation mission Crew Dragon Endurance, a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, from NASA’s Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on March 14 for a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station during Expedition 73.

“Going back to the International Space Station is a really great opportunity,” McClain said. “We think about space flight as a once in a lifetime opportunity. So, to get a second shot at your once in a lifetime is a real honor and a privilege. It’s with a new team and a different time, so I am looking forward to the new experiences we will have, and I am looking forward to seeing our home aboard the International Space Station once more.”

She previously spent 204 days in space aboard the ISS from Dec. 3, 2018, to June 25, 2019. She was chosen in 2020 for the team of 18 astronauts who will be eligible to fly on the first missions of the Artemis program, which would return American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.

McClain is serving as commander, along with a crew composed of U.S. Air Force Maj. Nichole Ayers and mission specialists Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov from Russia.

Prior to being selected as an astronaut in 2013, McClain served as a Soldier flying OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, among other airframes, and accumulated 216 combat missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Currently, McClain is the U. S. Army NASA Detachment commander and serves as a NASA flight crew member while providing engineering expertise for human interface with space systems.

McClain said the Army helped hone her skills and said she hopes to be able to translate that to where her presence on the team can enable others to achieve more than they ever thought they could accomplish.

“It is always great to represent the Army in these types of endeavors,” McClain said. “NASA goes beyond where humans can explore and that is what the Army does. There is a lot of synergy between the Army and NASA, and we will be doing a little bit of recon for future low-earth orbits. I am proud to be a part of this adventure.”

Lt. Gen. Sean A. Gainey, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command commanding general, said McClain is a great ambassador for the Army’s role in space.

“Col. McClain along with our other Army astronauts embody the human component of Army space capabilities,” Gainey said. “Our astronaut detachment has an out-sized impact as they represent Soldiers around the globe.

“NASA has long recognized the talent and leadership abilities of Army astronauts,” he added. “I know Col. McClain will make us proud once again and we look forward to her achievements. She continues the legacy of exploration that started 250 years ago when the Army began exploring and defending the American continent.”

Follow McClain’s space adventure on Twitter @AstroAnnimal.