Next US astronaut on Russian rocket confident after mishaps

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A U.S. astronaut says she has no qualms about riding a Russian rocket next month despite back-to-back mishaps.

NASA astronaut Anne McClain said Friday that spaceflight is never 100 percent safe and it’s coincidental the last two Soyuz missions to the International Space Station encountered trouble.

Last month, astronauts had to make an emergency landing following a failed launch. A month earlier, a space station air leak was traced to a hole mysteriously drilled into a docked Soyuz capsule.

McClain is set to blast off Dec. 3 on her first spaceflight, with a Russian and Canadian. She says her family is used to her risky work, given her Army combat-flying experience.

She says she wants to teach her young son and other children that sacrifice is necessary for achieving dreams.

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