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SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Wednesday, less than two days after completing a flight chartered by millionaires.

It鈥檚 the first NASA crew comprised equally of men and women, including the first Black woman making a long-term spaceflight, Jessica Watkins.

鈥淭his is one of the most diversified, I think, crews that we鈥檝e had in a really, really long time,鈥� said NASA鈥檚 space operations mission chief Kathy Lueders.

The astronauts arrived at the space station Wednesday night, just 16 hours after a predawn liftoff from Kennedy Space Center that thrilled spectators.

鈥淎nyone who saw it realized what a beautiful launch it was,鈥� Ms. Lueders told reporters. After an express flight comparable to traveling from New York to Singapore, the crew will move in for a five-month stay.

SpaceX has now launched five crews for NASA and two private trips in just under two years. Elon Musk鈥檚 company is having an especially busy few weeks: It just finished taking聽three businessmen to and from the space station聽as NASA鈥檚 first private guests.

A week after the new crew arrives, the three Americans and German they鈥檙e replacing will return to Earth in their own SpaceX capsule. Three Russians also live at the space station.

Both SpaceX and NASA officials stressed they鈥檙e taking it one step at a time to ensure safety. The private mission that concluded Monday encountered no major problems, they said, although high wind delayed the splashdown for a week.

SpaceX Launch Control wished the astronauts good luck and Godspeed moments before the Falcon rocket blasted off with the capsule, named Freedom by its crew.

鈥淥ur heartfelt thank you to every one of you that made this possible. Now let Falcon roar and Freedom ring,鈥� radioed NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, the commander. Minutes later, their recycled booster had landed on an ocean platform and their capsule was safely orbiting Earth. 鈥淚t was a great ride,鈥� he said.

The SpaceX capsules are fully automated 鈥� which opens the space gates to a broader clientele 鈥� and they鈥檙e designed to accommodate a wider range of body sizes. At the same time, NASA and the European Space Agency have been pushing for more female astronauts.

While two Black women visited the space station during the shuttle era, neither moved in for a lengthy stay. Dr. Watkins, a geologist who is on NASA鈥檚 short list for a moon-landing mission in the years ahead, sees her mission as 鈥渁n important milestone, I think, both for the agency and for the country.鈥�

She credits supportive family and mentors 鈥� including Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space in 1992 鈥� for 鈥渦ltimately being able to live my dream.鈥�

Also cheering Dr. Watkins on was another geologist: Apollo 17鈥檚 Harrison Schmitt, who walked on the moon in 1972. She invited the retired astronaut to the launch, along with his wife. 鈥淲e sort of consider ourselves the Jessica team,鈥� he said, chuckling.

鈥淭hose of us who rode the Saturn V into space are a little bit jaded about the smaller rockets,鈥� Mr. Schmitt said after the SpaceX liftoff. 鈥淏ut still, it really was something and on board was a geologist ... I hope it will stand her in good stead for being part of one of the Artemis crews that go to the moon.鈥�

Like Dr. Watkins, NASA astronaut and test pilot Bob Hines is making his first spaceflight. It鈥檚 the second visit for Mr. Lindgren, a physician, and the European Space Agency鈥檚 lone female astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti, a former Italian Air Force fighter pilot.

Ms. Cristoforetti turned 45 on Tuesday, 鈥渟o she really celebrates and is very happy with a big smile in the capsule,鈥� said the European Space Agency鈥檚 director general, Josef Aschbacher. 鈥淪he鈥檚 really a role model and she鈥檚 doing an enormously fabulous job on doing exactly that.鈥�

The just-completed private flight was NASA鈥檚 first dip into space tourism after years of opposition. The space agency said the three people who paid $55 million each to visit the space station blended in while doing experiments and educational outreach. They were accompanied by a former NASA astronaut employed by Houston-based Axiom Space, which arranged the flight.

鈥淭he International Space Station is not a vacation spot. It鈥檚 not an amusement park. It is an international laboratory, and they absolutely understood and respected that purpose,鈥� said NASA flight director Zeb Scoville.

NASA also hired Boeing to ferry astronauts after retiring the shuttles.聽The company will take another shot next month聽at getting an empty crew capsule to the space station, after software and other problems fouled a 2019 test flight and prevented a redo last summer.

This story was reported by The Associated Press. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.