First Woman From Maine To Rocket Into Space Today

Wednesday marks Jessica Meir's first space flight, and she will return home in early next year.

It's a historic day for the state of Maine. According to the Bangor Daily News, Caribou's Jessica Meir will board the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a 220-mile journey to the International Space Station orbiting earth.

Meir was valedictorian in her 1995 class, but was rejected for NASA’s 20th class of astronauts. However, that did not keep her from realizing a dream. She eventually became one of three women and four men selected from over six thousand applicants in 2013 for NASA’s 21st class of astronauts.

Starting today, Meir, and her fellow astronauts will conduct hundreds of tests which can not be replicated on earth. According to NASA.org, they will broaden "knowledge of Earth, space, physical and biological sciences in ways that benefit our everyday lives."

Meir is expected to land at the space station today shortly before 4pm. Total population on the space station’? Nine.