Space station welcomes visitors including Saudi Arabia’s first female astronaut

The four guests will spend just over a week there, before returning to Earth in their capsule

Saudi Arabian astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi waves to family and friends as she arrives at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida (John Raoux/AP)

The International Space Station has rolled out the welcome mat for two Saudi visitors, including the kingdom’s first female astronaut.

SpaceX’s chartered flight arrived at the orbiting lab less than 16 hours after blasting off from Florida.