The first woman space tourist has blasted off on a Russian Soyuz rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan.

Recently turned 40-year-old Iranian-born businesswoman, Anousheh Ansari paid $20m for the ride to the International Space Station and is expected to arrive on September 20th.

Ansari is planning to conduct some experiments for the European Space Agency and will return to Earth on September 28th with two other space station occupants.