One facet of space travel that is underreported is the level of global collaboration required. Many countries (not all - for example, China) have contributed time and research to to projects such as the International Space Station. A good example of this collaboration is the Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying astronauts from different countries to the space station, which occured yesterday.

MSNBC gives a short blurb on the history of this global collaboration:

"By coincidence, the U.S.-Russian-Japanese crew's launch and docking is coinciding with the 37th anniversary of the world's first international space mission: the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project."
"On July 15, 1975, NASA launched an Apollo capsule and the Soviet Union launched its Soyuz 19 capsule to perform the first international space docking test. The mission set the foundation for the international partnerships that have led to the $100 billion International Space Station in orbit today."

Check out details on the crew known as Expedition 32 - which consists of American, Japanese, and Russian personnel - at NASA's site!