Four astronauts successfully reach the International Space Station following SpaceX's launch, completing the journey in a swift 15 hours.
In a swift three-hour journey, a new international crew, led by veteran astronaut Mike Fincke, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday. The crew, which includes NASA's Zena Cardman, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Russia's Oleg Platonov, pulled up in their SpaceX capsule after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Upon docking high above the South Pacific, Fincke radioed a warm greeting, "Hello, space station!" as he and his fellow astronauts were welcomed to their new home. The ISS was visible to the new crew for the first time, and Zena Cardman expressed her awe at the sight.
The arrival of this crew temporarily increased the space station population to 11. The crew will spend at least six months at the orbiting lab, swapping places with colleagues who have been there since March.
The speedy journey to the space station marks a new record for the fastest trip to the ISS according to Russian standards. This is noteworthy as the Russians currently hold the record for the quickest journey to the space station.
The crew's arrival was a result of unexpected changes in crew assignments due to hardware issues on a prior Boeing Starliner mission. Zena Cardman, originally scheduled to fly earlier, was bumped to make room for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived at the ISS on Starliner but could not return on it due to those hardware issues.
As a consequence, NASA and SpaceX flew Crew-9 with empty seats for Wilmore and Williams to return safely, causing Cardman’s mission to be postponed and reassigned to Crew-11.
Oleg Platonov, who was bumped from the Russian Soyuz launch lineup a couple of years ago due to an undisclosed illness, is also part of this international crew.
The Associated Press article was written by Dunn. The article does not provide new information about the return of the previous crew or any advertisements. The new crew's taxi flight was faster than typical U.S. standards, underscoring the advancements in space travel technology.
[1] NASA, "Crew-11 Mission Overview," https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/crew-11.html [3] NASA, "Crew-11 Astronauts," https://www.nasa.gov/crew-11/astronauts
- As the Crew-11 mission progresses, they will be governed by the laws and regulations of space-and-astronomy, ensuring the safety and success of their six-month stay at the International Space Station.
- California-based technology giant SpaceX played a crucial role in the crew's swift journey to the ISS, launching their capsule from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
- The general news outlets are abuzz with stories about the success of this new crew, including NASA's updates on their mission (found on their Crew-11 Mission Overview and Crew-11 Astronauts pages).
