SpaceX has successfully delivered a new crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in just 15 hours. The spacecraft carrying US, Russian, and Japanese astronauts pulled up high above the South Pacific after launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The team includes NASA’s Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Their arrival comes after a series of changes in their original mission assignments due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The new crew will spend at least six months on the orbiting lab.
During their transit, the astronauts experienced a relatively quick journey by US standards, but still behind the record-breaking 3-hour trip set by Russian cosmonauts. “It was such an unbelievably beautiful sight to see the space station come into our view for the first time,” said Cardman once on board.
The ISS population has now reached 11. SpaceX will return the four astronauts as early as Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in their mission.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/spacex-delivers-astronauts-international-space-station-15-hours-124303068