SpaceX successfully transports four astronauts to the International Space Station within fifteen hours of takeoff
New Crew Arrives at the International Space Station
A new crew of astronauts has successfully reached the International Space Station (ISS), marking the continuation of crew rotations despite ongoing challenges with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft program. The four-member crew, consisting of Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui, and Oleg Platonov, arrived at the ISS after a speedy 15-hour journey by SpaceX, which is significantly faster than U.S. standards for taxi flights.
The astronauts launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and docked their capsule high above the South Pacific. Upon docking, Mike Fincke radioed a joyful greeting, "Hello, space station!". Zena Cardman, expressing her awe, stated that seeing the space station for the first time was an unbelievably beautiful sight.
Oleg Platonov, who was previously bumped from the Soyuz launch lineup a couple of years ago due to an undisclosed illness, joined the crew as part of the international partnership on the ISS mission. Meanwhile, Fincke and Yui had been training for the next Starliner mission but switched to SpaceX due to Starliner’s grounding until 2026.
Cardman and another astronaut were pulled from a SpaceX flight last year to make room for NASA’s two stuck astronauts. Similarly, Zena Cardman, who was originally assigned as commander of the Crew-9 mission, was removed to allow NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to fly on Crew-9 after their Starliner mission encountered hardware problems, leading to a Starliner spacecraft flying uncrewed on its return trip.
The new crew members are replacing colleagues who have been at the station since March. The Russians hold the record for the fastest trip to the space station, with a time of three hours, but this crew’s journey took 15 hours, demonstrating the capabilities of SpaceX’s transportation system.
SpaceX will bring back the previous crew as early as Wednesday, temporarily putting the space station population at 11. The new crew will spend at least six months at the ISS, contributing to ongoing research and maintenance efforts. This is yet another successful mission for SpaceX and a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the international space community.
The astronauts' arrival marks the recommencement of funding for ongoing research and maintenance at the International Space Station, courtesy of SpaceX's technology. With their expertise in science and space-and-astronomy, the new crew is poised to advance our understanding of the universe during their six-month stay at the ISS.
