In a swift and successful mission, SpaceX has transported four astronauts to the International Space Station in only 15 hours, marking one of the fastest trips by a US spacecraft. The Crew Dragon capsule lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre and docked with the ISS while flying over the South Pacific.
The international crew includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. They will stay aboard the ISS for at least six months, taking over from the previous crew who returned to Earth in March. Their arrival temporarily increases the number of people aboard the ISS to 11.
Each astronaut on this mission had originally been assigned to other flights. Mike Fincke and Kimiya Yui were previously in training for Boeing’s Starliner missions, but due to ongoing technical issues with the Starliner capsule, including repeated thruster failures, their flights were postponed until at least 2026. Both were reassigned to this SpaceX launch.
Zena Cardman was also shifted from a previous assignment to accommodate NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose short-term Starliner test mission unexpectedly turned into a stay of more than nine months due to unresolved spacecraft issues.
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov was originally scheduled to travel aboard a Soyuz capsule but was removed from the crew list a few years ago because of a then-undisclosed illness. He now makes his first spaceflight aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
Upon docking, astronaut Mike Fincke greeted the station with a cheerful “Hello, space station!” Meanwhile, Zena Cardman expressed her excitement, saying, “It was such an unbelievably beautiful sight to see the space station come into our view for the first time.”
Although the 15-hour journey set a new pace for American missions, Russia continues to hold the record for the fastest trip to the ISS, completing the journey in just three hours aboard a Soyuz spacecraft.
Also read:Â Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News LinkedIn Account | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Facebook | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Youtube | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Twitter |The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Whatsapp Channel | The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News Instagram
About us:
The Mainstream formerly known as CIO News is a premier platform dedicated to delivering latest news, updates, and insights from the tech industry. With its strong foundation of intellectual property and thought leadership, the platform is well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve and lead conversations about how technology shapes our world. From its early days as CIO News to its rebranding as The Mainstream on November 28, 2024, it has been expanding its global reach, targeting key markets in the Middle East & Africa, ASEAN, the USA, and the UK. The Mainstream is a vision to put technology at the center of every conversation, inspiring professionals and organizations to embrace the future of tech.
