A team of four astronauts embarked on a journey to the International Space Station (ISS) where they will oversee the arrival of two new spacecrafts during their six-month mission. The launch took place on Sunday at Kennedy Space Center, with SpaceX’s Falcon rocket carrying NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin.
In September 2023, UAE astronaut Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi concluded his mission on the ISS as a member of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Mission. Dr. Al Neyadi successfully spent six months aboard the ISS, contributing to scientific research in the orbiting laboratory.
Read more: UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi welcomed home in grand celebration
We have liftoff! Three first-time fliers and a veteran are en route to the @Space_Station
Learn more about #Crew8 and their mission: https://t.co/CWKffPmm6M pic.twitter.com/GYBisbZmvv
— NASA (@NASA) March 4, 2024
The four new astronauts are expected to reach the orbiting laboratory on Tuesday, March 5th, marking the end of a mission by a previous crew consisting of members from the United States, Denmark, Japan, and Russia, who have been on the ISS since August.
Scheduled arrival of Starliner in late April
During their six-month stay, the new crew will witness the arrival of two rocketships commissioned by NASA. First, Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which will carry test pilots, is scheduled to arrive in late April. Following that, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, a mini shuttle designed for cargo delivery, will reach the station a month or two later. However, the Dream Chaser will not yet be transporting passengers.
It’s worth noting that Epps was initially assigned to fly on Boeing’s Starliner, but due to delays and issues, NASA made the decision to switch her to SpaceX for this mission.
Epps, who hails from Syracuse, N.Y., is the second Black woman to be assigned to a long-duration mission on the ISS. She expressed her pride in being a role model for Black girls prior to the flight. Before becoming an astronaut in 2009, Epps worked as an engineer at Ford Motor Co. and the CIA. In 2018, she was originally slated to launch to the space station on a Russian rocket but was replaced for undisclosed reasons.
Dominick, a Navy pilot, and Grebenkin, a former Russian military officer, are also experiencing space travel for the first time. Barratt, on the other hand, is a doctor and this marks his third mission in space. Notably, he will become the oldest full-time astronaut to fly in space when he turns 65 in April.
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