NASA and SpaceX, Elon Musk’s privately owned space aviation company, launched four more astronauts last Wednesday night to the International Space Station, including a veteran space traveler and two younger companions chosen to join the upcoming Lunar missions. NASA.
The Dragon capsule, developed by SpaceX in partnership with NASA, should arrive on the ISS this Friday, at 12:10 am, Lisbon time. The 3rd commercial manned space mission of the SpaceX and NASA partnership is composed of 3 American astronauts from the space agency – Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron – and by the German Matthias Maurer, from the European Space Agency (ESA), who are expected to stay for 6 months in the ISS.
The take-off of the Dragon capsule, called Endurance by the crew, was broadcast live from Cape Canaveral on NASA television, although intermittent rain and clouds over the Cape earlier in the day cast doubt on launch prospects, but the weather improved enough to make the flight, according to NASA.
#Crew3… 2… 1… and liftoff!
Three @NASA_Astronauts and one @THIS astronaut are on their way to the @Space_Station aboard the @SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance: pic.twitter.com/dxobsFb4Pa
– NASA (@NASA) November 11, 2021
We like turtles.
There are three aboard the #Crew3 Endurance capsule on the way to the @Space_Station: Two from the “Turtles” class of astronauts, Kayla Barron and @Astro_Raja, and the third… well, can you spot the zero G indicator? pic.twitter.com/kBmxKawusH
– NASA (@NASA) November 11, 2021
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