Space capsule SpaceX arrives with 4 astronauts at ISS | Abroad

The ISS, which orbits the Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometers, will be their home for the next six months. Then they are relieved by four colleagues who are also brought to the ISS with a Crew Dragon Capsule. That rotation will continue until aircraft manufacturer Boeing joins the project with its own new spacecraft at the end of next year.

The Crew Dragon Capsule has taken roughly a decade to develop. The project was financed partly with public money and partly with private money. It was started by NASA in 2011 to send more people back into space. The launch, Sunday, was NASA’s first operational mission under the program. Last summer, SpaceX made a test flight with two astronauts for the first time.

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