SpaceX Launches Crew-7 to the International Space Station
Introduction
SpaceX successfully launched four people to the International Space Station (ISS) from Florida, marking its 11th human spaceflight mission.
Crew-7, the mission for NASA, aims to keep the group in orbit for a six-month stay at the space station. This launch is SpaceX’s sixth operational crew launch for NASA and the first of the additional missions awarded by the agency.
The launch took place from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in the early hours of Saturday morning, commencing a nearly one-day journey to the ISS.
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With this mission, SpaceX has now launched a total of 42 astronauts, including both government and private missions, since its first crewed launch in May 2020.
Crew-7 comprises of NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli as the commander, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen from Denmark as the pilot, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov as mission specialists.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Capsule and Falcon 9 Rocket
SpaceX launched the astronauts aboard its reusable Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance, which was placed atop a Falcon 9 rocket. This marks the third mission for the Endurance.
Under NASA’s Commercial Crew program, SpaceX is contracted for a total of 14 missions.
SpaceX developed the Crew Dragon spacecraft and fine-tuned the Falcon 9 rocket as part of NASA’s program, competing against Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, the Starliner capsule is still in development, with costly delays causing operational flights to be years behind schedule.
