SpaceX launches Crew-6 astronauts to the International Space Station

The 4 astronauts had been launched in the direction of the Worldwide House Station (ISS) at 12:34 am EST this morning. The crew, known as Crew-6, flew within the Crew Dragon Endeavor capsule, manufactured and operated by Elon Musk’s rocket firm SpaceX. The capsule sat atop a Falcon 9 rocket, additionally constructed by SpaceX. The crew will exchange the astronauts leaving the ISS.

Reaching Earth orbit earlier as we speak after taking off from Kennedy House Heart in Florida, the crew will arrive on the ISS early tomorrow morning (EST) and spend the subsequent six months conducting a whole bunch of science experiments and expertise demonstrations.

One query the crew will discover is how components akin to airflow and radiation have an effect on the flammability of supplies in area. This might assist enhance the security of future area missions. Different experiments will discover methods to watch and enhance immunity and coronary heart well being in area vacationers.

The crew can even inform on measures to restrict contamination throughout future area missions by measuring which microbes are launched from the area station to what extent and the way far they journey.

Commanding the crew is NASA’s Stephen Bowen, second from the fitting within the photograph above. Bowen has visited the ISS 3 times earlier than and is accountable for all phases of the flight, from takeoff to re-entry.

To the far proper is Sultan Al Neyadi, the primary astronaut to fly in a business spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates. Al Neyadi was educated Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in UAE.

He additionally makes spaceflight for the primary time. Warren Hoburg who’s standing second from the left. Hoburg educated as a pilot and beforehand researched spacecraft engineering on the Massachusetts Institute of Expertise. A fourth crew member will be part of them. Andrey FedyaevA Russian cosmonaut who will monitor the spacecraft through the launch and reentry phases of the flight.

All 4 put on light-weight, custom-made spacesuits – flameproof outer layer and touchscreen appropriate gloves – that can defend them from potential depressurization, the place air strain drops because of leaks from the spacecraft.

“A single port on the go well with’s calf connects life help techniques, together with air and energy connections.” said NASA and SpaceX. “The go well with additionally directs communication and cooling techniques to the astronauts throughout flight.”

Immediately’s profitable launch comes after a earlier try was canceled on February 27 because of a difficulty with a sensor related to the rocket engines.