SpaceX launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on October 5th, 2022, with four astronauts. Only 15 hours later, they rode them into ISS successfully. This mission will see crew members from the United States, Russia, and Japan working side-by-side again. It’s a tremendous success story of international cooperation in space exploration. The astronauts are training for a mission of at least six months aboard the permanent orbiting lab. As they will relieve their ISS-bound colleagues, working on orbit since this past March.
The entire launch was executed without a hitch, further proving SpaceX’s ongoing and increasing reliability in the space transportation system. Cardman is one of the recently arrived astronauts. He was a member of the crew that had to make a fast switch when two NASA astronauts became stranded on the ISS due to a long-term stay.
Details of the Launch
The very impressive Falcon 9 rocket launched beautifully from Kennedy Space Center. It transported the Crew Dragon capsule, which had four astronauts living and working on board. This mission highlights SpaceX’s expertise and emphasizes the ongoing importance of international teamwork in the realm of space exploration.
The crew consists of members representing three countries: the U.S., Russia, and Japan. Assembled with intentional diversity, this diverse team is a testament to the collective will of nations to advance science, research, and exploration into space. Now, Russian cosmonauts have stolen the headlines with their extraordinary success. They set the record for the fastest-ever trip to the space station at just three hours.
The Astronauts and Their Mission
These astronauts will dive into a collaborative, dynamic six-month mission aboard the ISS. They’ll explore fun scientific experiments while learning to do important maintenance work, helping keep the station in tiptop shape. They are replacing open-sea astronauts who have been aboard the ISS since March. This action brings us one step closer to maintaining a continuous human presence in orbit.
Cardman’s role is no small part in this mission. His mission to the ISS featured a bizarre episode related to an earlier SpaceX mission. In a surprising development, that caused him to be removed from a flight last year. This decision ultimately paved the way for him to serve on one of the most important missions yet.
Providing Space for Two Astronauts NASA decided to provide space for two astronauts. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were going on a bit longer on the ISS than originally planned. Their expected mission length skyrocketed from one week in planning to greater than nine months realized.
The Extended Stay of Wilmore and Williams
It was going to be a long day on that space shuttle as Wilmore and Williams were headed back down to Earth soon. Delays from their return vehicle, the Boeing Starliner, complicated those plans. While serving as test pilots for this upcoming mission, they have fully made use of their long-duration stay. It has given them more time to do other research that contributes to their ongoing work here on the ISS.
Fincke, another astronaut on this latest mission, signaled success shortly after docking by radioing updates as the capsule reached its destination high above the South Pacific. Beyond providing confirmation of a successful arrival, this communication helped to highlight the critical role of real-time updates in space missions.