The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, following a 28-hour orbital chase. Three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut are now at the outpost for a six-month tour.
The Crew Dragon launch was delayed by three days due to high winds, but two back-to-back Falcon 9 flights successfully put a total of 76 satellites into orbit. The Crew Dragon docked at the Harmony module’s forward port earlier than expected, with Crew 8 commander Matthew Dominick expressing excitement and gratitude upon arrival at the space station.
Crew 7, which includes astronauts Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps, welcomed Crew 8 aboard, along with cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin who is replacing Konstantin Borisov. Leak checks were conducted before hatches were opened for the Crew 8 fliers to enter the space station.
Before returning to Earth, Crew 7 will familiarize their replacements with space station operations. A fresh Soyuz spacecraft is scheduled to be delivered to the ISS on March 21, with cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, Belarus guest flier Marina Vasilevskaya, and NASA veteran Tracy Dyson set to return to Earth on April 2.
The successful docking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft brings a new crew of astronauts to the ISS, continuing advancements in space exploration and research. Stay tuned for further updates on their mission on Jala News.
