- The SpaceX rocket successfully launched three American astronauts and Russian cosmonaut into orbit
- Prior to the launch, a crack in the side hatch of the rocket nearly stalled the lift off
- The Falcon rocket carried three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut
The SpaceX rocket successfully launched three American astronauts and Russian cosmonaut into orbit after concerns about crack in side hatch nearly scrubbed the lift off.
Prior to the rocket launching, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission found a problem with a crack in the side hatch. However, crews to proceed with the launch and said the crack was ‘too small’ to cause concern.
At 10:53pm the SpaceX, created by Elon Musk, Dragon Mission rocket carrying the astronauts and bound for the International Space Station successfully took off from Florida and headed into orbit.
‘For the past 12 years, Dragon missions have carried 1,000+ research experiments to orbit, enabling researchers the opportunity to fly critical science to orbit,’ SpaceX announced.
The SpaceX Falcon rocket is seen during lift off as it heads toward the International Space Station from Launch Pad 39-A on Sunday at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida
Space X’s Falcon rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center, carrying NASA´s Matthew Dominick (right-center), Michael Barratt (left-center), Jeanette Epps (right) and Russia´s Alexander Grebenkin (left)
Space X’s Falcon rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center, carrying NASA´s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps and Russia´s Alexander Grebenkin.
The astronauts should reach the orbiting lab on Tuesday. They will replace a crew from the U.S., Denmark, Japan and Russia, who have been there since August.
Boeing´s new Starliner capsule with test pilots is due in late April. A month or two later, Sierra Space´s Dream Chaser, a mini shuttle, is expected to arrive and is set to deliver cargo to the station, but not passengers yet.
Epps was originally assigned to fly Boeing´s Starliner, but NASA switched her to SpaceX after the Starliner got bogged down with problems and stalled.
She is the second black woman assigned to a long station mission. She said before the flight that she is especially proud to be a role model for black girls, demonstrating that spaceflight ‘is an option for them’ and ‘not just for other people.’
The astronauts should reach the orbiting lab on Tuesday. They will replace a crew from the U.S., Denmark, Japan and Russia, who have been there since August
Epps is the second black woman assigned to a long station mission. Before take off she said that she was especially proud to be a role model for black girls, demonstrating that spaceflight ‘is an option for them’ and ‘not just for other people’
She worked for Ford Motor Co. and the CIA as an engineer before becoming an astronaut in 2009.
Epps should have launched to the space station on a Russian rocket in 2018, but was replaced for reasons never publicly disclosed.
Dominick, a Navy pilot, and Grebenkin, a former Russian military officer, are also both new to space.
Barratt, a doctor on his third mission, is the oldest full-time astronaut to fly in space. He turns 65 in April.
‘As long as we stay healthy and fit and engaged, we´re good to fly,’ Barratt said.
Flight controllers are monitoring a growing cabin leak on Russia’s side of the space station.
The leak has doubled in size in the past few weeks and the area has been sealed off, NASA program manager Joel Montalbano said. He stressed there is no impact to station operations or crew safety.