On Sunday, four astronauts will fly aboard a SpaceX Falcon rocket to the International Space Station, where they will oversee the arrival of two new rocket ships during a six-month mission.
The rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Janet Epps, and Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin.
The astronauts are scheduled to arrive at the orbiting lab on Tuesday, replacing crew members from the United States, Denmark, Japan and Russia who have been there since August.
The launch was delayed for three days due to strong winds. SpaceX Launch Control described it as “out of style.”
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SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule carrying a crew of four will lift off on March 3 from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to the International Space Station. (AP)
A small crack in the SpaceX capsule’s hatch seal prompted several last-minute inspections but was ultimately determined to be safe for the entire mission, likely causing another delay Sunday night. Became.
The new crew’s six-month stay will include the arrival of two rocket ships ordered by NASA. Boeing’s new Starliner capsule with test pilots is scheduled to arrive in late April, and Sierra Space’s mini-shuttle, Dream Chaser, should arrive a month or two later.
Astronaut Epps was originally tasked with flying Boeing’s Starliner, but the plane stalled due to problems. NASA later transferred her to SpaceX.
She is an engineer and worked for Ford Motor Company and the CIA before becoming an astronaut in 2009. Epps was originally scheduled to launch to the space station on a Russian rocket in 2018, but was replaced for reasons not disclosed publicly.
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SpaceX crew members: Alexander Grebenkin, pilot Michael Barratt, commander Matthew Dominick, and mission specialist Janet Epps gather for a photo after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (AP)
Dominic, a naval pilot, and Grebenkin, a former Russian military officer, are also new to space, while Barratt, a 64-year-old doctor on his third mission, is the oldest full-time cosmonaut to have flown in space. .
After reaching orbit, Barratt said, “It’s like a bunch of really excited teenagers riding a roller coaster.”
Speaking about her age before her departure, Barratt said: “As long as you stay healthy, fit and engaged, you’re good to go on a plane.”
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Flight controllers are monitoring an increasing number of cabin leaks on the Russian side of the space station. NASA program manager Joel Montalbano said the leak had doubled in size in the past few weeks and the area was sealed off, but stressed that it had no impact on station operations or crew safety.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
