SpaceX flight led by first black female commander sets US speed record on six-month ISS mission
Another astronaut onboard the spacecraft is set to become a father while he is away
Astronauts aboard a SpaceX flight, including the first black woman to lead a crew to orbit, have arrived at the International Space Station after completing the fastest US journey to orbit on record.
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The spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral on Thursday morning local time and completed the trip in just eight hours - quicker than any previous US-led flight, including NASA missions.
The rapid journey was made possible by the ISS being in an ideal position when the crew launched.
SpaceX commander Jessica Watkins, a 38-year-old geologist who worked with NASA's Mars rover Curiosity a decade ago, made history by becoming the first black female commander to lead a crew to orbit.
Following liftoff, Ms Watkins, who is making her second trip to the space station after her previous stay in 2022, said: "Thanks for an amazing ride."
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The other crew members include NASA's Luke Delaney, a retired Marine; Russia's Sergey Teteryatnikov, a former submariner; and Canadian Joshua Kutryk, a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force whose wife is due to give birth while he is away.
They will replace four astronauts who have been on board the orbiting laboratory since February.
During their six-month mission, the team will carry out a series of research projects.
The launch had been delayed by three weeks because of a fuel-system leak.
The mission is NASA’s 13th long-duration ISS crew to launch aboard a SpaceX rocket since the company began carrying US astronauts into orbit in May 2020.
The Crew-13 name is a nod to Apollo 13 - the 1970 mission aborted after an oxygen tank exploded, though all three astronauts returned safely to Earth.
The number was featured throughout Thursday’s launch, with the crew arriving in vehicles displaying “Lucky 13” number plates.
They also took a small crocheted golden dragon, named Lucky, into orbit, complete with a four-leaf clover around its neck.
Ms Watkins said the astronauts were “four of the luckiest humans on or off planet Earth”.
The latest arrivals are expected to focus on a series of biomedical and human performance studies, including research on how microgravity affects blood circulation and clotting, and on gathering health data to inform future space missions.
The ISS, which spans the length of a football field and ranks as the largest human-made object in space, has been continuously operated by a US-Russian-led consortium that includes Canada, Japan and 11 European countries.
The first hardware for the outpost was launched more than a quarter-century ago.
NASA has said it is committed to keeping the space station operating through 2030.