4 new astronauts head to the International Space Station for a 6-month stay

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Four astronauts headed to the International Space Station on Sunday the place they’ll oversee the arrivals of 2 new rocketships all through their half-year stint.

SpaceX’s Falcon rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center, wearing NASA’s Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps and Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin.

The astronauts must achieve the orbiting lab on Tuesday. They will substitute a workforce from the U.S., Denmark, Japan and Russia, who’ve been there since August.

“When are you getting here already?” area station commander Andreas Mogensen requested by means of X, previously Twitter, after 3 days of prolong due to top wind.

There was once nearly any other postponement Sunday evening. A small crack in the seal of the SpaceX pill’s hatch triggered a last-minute flurry of critiques, nevertheless it was once deemed secure for the complete venture.

The new workforce’s six-month stay contains the arrival of 2 rocketships ordered by way of NASA. Boeing’s new Starliner pill with take a look at pilots is due in overdue April. A month or two later, Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, a mini trip, must arrive. It is for turning in shipment to the station, however now not passengers but.

Epps was once at the beginning assigned to fly Boeing’s Starliner, which were given slowed down with issues and stalled. NASA in spite of everything switched her to SpaceX.

She’s the 2nd Black girl assigned to a lengthy station venture. She stated earlier than the flight that she is particularly proud to be a position style for Black ladies, demonstrating that spaceflight (*4*)

An engineer, she labored for Ford Motor Co. and the CIA earlier than turning into an astronaut in 2009. Epps must have introduced to the area station on a Russian rocket in 2018, however was once changed for causes by no means publicly disclosed.

Also new to area are Dominick, a Navy pilot, and Grebenkin, a former Russian army officer.

Barratt, a physician on his 3rd venture, is the oldest full-time astronaut to fly in area. He turns 65 in April.

“As long as we stay healthy and fit and engaged, we’re good to fly,” he stated.

Flight controllers are tracking a rising cabin leak on Russia’s aspect of the area station. The leak has doubled in dimension in the previous few weeks and the house has been sealed off, NASA program supervisor Joel Montalbano stated. He wired there’s no affect to station operations or workforce protection.

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