NASA, SpaceX four-member crew takes off to International Space Station
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The Crew-7 mission's successful launch to the International Space Station marks another milestone in global collaboration for scientific exploration and advancement in space.
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Astronauts walk out of the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft on launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on November 10, 2021 (AFP)
The Crew-7 mission, commanded by American astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, launched successfully today to the ISS (International Space Station).
The mission marks the seventh routine journey to the International Space Station (ISS) for Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Equivocally, the Crew-7 mission also marks a stride in NASA's commercial crew program, designed to reduce reliance on Russian rockets for astronaut transportation following the conclusion of the space shuttle program in 2011.
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The initial launch was delayed by a day to ensure meticulous evaluation of a component in the Crew Dragon capsule's environmental control and life support system, NASA explained in a blog post.
The diverse crew aboard the Dragon craft includes Andreas Mogensen of Denmark, Satoshi Furukawa of Japan, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia, showcasing a united global effort in space exploration.
"We may have four crew members on board from four different nations... but we're a united team with a common mission."
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The crew's main task during their six-month stay aboard the ISS will be to conduct scientific experiments that could provide invaluable insights into space conditions and human physiology. One such experiment involves collecting samples during a spacewalk to ascertain whether the station releases microorganisms through its life-support system vents, contributing to our understanding of microorganism survival and propagation in space.
Another experiment aims to uncover the physiological disparities between sleep on Earth and in space, shedding light on the intricacies of human biology beyond our planet.
