SpaceX, NASA launch four astronauts from four countries:
Four Space Travelers – Embarking towards the International Space Station, representing four countries and space agencies from around the world – aboard a SpaceX rocket, marking the beginning of a mission that will last for more than six months.
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On this mission, the crew is aboard the Crew SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance capsule, referred to as Crew-7.
At 3:27 AM on Saturday the spacecraft was launched a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Among the four space travelers on this mission is NASA’s Jasmine Moghbeli, who serves as the mission commander; European Space Agency representative, Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen; Satoshi Furukawa from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA; and Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov from Roscosmos.
Upon reaching orbit, the Crew Dragon capsule separated from the Falcon 9 rocket and began its solo journey through space. The spacecraft will cautiously spend over 24 hours heading towards the International Space Station, orbiting approximately 220 nautical miles (420 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface.
After the launch, as Moghbeli set off for SpaceX mission control from the Crew Dragon capsule, she expressed, “Space travel is challenging, but you make it look easy.”
She said, “We are a united team with a shared mission.” “Off to Crew-7. Have a fantastic ride.”
Hope is that the crew will reach the International Space Station around 8:39 AM on Sunday.
Once onboard the spacecraft, Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov will join the seven astronauts already present in the habitation module.
The Crew-7 spacefarers will spend about five days relieving the Crew-6 space travelers, who have been aboard the space station since March.
About the Mission of SpaceX:
This mission marks the eighth flight under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and is operated by NASA and SpaceX. It continues the series of missions that began after SpaceX’s first crewed mission in 2020, ferrying astronauts to the space station.
The Crew-7 astronauts now represent one of the most internationally diverse SpaceX crew to date.
Moghbeli mentioned during a press conference, “We are incredibly proud to be a part of this incredible team – and I know I am personally very grateful – where if you look at our four patches, you will see the flag of a different nation on each one.” The arrival of the crew in Florida was organized just after the team arrived. Mission Commander, referring to the flag patches on the left shoulder of the space travelers’ suits, said, “We hope that it shows that when we work together and collaborate, we can achieve great things. And we think that’s really what the International Space Station represents.”
The crew collaborated to design its official mission patch, featuring an illustration of a Dragon perched above the Earth.
Moghbeli said, “We wanted it to show that whatever we do on this mission, it ultimately benefits our beautiful planet and the people on it.” She explained that the red, white, and blue stripes on the Dragon’s tail represent the colors that make up the spacecraft. The flags of all four countries involved in the Crew-7 mission are also included.
During their stay on the International Space Station, which is expected to last about 190 days, the Crew-7 astronauts will go through a series of experiments. These experiments include investigating the potential risks of bacterial and fungal growth resulting from human-led space campaigns. The team will assess whether microorganisms can be removed from the station’s crevices and sent into the vacuum of space. Another project by ESA will analyze brain waves of astronauts during their free time to understand how sleep in microgravity differs from that on Earth. Additionally, a study will focus on creating biofilm in leftover water on the space station, potentially finding more efficient ways to recycle water for drinking and cleanliness. (Yes, astronauts have been using recycled sweat and urine for drinking and bathing on the station for quite some time.)
A Life-Changing Perspective:
Commander Moghbeli was born near Frankfurt, Germany, to Iranian parents, but she considers Baldwin, New York, on Long Island, her home.
After completing high school, she earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before obtaining a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Moghbeli also brings military experience to the table, including serving as a Marine Corps test pilot and accumulating over 150 combat missions and more than 2,000 flight hours.
She was selected to join NASA’s astronaut corps in 2017 and the Crew-7 mission marks her first journey into space.
On July 25, during a press conference, Moghbeli shared, “It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time, as far as I can remember.” “One of the things that I’m most excited about is looking at our beautiful planet. I’ve talked to people who have flown before, and they say it’s a perspective that, in a way, changes your life.”
Russia’s Role:
Borisov became the third space traveler from Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, to fly on a U.S.-built spacecraft as part of the seat-swapping agreement with NASA in 2022.
Sharing rides to the International Space Station has been a tradition for NASA and Roscosmos for a long time. Following the retirement of NASA’s Space Shuttle program in 2011, Roscosmos remained the sole provider for transportation for years. However, this recent rideshare deal is larger than any previous ones. It comes amid increased tension between the United States and Russia due to ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
NASA has repeatedly stated that the Earth-based tensions haven’t impacted cooperation in space between the countries.
Like Moghbeli, Borisov is also embarking on his first spaceflight.
“I’m truly thrilled,” he said on Sunday. “I feel honored to be part of the international team.” “As experienced space travelers often mention, when you go to the ISS and see the Earth, you realize there are no boundaries. And indeed, I want to express that sentiment and feeling.”
Currently, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Russia’s Soyuz are the only vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to the International Space Station, although NASA hopes to introduce another provider in the coming months. Boeing’s Starliner, which falls under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program like SpaceX, is expected to begin operational flights within the next year after years of delays.
Rounding out the crew
Mogensan, who is serving as the pilot for the Crew-7 mission, is originally from Copenhagen and holds a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College London in the United Kingdom and a doctoral degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Before being selected for astronaut training by ESA in 2009, he worked as a research fellow at Surrey Space Centre in the UK, where he studied navigation and control for spacecraft landing on the moon.
Following a 10-day Russian Soyuz mission to the International Space Station in 2015, this mission marks Mogensan’s second journey into space.
During Sunday’s press conference, he stated, “It’s difficult to describe how incredible the International Space Station is.” “I didn’t realize the extent of it until shortly before my first mission, when I looked out the windows… and I could see the vast solar array spread out next to me. I felt like over the past 20, 25 years, we – humanity – have created such an incredible laboratory in the lower orbit of Earth.”
Furukawa, another space traveler on Crew-7, was born in Kanagawa, Japan, just south of Tokyo. Before working as a clinical surgeon, he earned medical and doctoral degrees in medical science from the University of Tokyo. He was selected by JAXA as an astronaut in 1999 and completed his first mission in space, a 165-day stay on the International Space Station, after riding aboard NASA’s final space shuttle mission, STS-135, in 2011.
Furukawa expressed his eagerness to return to microgravity conditions aboard the space station and engage in scientific activities, including research that could assist the development of new medicines and projects that might reveal how humans could explore the moon one day.
After arriving at the International Space Station, the Crew-7 astronauts will bid farewell to SpaceX Crew-6 travelers, who will soon return home aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft in the coming days.
In mid-September, the space station crew, along with NASA astronaut Laurel O’Hara, will also welcome Russian Soyuz MS-24 capsule riders Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, who will launch to the ISS.
