Three NASA astronauts and a cosmonaut embarked on a journey to the International Space Station on Sunday, marking the first of two missions by NASA and the Russian space agency to swap out five of the station’s seven crew members and deliver a new Soyuz ferry ship for two cosmonauts halfway through their yearlong stay.
Following delays on Friday and Saturday, Crew 8 commander Matthew Dominick, co-pilot Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin soared away from the Kennedy Space Center atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 10:53 p.m. EST.
The Falcon 9’s first stage, on its inaugural flight, autonomously returned for a pinpoint landing at the nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after propelling the upper stage and Crew Dragon into space. This marked the 48th booster landing in Florida and SpaceX’s 279th successful recovery overall.
About 12 minutes post-launch, the Crew Dragon was deployed to autonomously navigate towards the space station for docking, scheduled for early Tuesday.
Dominick expressed his excitement, saying, “What an incredible ride to orbit! I’m grateful to SpaceX for their exceptional work in getting us here safely.”
Barratt, the 64-year-old space veteran, humorously remarked on the experience, likening it to a roller coaster ride with enthusiastic teenagers.
The crew faced initial launch delays due to unfavorable weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, which could necessitate an emergency splashdown. Despite concerns about a small crack in the Crew Dragon’s side hatch seal, engineers determined it posed no significant risk to the mission’s success.
Crew 8’s journey marks NASA’s ninth Crew Dragon flight to the International Space Station, with plans for a significant milestone in April: the inaugural piloted flight of Boeing’s Starliner ferry ship. This diversity in spacecraft providers ensures continued access to the ISS.
Upon reaching the space station, the crew will join their counterparts, including Crew 7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli and European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, among others, to conduct station operations. Crew 7 plans to return to Earth on March 11, paving the way for the arrival of a new Soyuz ship and NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson.
Dyson’s journey will begin on March 21 alongside commander Oleg Novitskiy and guest flier Marina Vasilevskaya, with their return slated for April 2. Dyson will later return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-25/71S spacecraft in September, alongside Russian cosmonauts Kononenko and Chub.
This mission underscores the collaboration between NASA and Roscosmos, ensuring continuous crew presence aboard the ISS and furthering human space exploration.