NASA, SpaceX launch new crew rotation mission to space station
Crew-11, a new crew rotation mission launched by NASA and SpaceX, is scheduled to dock with the ISS at about 3 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday after an approximately 15-hour journey.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- NASA and SpaceX launched a new crew rotation mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, marking the 11th commercial flight under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
The mission, codenamed Crew-11, carries NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov to the orbiting laboratory.
The crew lifted off at 11:43 a.m. Eastern Time (1543 GMT) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They are traveling aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Following stage separation, the Falcon 9 first stage successfully returned and landed at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft has separated from the rocket's second stage and is now flying independently.
The spacecraft is scheduled to dock with the ISS at about 3 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday after an approximately 15-hour journey.
During their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory, the astronauts will support a range of scientific research and technology demonstrations. Their tasks include simulating lunar landings, testing vision protection strategies, and conducting studies to improve human health and performance in space.
The crew will also study plant cell division and microgravity's effects on bacteria-killing viruses, and perform experiments to produce a higher volume of human stem cells and generate on-demand nutrients, according to NASA. ■