For the repeated time since the attack on Ukraine, astronauts from Russia and the USA have flown into space together. On board the ISS they will work together on research projects and grow “organoids”.
After several postponements, three US astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut have launched a six-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS). A “Falcon 9” rocket from tech billionaire Elon Musk’s private US space company SpaceX took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida late on Sunday evening (local time).
A launch attempt planned for the previous day was canceled due to strong winds. It was not the first postponement of the flight: the start was originally planned for February 22nd.
With the start of the mission, astronauts from both countries flew into space together once again, despite the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the resulting immense tensions between the USA and Russia.
Astronauts Pilot Michael Barratt (from left), Commander Matthew Dominick, Cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin and Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps exit the operations and checkout building for launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
Space flight too research purposes
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, their colleague Jeanette Epps and cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin are expected at the ISS on Tuesday morning (CET). It is the first space flight for Epps, Grebenkin and Dominick; Barratt is visiting the ISS for the third time.
There is currently a seven-person crew on board the space station. In a few days, four members of the existing crew from the USA, Denmark, Japan and Russia will return to Earth.
The new crew wants to carry out experiments with stem cells on the International Space Station and grow so-called organoids. Such tiny organs can be used to research organ diseases, among other things.