SpaceX launches 4 astronauts on a fast track to the International Space Station
Four astronauts rocketed into orbit Thursday on a space station mission that will stretch until spring, among them a Canadian whose wife will give birth while he's away.
Four astronauts embarked on a rapid journey to the International Space Station on Thursday, following a three-week delay to address a fuel-system leak. The crew, led by Jessica Watkins, comprised a Canadian astronaut whose wife will give birth during their six-month mission, a retired Marine, a Canadian colonel, and a former Russian submariner. They would replace a quartet of astronauts currently residing at the orbital laboratory.
A thick cloud cover initially threatened to disrupt the countdown, but the clouds dissipated, allowing for a safe liftoff. The eight-hour journey to the ISS was the quickest yet for SpaceX, a company founded by Elon Musk. Watkins made history as the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit. The crew's flight patch honored the resilience and grit of Apollo 13, who safely returned from a harrowing mission in 1970.
The Canadian astronaut, Joshua Kutryk, will become the fourth father to orbit Earth, with his wife expecting their third child in late November. NASA has pledged support for Kutryk's family throughout the mission. In past cases, astronauts have received updates on their family events via radio link, although Austrian astronaut Franz Viehbock was not informed of his daughter's birth until the next day, five years earlier.
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