SpaceX sends 4 astronauts to the International Space Station on a record-fast 8-hour trip

On Thursday, SpaceX sent four astronauts to the International Space Station on a record-fast eight-hour trip. The crew, led by Jessica Watkins, a Canadian woman with ties to NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity, included newcomers Luke Delaney, Joshua Kutryk, and Sergey Teteryatnikov.

Watkins, the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit, and her crew had to contend with a three-week delay to fix their Dragon capsule’s leaking fuel system. Thick clouds threatened the launch, but the skies eventually cleared, allowing for a safe liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Although the astronauts will be at the space station for six months, their journey to orbit took only eight hours. Watkins, who became the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit, radioed "Thanks for an amazing ride" after reaching orbit.

The crew of four will replace four astronauts who have been living at the space station since February. Kutryk, the fourth crew member to become a father while orbiting Earth, will have his wife give birth to their third child in late November. NASA manager Dana Weigel noted that the space agency will do its best to keep Kutryk connected to his family during his time in space.