{
  "id": 11363427,
  "title": "‘An amazing ride’: SpaceX flight led by first Black female commander sets US speed record",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/an-amazing-ride-spacex-flight-led-by-first-black-female-commander",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-02T03:18:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/oct/01/spacex-speed-record-first-black-female-commander"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Thursday, four astronauts arrived at the International Space Station after a record-breaking eight-hour express flight led by Jessica Watkins, making her the first Black woman to command a crew to orbit. The SpaceX Dragon capsule, named \"Grace,\" reached the ISS after a three-week delay to resolve a leaking fuel system. Thick clouds initially threatened to halt the countdown, but clouds eventually cleared, allowing a safe liftoff from Cape Canaveral at 11:10am (1510 GMT). The astronauts—American Watkins, Canadian Joshua Kutryk, Russian Sergey Teteryatnikov, and retired marine Luke Delaney—docked at a port on the ISS about 7 hours and 55 minutes after launch, setting a speed record for a US spacecraft. Watkins addressed her colleagues on Earth, expressing excitement and gratitude for the \"amazing ride.\"",
  "summary": "Four astronauts pulled up at International Space Station after eight-hour express flight led by Jessica Watkins Four astronauts pulled up at the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday after launching on an eight-hour express that set a US speed record, and that created further history with the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit. SpaceX launched commander Jessica Watkins and her crew…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Insider",
        "title": "Russian diesel exports via the Black Sea fall to zero for the first time on record",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/russian-diesel-exports-via-the-black-sea-fall-to-zero-for-the-first",
        "published": "2026-10-01T16:10:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}