Astronauts Set US Speed Record on 8-Hour Trip to Space Station

Four astronauts, including the first Black woman to command a mission to orbit, arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday after an eight-hour journey, setting a new speed record for a U.S. entity.

The SpaceX launch, carrying commander Jessica Watkins and her crew, was delayed by three weeks due to issues with the Dragon capsule's fuel system. Despite morning clouds, the skies cleared sufficiently for a successful liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Record-Setting Transit

While their stay aboard the International Space Station will span six months, the flight to reach it was the fastest yet for SpaceX and any American endeavor, including NASA. This rapid transit was enabled by the space station's orbital position at the time of launch.

Watkins, a geologist with prior experience on the space station during a 2022 mission, made history as the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit. "Thanks for an amazing ride," Watkins reported shortly after liftoff.

The crew includes newcomers to space: NASA's Luke Delaney, a retired Marine; Canada's Joshua Kutryk, a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force; and Russia's Sergey Teteryatnikov, a former submariner. They are set to replace four astronauts who have been aboard the orbiting laboratory since February.

This marks SpaceX's 13th crewed mission for NASA, excluding a 2020 test flight. The crew has embraced their designation as Crew-13, a nod to the historic Apollo 13 mission. The reference to the number 13 was a recurring theme, with the crew arriving at the launch pad in Teslas bearing "Lucky 13" license plates and carrying a small crocheted dragon named Lucky with a four-leaf clover.

"We figured it wouldn’t hurt to bring a little of our own luck just in case, but clearly we don’t need it," Watkins commented from orbit. "four of the luckiest humans on or off planet Earth."

Personal Milestones Amidst Mission

Kutryk is set to become a father for the third time while in orbit, with his wife due to give birth in late November. The Canadian Space Agency has assured support for his family during this time. "A lot of life-changing things can happen over six months," noted NASA manager Dana Weigel, emphasizing the agency's commitment to keeping Kutryk connected to his family.

In past instances, NASA has facilitated communication for astronauts during the birth of their children. In 2004, astronaut Mike Fincke communicated with his wife during their daughter's birth, and Randy Bresnik connected from orbit to his wife's hospital five years later. Austrian astronaut Franz Viehbock was informed of his daughter's birth a day after launching to the Mir space station in 1991.

SpaceX has had a busy week, launching another Falcon rocket with over 100 satellites just three hours after the Crew-13 departure. Another launch was scheduled for later Thursday night for a classified satellite, following the successful orbital flight of the company's Starship earlier in the week.