Four astronauts docked at the International Space Station on Thursday after a record-breaking flight, achieving the fastest transit by any American entity. The crew, including commander Jessica Watkins—the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit—launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Their mission comes after a three-week delay due to technical issues.
Watkins was joined by NASA’s Luke Delaney, Canadian Joshua Kutryk, and Russian Sergey Teteryatnikov. They will spend six months on the station, taking over from a previous crew. Notably, Kutryk’s wife is expected to give birth while he is in space, marking him as one of the few fathers to experience this while orbiting Earth.
The mission, designated Crew-13, features references to the number 13 and the Apollo 13 mission, symbolized by a lucky crocheted dragon they brought along. This launch is part of SpaceX’s ongoing partnership with NASA, marking the company’s 13th crewed mission.
Watkins expressed gratitude for the successful launch, and NASA plans to keep Kutryk connected with his family during this significant time.
