A little while ago, the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft blasted off atop a Soyuz-2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan with three people. After about nine minutes it successfully separated from the rocket’s last stage and was placed on its route to the International Space Station, which requires about two days of journey.
A little while ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft concluded its Crew-7, or SpaceX Crew-7, mission for NASA by landing without problems. On board were astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen, and Satoshi Furukawa and cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, who had reached the International Space Station on August 27, 2023, and were part of Expedition 69/70. The four of them finished the seventh regular crewed mission of SpaceX in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The Crew Dragon departed the Station a bit more than 18 hours earlier.
A little while ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked with the Harmony module of the International Space Station completing the first part of its Crew-8 or SpaceX Crew-8 mission that began with its launch about 28 hours earlier. After checking that the pressure gets properly balanced, the hatch will be opened to allow Aleksandr Grebenkin, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps to enter the Station and start their mission, which will last about six months.
A few hours ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in its Crew-8 or SpaceX Crew-8 mission. After almost exactly twelve minutes, it successfully separated from the rocket’s last stage and went en route to carry out its mission. This is the 8th crewed mission of the Crew Dragon spacecraft within the normal rotation of the International Space Station crew. This is also the 5th mission for the Endeavour, a new record. The fact that the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage is new is almost more newsworthy.
A little while ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft concluded its Ax-3 mission by splashing down without problems. On board were Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Alper Gezeravcı, and Marcus Wandt, who ended this completely private space mission in the Atlantic Ocean after leaving the International Space Station almost 48 hours earlier. Shortly after splashing down, SpaceX’s recovery ship went to retrieve the Freedom and its crew to transport them to the coast.
