A few hours ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in its Crew-3 or SpaceX Crew-3 mission. After about eleven minutes, it successfully separated from the rocket’s last stage and went en route to carry out its mission. This is the third crewed mission of the Crew Dragon spacecraft within the normal rotation of the International Space Station crew. This is also the first mission for the Endurance and is the first to transport rookie astronauts.
The four new members of the International Space Station crew, who complete the Expedition 66 crew, are:
Raja Jon Vurputoor “Grinder” Chari. Born on June 24, 1977, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, he graduated in astronautical engineering in 1999 and then earned a master’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from MIT in 2001. As an officer in the US Air Force, he served in various parts of the world, including Iraq, reaching the rank of Colonel. In 2017, he was selected as an astronaut by NASA. He’s on his first space mission.
Kayla Jane Barron. Born on September 19, 1987, in Pocatello, Idaho, USA, she earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering in 2010 and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the British University of Cambridge. As an officer in the US Navy, she served in a ballistic missile submarine. In 2017, she was selected as an astronaut by NASA. She’s on her first space mission.
Thomas Marshburn. Born on August 29, 1960, in Statesville, North Carolina, USA, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics in 1982, a Masters in Engineering Physics in 1984, a Doctorate of Medicine in 1989, and Doctorate of Medicine in 1997, the last from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Previously, he was accepted at the Space Medicine Fellowship at NASA/UTMB and served as a flight surgeon. After being accepted into NASA’s program, in 2009, flew with STS-127 mission on the Space Shuttle Endeavour as a mission specialist also performing three spacewalks. On December 21, 2012, he arrived on the International Space Station as part of Expedition 34/35, which ended with the return to Earth on May 13, 2013.
Matthias Maurer. Born March 18, 1970, in Germany, he graduated from Gymnasium Wendalinum in Sankt Wendel, Saarland, in 1989, and earned a doctorate in engineering from the RWTH Institute of Materials Science, Germany. In 2006, he received a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Hagen. Over the years, he has obtained various patents in the fields of materials science and materials engineering. In 2010, he started working at ESA, initially as an engineer. In 2014, he participated in the CAVES program and in 2016 in the NEEMO underwater mission. In 2015, he was selected as an astronaut by ESA. He’s on his first space mission.
Tomorrow, right after midnight UTC, the Crew Dragon Endurance will reach the International Space Station and dock directly with the Harmony module. The arrival of the new crew members occurs within a rapid rotation as the Crew-2 mission has just ended.
