SpaceX launches Crew-6 mission for NASA, sending four more astronauts to the space station

SpaceX launched 4 radical to the International Space Station from Florida arsenic Elon Musk's institution begins the last of the archetypal six missions awarded by NASA.

Known arsenic Crew-6, the ngo for NASA volition bring the radical up to the abstraction presumption for a six-month enactment successful orbit. The ngo is SpaceX's sixth operational unit motorboat for NASA to date, and the company's ninth quality spaceflight to date.

"If you enjoyed your ride, delight don't hide to springiness america 5 stars," SpaceX ngo power called retired aft the capsule reached orbit.

"That was fantastic, convey you," Crew-6 commandant Stephen Bowen responded.

Crew-6 launched a small aft midnight connected Thursday morning, opening a conscionable implicit 24-hour travel to the ISS. The ngo brings the fig of astronauts SpaceX has launched to 34, including some authorities and backstage missions, since its archetypal crewed motorboat successful May 2020.

The unit includes 2 Americans, 1 Russian and 1 Emirati: NASA astronauts Warren Hoburg and Stephen Bowen, Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi.

SpaceX launched the astronauts successful its Crew Dragon capsule called Endeavour, connected apical of a Falcon 9 rocket. Both the rocket and capsule are reusable, with the second flying connected its 4th ngo to date.

After a last-minute hold during SpaceX's first motorboat attempt connected Monday, a information reappraisal identified a clogged filter successful a crushed strategy arsenic the origin of an evident contented successful the fluid that ignites the rocket's engines. SpaceX replaced the filter and completed verification steps to marque Thursday's launch.

SpaceX developed its Crew Dragon spacecraft and fine-tuned its Falcon 9 rocket nether NASA's competitory Commercial Crew program, competing against Boeing's Starliner capsule. But Boeing's capsule remains successful development, with costly delays pushing back the commencement of operational Starliner flights.

NASA awarded SpaceX with further missions, for a full of 14, compared to Boeing's six.