SpaceX launches joint astronaut crew to ISS in NASA's Crew-11 mission
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Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
SpaceX Crew-11 mission docks with ISS for six-month research stay
HOUSTON, Aug 2 — An international team of four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked today with the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). 'Docking confirmed!', SpaceX posted on social media, along with a video showing the spacecraft making contact with the ISS at 2:27 am Eastern Time (0627 GMT), far above the southeast Pacific Ocean. American astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are joining the ISS on a six-month mission. They lifted off Friday morning from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, their capsule mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket. It is the 11th crew rotation mission to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, created to succeed the Space Shuttle era by partnering with private industry. 'We have cold drinks, hot food, and us waiting—see you soon,' the ISS crew told the new arrivals shortly after contact, according to the posted video. 'Hello Space Station—Crew 11 is here and we are super excited to join,' Fincke replied. As part of their stay, the Crew-11 astronauts will simulate Moon landing scenarios that could be encountered near the lunar South Pole under the US-led Artemis program. Using handheld controllers and multiple display screens, they will test how shifts in gravity affect astronauts' ability to pilot spacecraft, including future lunar landers. Continuously inhabited since 2000, the ISS functions as a testbed for research that supports deeper space exploration—including eventual missions to Mars. Among Crew-11's more colorful cargo items are Armenian pomegranate seeds, which will be compared to a control batch kept on Earth to study how microgravity influences crop growth. The ISS is set to be decommissioned after 2030, with its orbit gradually lowered until it breaks up in the atmosphere over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean called Point Nemo, a spacecraft graveyard. — AFP
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
SpaceX Crew Dragon docks with International Space Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER: An international team of four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked Saturday with the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). "Docking confirmed!", SpaceX posted on social media, along with a video showing the spacecraft making contact with the ISS at 2:27 am Eastern Time (0627 GMT), far above the southeast Pacific Ocean. American astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are joining the ISS on a six-month mission. They lifted off Friday morning from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, their capsule mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket. It is the 11th crew rotation mission to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, created to succeed the Space Shuttle era by partnering with private industry. "We have cold drinks, hot food, and us waiting – see you soon," the ISS crew told the new arrivals shortly after contact, according to the posted video. "Hello Space Station – Crew 11 is here and we are super excited to join," Fincke replied. As part of their stay, the Crew-11 astronauts will simulate Moon landing scenarios that could be encountered near the lunar South Pole under the US-led Artemis program. Using handheld controllers and multiple display screens, they will test how shifts in gravity affect astronauts' ability to pilot spacecraft, including future lunar landers. Continuously inhabited since 2000, the ISS functions as a testbed for research that supports deeper space exploration – including eventual missions to Mars. Among Crew-11's more colorful cargo items are Armenian pomegranate seeds, which will be compared to a control batch kept on Earth to study how microgravity influences crop growth. The ISS is set to be decommissioned after 2030, with its orbit gradually lowered until it breaks up in the atmosphere over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean called Point Nemo, a spacecraft graveyard. — AFP
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
US Space Shuttle Discovery relocation plan sparks legal dispute
WASHINGTON: A proposal to move the retired Space Shuttle Discovery from its current home at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum to Houston has triggered a legal standoff. The plan, embedded in recent federal legislation, faces resistance from the Smithsonian, which asserts full ownership of the historic spacecraft. 'The Smithsonian Institution owns the Discovery and holds it in trust for the American public,' the museum stated, referencing NASA's 2012 transfer of ownership. The shuttle, a major attraction in Virginia, draws millions annually. Texas Senator John Cornyn spearheaded the relocation effort, dubbed the 'Bring the Space Shuttle Home Act,' aiming to place Discovery in Houston, home to NASA's Johnson Space Center. The bill, later folded into broader legislation, allocated $85 million for the move—far below the estimated $325 million cost projected by the Congressional Research Service. NASA's acting administrator must decide by Sunday whether to proceed, but legal experts question the federal government's authority. 'Assuming Smithsonian has valid paperwork, I don't think Secretary Duffy or anyone in the federal government has any more authority to order the move of Discovery than you or I do,' said attorney Nicholas O'Donnell. Logistical challenges further complicate the plan. With NASA's modified 747 shuttle carriers no longer operational, transporting Discovery would require an unprecedented land or water effort. Former shuttle engineer Dennis Jenkins estimated costs could balloon to $1 billion. The Smithsonian, while legally independent, relies heavily on federal funding, leaving it vulnerable to political pressure. A court battle seems unlikely, but the dispute underscores tensions between historical preservation and regional pride. - AFP
