And it could even seek an extension from there. And when Sergei Krikalev, the executive director of Human Space Flight Programs at the Russian space agency Roscosmos, was asked whether the tonal shift that came after the leadership change was an attempt to ease the tensions, he replied with a single word:ĭespite Rogozin’s previous statements, Krikalev has said that Russia is fully committed to the ISS at least through 2024. Rogozin left his role at Roscosmos earlier this year. (Roscosmos controls the propulsion on the ISS.) The former head of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, was Dmitry Rogozin, and frequently made headlines during his tenure with bellicose rhetoric aimed at the United States.Īt one point, he threatened to not only pull Russia out of its involvement in the International Space Station - but to crash it into the ground. While we wait for the spacecraft to dock, you can check out some photos from today’s launch here.

Five months later: Crew-5 is slated to return from space in about five months.

There will be a handover period, where the current ISS crew will help the newly arrived astronauts settle in before a separate Crew Dragon spacecraft brings the four astronauts who were part of SpaceX’s Crew-4 mission back home.

Thursday 8:15 p.m.: There are seven astronauts already on board the ISS.

Thursday 6:42 p.m.: The hatch will open ahead of the welcome cermony later in the evening.

Thursday 4:57 p.m.: The spacecraft is aiming to dock with the space station on Thursday around 5 p.m.

A slow and steady trip: The Crew Dragon spacecraft is now in orbit, and is set to begin a slow, precise trek to the ISS, which orbits about 200 miles (322 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface.

The four crew members - astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada of NASA, astronaut Koichi Wakata of JAXA, or Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and cosmonaut Anna Kikina of Roscosmos - took off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft at 12 p.m. The mission, which includes some historic firsts, moved forward even as rising geopolitical tensions brew on the ground. SpaceX and NASA launched a crew of astronauts who hail from all over the world on a trip to the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon spacecraft atop took off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center today in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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