NASA on Sunday said that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 mission, which is headed to the International Space Station, is doing well. The rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center that day, carrying NASA’s Crew 8 of Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Russia’s Alexander Grebenkin.
The astronauts should reach the orbiting lab on Tuesday, replacing Crew 7 from the United States, Denmark, Japan, and Russia, who have been there since August. The earliest date Crew 7 could return would be “around March 11 or so,” said NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich.
The new crew’s six-month stay includes the arrival of two rocket ships ordered by NASA. SpaceX Director of Dragon Mission Management, Sarah Walker, said the current mission marks a significant milestone for SpaceX as it sends people to the International Space Station. Crew 8 “marks the 50th crew member that SpaceX has sent to space,” she said.
