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- Jonathan Amos
- BBC Science Correspondent
Image source,EPA
Noguchi Satoshi of the Japan Space Agency became the third astronaut in history to leave Earth in three different types of spacecraft.
The US Space Exploration Technology Corporation (SpaceX) rocket successfully lifted off on November 16. The rocket carried 4 space astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
The rockets and capsules that astronauts use are provided by SpaceX. This is SpaceX’s second manned mission.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) said this marks the United States entering a new era: regular trips by astronauts to low Earth orbit are provided by commercial companies. The four astronauts are Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and the experienced Japanese Space Agency (Jaxa) astronaut Soichi Noguchi. They will remain on the International Space Station for 6 months.
At the same time, Noguchi Satoshi became the third astronaut in history to leave Earth in three different types of spacecraft, and had previously flown on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the space shuttle.
Image source,EPA
The “Falcon rocket” and the “dragon capsule” carried by the four astronauts took place on November 16 (Sunday) at 19:27 US local time (November 17 GMT Sunday, Monday 12:27 am) departed from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (Kennedy Space Center).
It takes just over a day to reach the International Space Station. The docking time with the orbital platform is scheduled for around 4:00 GMT on November 17 (Tuesday).
Once the team arrives, they will work with NASA astronauts Kate Rubins and Roscosmos Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud. · Sergey Kud-Sverchkov (Sergey Kud-Sverchkov).
A seven-person team on a 410-kilometer-high space base will triple the scientific activities that can be carried out in a special microgravity environment.
SpaceX has signed a contract worth more than US $ 3 billion (£ 2.3 billion) with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The cooperation includes spacecraft development, testing and flight services.
The company conducted a demonstration mission in May of this year, when astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were dispatched to the space station and returned to Earth safely.
The contract also requires the execution of six “businesses” (regular missions), and this flight is the first scheduled commercial flight.
NASA and Boeing have a similar agreement, but it is more than a year after SpaceX.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the new low-Earth orbit transportation outsourcing model is saving billions of dollars in acquisition costs. He intends to use these economic benefits to fund his lunar and Mars programs. To this end, NASA has tested its new outsourced giant rocket in order to fly astronauts back to the lunar surface, and hopes to achieve this goal around 2024.
Before returning to Earth, they will meet up with another crew member launched by SpaceX for a short delivery.
NASA phased out the winged space shuttle in 2011. During the transition years, the United States has relied on Russia to provide spacecraft services.
Now the United States can no longer depend on Russia and achieve internal self-reliance. But American astronauts continue to bring the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station from time to time. But no more money will be paid for it. In exchange, the Russian astronauts will have the opportunity to fly in the American space capsule.
The new crew will conduct at least four spacewalk missions during their work on the International Space Station.
During one of the spacewalk missions, they will install the British ColKa communications terminal, which is the UK’s first major industrial contribution to the space platform.
The radio equipment is manufactured by the British company MDA and will allow astronauts to communicate with scientists and family members on Earth at home broadband speeds.
ColKa will be fixed outside the International Space Station, the responsible component of the European Space Agency.
Image source,THAT
A British-made communications terminal will be installed on the International Space Station.
