Newly arrived Crew-4 astronauts on the International Space Station are ready to begin a six-month stay in space after a smooth SpaceX trip this week.
NASA pilot and astronaut Robert Hines said space travel on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, the debut mission for both him and the Freedom spacecraft, was an “eye-catching” experience that stood out even after his career as a fighter jet. . The mission launched into space early Wednesday (April 27th) and docked less than 16 hours later.
“One of the things we’ve said about fighters is low, the faster you go, the faster you get up,” said Hines, a pilot for a United States Air Force fighter jet, during a welcoming ceremony Thursday (April 28th). .
“It’s just the opposite,” he said of the launch. “The higher we went, the faster we went … and it was just amazing. This [rocket] driving, especially in the second stage, was really eye-catching. It was great.”
Related: Amazing photos at the launch of SpaceX’s astronaut mission Crew-4
European astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti arrives on the International Space Station with her teammates from crew 4. (Image credit: ESA)
Crew-4 commander and NASA astronaut Kel Lindgren also praised the launch of the new spacecraft. “The Freedom capsule was a really smooth ride, and the Gs were pretty amazing,” he said, referring to the G-forces or Earth’s gravitational forces that astronauts experience during launch.
In addition to enjoying the spacecraft, Crew-4 said it enjoys the Dragon space views that whet their appetite for several months of observation from the space station.
Rookie NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, the first black woman to complete a long mission, praised the view as the crew arrived at the space station.
“We could see the space station somehow in the distance, but super bright with the sunbeams shining on us,” she said. “The land below is absolutely beautiful. We are extremely excited to be here and see more of these amazing views. ”
The multinational crew of Expedition 67 now includes three Russians, six Americans and one German astronaut and one Italian astronaut with the arrival of the Crew-4 astronauts. This group of astronauts and astronauts will work closely together in the coming weeks to integrate the newcomers into space operations.
Samantha Christophoretti, a veteran astronaut with the European Space Agency, thanked her colleagues for their patience as Crew-4 adjusted to space life.
“They do a lot of work with us as we get our” space legs “, so thank you so much for this wonderful welcome.”
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
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