In a crowded space, you never know what activities will break out.
The stunning views of the Earth and the “shenanigans” between the zero gravity indicators of the turtle and the monkey on board are just some of the benefits that Crew-4 astronauts enjoyed in the brand new SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft called Freedom.
“Our first and most beloved part of being in the Dragon so far is definitely the view,” NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, the first black female astronaut on a long-term mission, said in a video aired Wednesday (April 27th).
“It was so cool to see the terminator come in and out [due to] day and night cycles to see the clouds, “Watkins added.” All the rock formations are particularly interesting to me as a geologist. “
Apart from the view, however, the crew spent some time talking about the plush turtle and the little monkey, which launched with the astronauts Crew-4 on SpaceX. “As everyone knows, when you put a turtle and a monkey together, it’s a scam,” said pilot Robert Hines. (The turtle, the monkey, and the word “shenanigan” refer to the names of the different classes of astronauts to which the crew members belong.)
Related: Amazing photos at the launch of SpaceX’s astronaut mission Crew-4
Left: Crew 4 astronauts Jessica Watkins (NASA), Robert Hines (NASA) and (near the top) Samantha Christophoretti of the European Space Agency with the mascots of their spacecraft. (Image credit: NASA)
Freedom is the fourth and newest capsule of SpaceX Dragon, which transports astronauts into space after Endeavor, Resilience and Endurance. All four spacecraft were nominated by the debut crews to fly them. The crew did not point out major differences between Freedom and NASA’s previous SpaceX Dragons, but noted that the new spacecraft performed very well.
“We had several burns during our sleep periods with, suddenly, new fuel cells,” said Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency. As her sleeping bag was slightly pushed by the burn, she recalled, she moved to one of the windows nearby.
“I could see the fairings visually,” added Christophoretti, referring to the structures above the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which launched the Crew Dragon into space. “It was like a ghost flying behind us, light shining, making amazing shapes. Then it became more of an incandescent light and it was just beautiful.
Commander Kiel Lindgren also praised the Falcon 9. “The feeling of the rocket last night, it was absolutely amazing, incredibly smooth ride,” he said. “It was incredibly fun to feel this acceleration, and then the weightlessness, after we went into orbit.
The crew docked at the International Space Station later Wednesday (April 27th) for an expected six-month mission.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
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