SpaceX flight led by first Black female commander sets US speed record
Summary
Four astronauts launched to the International Space Station on a fast SpaceX flight that set a new U.S. speed record. Commander Jessica Watkins became the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit during this mission.Key Facts
- The SpaceX flight took only eight hours to reach the International Space Station, the fastest trip by any U.S. crew to date.
- Jessica Watkins, a geologist and NASA astronaut, is the first Black woman to command a crew to space.
- The crew included NASA rookie Luke Delaney, Canadian Joshua Kutryk, and Russian Sergey Teteryatnikov.
- The launch was delayed by three weeks to fix a fuel leak on the Dragon capsule.
- The crew carried a small lucky charm and used “Lucky 13” license plates on their vehicles, referencing their Crew-13 mission patch.
- Joshua Kutryk’s wife is expected to give birth while he is in space, making him the fourth astronaut to become a father during a mission.
- SpaceX continues multiple launches, including small satellites and a classified mission for U.S. national security.
- This flight marks the 13th NASA crew launched by SpaceX (excluding the 2020 test flight).
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