SpaceX Sends International Crew to ISS – NASA Astronaut Joins First-Timers from Denmark, Japan and Russia

Elon Musk’s space agency SpaceX launched four astronauts from four different countries to the International Space Station (ISS) on a spacecraft. Their rocket lifted off at 3:27 AM local time on Saturday, August 27 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as reported by news agency AP. They are expected to arrive at the space station on Sunday, August 28, taking about 29 hours to get there. After that, the four astronauts already aboard the ISS will return to Earth.

This was the first time that astronauts from four distinct countries occupied all the seats on a spacecraft launched by the United States. Besides the NASA astronaut, there were space travelers from Denmark, Japan and Russia embarking on a 6-month mission to the ISS.

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1. First Spaceflight for 2 Astronauts

2. Careers of Astronauts Before Becoming Space Travelers

First Spaceflight for 2 Astronauts

The four crew members on this capsule were mission commander and NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency astronaut and mission pilot Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov.

This marks the first spaceflight for Moghbeli and Borisov. It is the second trip for Mogensen and Furukawa. Commenting on the diverse launch, European Space Agency Director Josef Asbacher said “We need to come together to explore space.”

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Careers of Astronauts Before Becoming Space Travelers

Astronaut Moghbeli – Her parents fled Iran during the 1979 revolution. Born in Germany and raised in Long Island, New York, she joined the US Navy. She flew helicopters in attacks on terrorists in Afghanistan. This is her first time going to space. She hopes it will inspire girls in Iran to dream big. Before the flight, she said, “Having confidence in yourself is about strength.”

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Astronaut Mogensen – After getting an engineering degree in Denmark, he worked offshore oil drilling along the coast of West Africa for years. He says many questioned him for taking that job. His response was that we’ll need space drillers in the future. Mogensen is the first Danish astronaut.

Astronaut Furukawa – Before becoming an astronaut, he was a surgeon. Like Mogensen, he has visited the ISS before.

Astronaut Borisov – After studying business, he pursued engineering. He runs a free diving school in Moscow. He says the best part of astronauts from different countries is the food. He also judges competitions for diving deep underwater without oxygen.

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