SPACEX Launches to the International Space Station
Four NASA astronauts launched to the ISS on November 15th
On November 15, 2020, NASA sent four lucky astronauts up to the ISS (International Space Station) for an important station-side mission. Crew 1, composed of Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and Soichi Noguchi (JAXA astronaut) arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, November 8, 2020 in preparation for their flight. NASA worked with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) on this mission to send more astronauts to the station and continue even more research about outer space. Why increase the number of astronauts on the ISS, you may ask? The arrival of this crew to the ISS will increase the amount of crew time available for furthering the important research that the astronauts do. The next couple of days before this launch were spent preparing the crew and the Crew Dragon (the spacecraft that carried the astronauts) for launch.
This launch was just as visible to the naked eye as the past satellite-carrying rockets have been, and will mean just as much to the human race's knowledge of space. The Falcon-9 rocket that carried the Crew Dragon to space was rolled out to the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center early on November 10 to stand tall in all of its glory. As part of liftoff preparations, there was a pre-launch news conference at Kennedy Space Center. NASA also held an administrator countdown clock briefing. And on the long-awaited day of the launch, NASA television provided continuous coverage of the astonishing event.
Space-X has expressed their excitement to have NASA’s continued support for the flight. While both NASA and Space-X have been preparing for this historic flight for a long time, the mission itself will take upwards of six months, a timeline which includes space travel to and from the ISS.
Although the astronauts already up on the station have been working their hardest to help provide NASA with as much information about our solar system as there is to gather, much more could be found with a few extra hands. Now that Crew-1 has lifted-off, we wait for them to work their hardest alongside their fellow astronauts on the ISS to advance the processes that enable us to prepare for the Moon and, eventually, Mars.
This is Landon’s second year at Edgewood and first year writing for the magazine. She enjoys spending her time reading, playing volleyball, or listening to music. As a staff writer this year, she is hoping to see and better understand the way the a magazine is made.