WASHINGTON: Four astronauts have reached the International Space Station (ISS) after completing the fastest US flight to the orbiting laboratory in seven hours and 55 minutes.
NASA confirmed that the journey set a new record for the fastest launch-to-docking time by a US spacecraft traveling to the ISS.
The SpaceX Crew-13 mission launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov.
Following the launch, the spacecraft completed its journey to the ISS in less than eight hours, setting a new benchmark for US crewed missions to the orbiting station.
Astronauts have continuously lived and conducted scientific research aboard the ISS for around 25 years. The station serves as a platform for research in microgravity and international cooperation in space.
While Crew-13 established the fastest US flight to the ISS, the overall record for reaching the station remains held by a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. In October 2020, a Soyuz spacecraft completed the journey in just over three hours.
The latest mission highlights the continuing development of rapid crew transportation to the ISS and the growing role of commercial spacecraft in supporting human spaceflight.
