SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, designed to transport astronauts, is currently connected to the International Space Station while orbiting Earth, signifying the successful conclusion of the initial stage of its first regular operational flight. NASA recently approved Dragon for crewed space travel following the completion of its development and testing phase, which included a successful manned test flight earlier in 2020.

The spacecraft launched from Florida on Sunday evening, transporting a crew of four astronauts: Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker from NASA, and Soichi Noguchi from JAXA. Following a journey of just over 24 hours in orbit, the spacecraft maneuvered into the correct position to approach and link up with the Space Station. This connection was finalized late Monday night, accomplished entirely through SpaceX’s automated docking system, connecting to the Space Station’s recently installed international docking port. The existing Space Station crew then opened the hatch, allowing the new arrivals to enter.

This successful docking and hatch opening demonstrates that SpaceX and NASA have met their objectives with the Commercial Crew program: establishing a dependable and efficient method for launching individuals from the United States into space, and specifically to the ISS. The astronauts on this mission will reside on the Space Station for the next six months while Dragon remains attached. They are anticipated to return to Earth around June of next year, completing the second and final portion of this initial mission, which will validate the system’s capability for safe return.