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SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docks with ISS

March 3, 2023

The latest four-member crew to reach the International Space Station includes two US astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and an astronaut from the UAE.

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The International Space Station
The team is expected to conduct more than 200 experiments aboard the space stationImage: Roscosmos State Space Corporation/AP/picture alliance

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) early on Friday.

Carrying two astronauts from the United States, a Russian cosmonaut and a United Arab Emirates astronaut, the autonomously flying spacecraft named Endeavor docked just after 1:40 a.m. EST (0640 GMT).

The mission, which is set to last six months, will see the crew carry out some 200 experiments while aboard the space station.

Sultan Al-Neyadi, from the United Arab Emirates, waves as the crew departs for the launch pad before launch to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida,
Sultan Al-Neyadi, from the United Arab Emirates, waves as the crew departsImage: Steve Nesius/REUTERS

Issue with docking

The arrival at the ISS some 25 hours after launch was far from smooth, though, owing largely to an issue with one of the capsule's docking hooks.

The SpaceX capsule and its four astronauts had to wait 65 feet (20 meters) from the orbiting lab, while flight controllers in California dealt with the software problem.

It's the same issue that came up just after Thursday's liftoff. Although all 12 hooks on the capsule appeared to be fine, the switch for one of them malfunctioned.

Mission Control informed the astronauts there could be a delay for up to two hours, adding: "Teams are working to get this right, not just fast."

jsi/nm (Reuters, dpa, AP)