SpaceX is slated to launch four astronauts into the International Space Station on Sunday -- the first of what the US hopes will be many routine missions following a successful test flight in late spring.

Three Americans -- Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker -- and Japan's Soichi Noguchi will blast off at 7:27 pm Sunday (0027 GMT Monday) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- on the SpaceX Crew Dragon "Resilience".

In May, SpaceX completed a demonstration mission showing it could take astronauts to the ISS and bring them back safely, thus ending almost a decade of reliance on Russia for rides on its Soyuz rockets.

The launch will be attended by Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence.

The crew will dock at their destination at around 11:00 pm Monday night (0400 GMT Tuesday), joining two Russians and one American onboard the station, and stay for six months.

The Crew Dragon earlier this week became the first spacecraft to be certified by NASA since the Space Shuttle nearly 40 years ago.

At the end of its missions, the Crew Dragon deploys parachutes then splashes down in water, just as in the Apollo era.

NASA turned to SpaceX and Boeing after shuttering the checkered Space Shuttle programme in 2011, which failed in its main objectives of making space travel affordable and safe. &nbsp;

SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, has leapfrogged its much older rival Boeing, whose program has floundered after a failed test of its uncrewed Starliner last year.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

SpaceX is slated to launch four astronauts into the International Space Station on Sunday -- the first of what the US hopes will be many routine missions following a successful test flight in late spring.

SpaceX is slated to launch four astronauts into the International Space Station on Sunday -- the first of what the US hopes will be many routine missions following a successful test flight in late spring. Three Americans -- Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker -- and Japan's Soichi Noguchi will blast off at 7:27 pm Sunday (0027 GMT Monday) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida -- on the SpaceX Crew Dragon "Resilience". In May, SpaceX completed a demonstration mission showing it could take astronauts to the ISS and bring them back safely, thus ending almost a decade of reliance on Russia for rides on its Soyuz rockets. The launch will be attended by Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence. The crew will dock at their destination at around 11:00 pm Monday night (0400 GMT Tuesday), joining two Russians and one American onboard the station, and stay for six months. The Crew Dragon earlier this week became the first spacecraft to be certified by NASA since the Space Shuttle nearly 40 years ago. At the end of its missions, the Crew Dragon deploys parachutes then splashes down in water, just as in the Apollo era. NASA turned to SpaceX and Boeing after shuttering the checkered Space Shuttle programme in 2011, which failed in its main objectives of making space travel affordable and safe. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, has leapfrogged its much older rival Boeing, whose program has floundered after a failed test of its uncrewed Starliner last year.

SpaceX to launch four astronauts to International Space Station

Elon Musk's rocket company&nbsp;SpaceX is set to launch its first fully-crewed bound for the International Space Station on Saturday.

It is&nbsp;the program's first six-month routine mission since the United States resumed crewed space flight in May after nine years of reliance on Russia. &nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/spacexs-envisioned-machinery-will-not-only-take-us-to-mars-but-reduce-travel-time-on-earth-tremendously-306615">SpaceX's envisioned machinery will not only take us to Mars, but reduce travel time on Earth tremendously!</a>

NASA on Tuesday officially certified as safe the Crew Dragon capsule developed for regular astronaut transportation by SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk that carried two astronauts to the ISS in May and back to Earth again in August without major incident.&nbsp;

"I'm extremely proud to say we are returning regular human spaceflight launches to American soil on an American rocket and spacecraft," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said.&nbsp;

The mission, named CREW-1, will deliver four of the seven individuals from Expedition 64 to the ISS: NASA space travelers Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, just as Japanese space explorer Soichi Noguchi. Endeavor 64 is the term for this 64th gathering of individuals to possess and chip away at the ISS long haul.

Take-off is planned for 7:49 pm Saturday (0049 GMT Sunday) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and they are expected to arrive at the ISS eight hours later, at 0920 GMT Sunday.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spacex-launches-third-batch-of-mini-satellites-into-orbit-272623">SpaceX launches third batch of mini-satellites into orbit</a>

The mission marks a culmination for SpaceX, setting it up to be NASA's favored,&nbsp;and so far most reliable, transportation provider as the agency waits on Boeing's Starliner capsule, which has been held up in testing and is not expected to be ready before next year.&nbsp;

SpaceX has been operating space station re-supplying flights with the cargo version of the Dragon since 2012.&nbsp;

"For the next 15 months, we will fly seven crew and cargo Dragon missions for NASA," SpaceX head of crewed flights Benji Reed said during a phone call Tuesday.&nbsp;

"That means that (from December) starting with Crew-1, there will be a continuous presence of SpaceX Dragons in orbit."

The next crewed mission is expected to blast off at the end of March 2021, carrying one European, one Japanese and two American crew members.&nbsp;

Elon Musk's organisation has dispatched two individuals into space to date: NASA space explorers Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken, who rode to the International Space Station May 30 on board a Crew Dragon container mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket. That experimental drill, named DEMO-2, denoted the primary ever business manned dispatch, and the principal dispatch from American soil since the finish of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.

In any case, it was an experimental drill, with only two space explorers on board, enduring only 64 days with the vast majority of that time in zero-gravity spent on the International Space Station (ISS). On Nov. 14, if all works out as expected, four space explorers will take a Crew Dragon to the ISS and stay on the space station for a half year. It will check the start of the period of commonsense business spaceflight.&nbsp;

Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX is set to launch its first fully-crewed bound for the International Space Station on Saturday. It is the program's first six-month routine mission since the United States resumed crewed space flight in May after nine years of reliance on Russia.

Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX is set to launch its first fully-crewed bound for the International Space Station on Saturday. It is the program's first six-month routine mission since the United States resumed crewed space flight in May after nine years of reliance on Russia. Also read: SpaceX's envisioned machinery will not only take us to Mars, but reduce travel time on Earth tremendously! NASA on Tuesday officially certified as safe the Crew Dragon capsule developed for regular astronaut transportation by SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk that carried two astronauts to the ISS in May and back to Earth again in August without major incident. "I'm extremely proud to say we are returning regular human spaceflight launches to American soil on an American rocket and spacecraft," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said. The mission, named CREW-1, will deliver four of the seven individuals from Expedition 64 to the ISS: NASA space travelers Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, just as Japanese space explorer Soichi Noguchi. Endeavor 64 is the term for this 64th gathering of individuals to possess and chip away at the ISS long haul. Take-off is planned for 7:49 pm Saturday (0049 GMT Sunday) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and they are expected to arrive at the ISS eight hours later, at 0920 GMT Sunday. Also read: SpaceX launches third batch of mini-satellites into orbit The mission marks a culmination for SpaceX, setting it up to be NASA's favored, and so far most reliable, transportation provider as the agency waits on Boeing's Starliner capsule, which has been held up in testing and is not expected to be ready before next year. SpaceX has been operating space station re-supplying flights with the cargo version of the Dragon since 2012. "For the next 15 months, we will fly seven crew and cargo Dragon missions for NASA," SpaceX head of crewed flights Benji Reed said during a phone call Tuesday. "That means that (from December) starting with Crew-1, there will be a continuous presence of SpaceX Dragons in orbit." The next crewed mission is expected to blast off at the end of March 2021, carrying one European, one Japanese and two American crew members. Elon Musk's organisation has dispatched two individuals into space to date: NASA space explorers Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken, who rode to the International Space Station May 30 on board a Crew Dragon container mounted on a Falcon 9 rocket. That experimental drill, named DEMO-2, denoted the primary ever business manned dispatch, and the principal dispatch from American soil since the finish of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. In any case, it was an experimental drill, with only two space explorers on board, enduring only 64 days with the vast majority of that time in zero-gravity spent on the International Space Station (ISS). On Nov. 14, if all works out as expected, four space explorers will take a Crew Dragon to the ISS and stay on the space station for a half year. It will check the start of the period of commonsense business spaceflight.

'Another big leap': SpaceX set to launch first fully-crewed ISS mission

For the International Space Station, Leroy Chiao was, in a sense, there before the beginning.

In October 2000, he was one of seven astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery, which brought pieces of the nascent space station to orbit. Construction had begun a couple of years earlier. But no one was living there yet.

Much of the work on Chiao’s flight was done outside the space station, during spacewalks. But the astronauts also got to go inside briefly.

“It had that new-car smell,” Chiao recalled.

It was a runt of a space station then. The habitable portion consisted of just three modules, not the 16 orbiting today. But it was ready for people to move in.

Discovery undocked on Oct. 20 and returned to Earth. Eleven days later, three astronauts — William Shepherd of NASA and two Russians, Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko — blasted off in a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

On Nov. 2, 2000, they docked at the space station and began their 4 1/2-month stay in orbit.

Humans have been living off the planet ever since.

Monday is the 20th anniversary of continuous occupation of the International Space Station. The project was pitched as post-Cold War space cooperation between the United States and Russia, although for many its cost — well above $100 billion — made it a poster child of inefficient government megaprojects.

In the past decade, however, the station has, somewhat unexpectedly, turned into the linchpin for spurring capitalism in space, potentially leading to new industries and the possibility that more people will head to orbit.

Research conducted on the space station has yet to discover a cure for cancer or osteoporosis. And it has not generated a technological breakthrough that would transform life on Earth. But it has given NASA and other space agencies the knowledge and experience of how to build complex machinery in space, and insight into how microgravity affects the human body.

“The whole thing is an experiment of, Can humans live in space for long periods of time, operate in this challenging environment, and do it safely, do it successfully?” said Scott Kelly, one of the space station’s most prominent residents, who spent nearly a year in orbit, beginning in March 2015. “If that’s one of your main objectives of the program, I think it has been a great success.”

Ashes of the Cold War

An orbiting space station has long been seen as a steppingstone to the rest of the solar system. In the afterglow of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, a task force led by Vice President Spiro Agnew recommended ambitious follow-up space goals like a reusable space shuttle and a space station with the aim of sending astronauts to Mars as soon as the 1980s.

President Richard Nixon, trying to rein in the federal budget, gave NASA the go-ahead only for the shuttle.

The upper stage of one of the Saturn 5 rockets from one canceled moon mission was turned into Skylab, a space station for three NASA missions in 1973 and 1974. But it had crashed back to Earth by the time the space shuttles began flying in 1981.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced plans to build a space station he later christened Freedom. But after years of designs and redesigns, no piece of Freedom was ever built. In June 1993, the House of Representatives narrowly voted to keep it going.

That year, the Clinton administration was in the process of transforming Freedom into the International Space Station. And in September 1993, Russia, which had decades of experience operating the Salyut and Mir outposts in orbit, signed on as a partner. The member nations of the European Space Agency as well as Canada and Japan also took part.

“The International Space Station came out of the ashes of the Cold War,” said Jeffrey Manber, chief executive of Nanoracks, a company that has found a profitable business taking commercial payloads to the space station.

Houston, We Have No Problem

The first module, Zarya, built by Russia but financed by NASA, launched in November 1998. A couple of weeks later, the space shuttle Endeavour brought up Unity, the first American-built piece, which connects the Russian- and NASA-led segments. A Russian module, Zvezda, launched in July 2000.

Those were the ones that were there when Shepherd, Krikalev and Gidzenko set up home. “Through the whole flight, there wasn’t really a typical day,” Shepherd said.

The 20-year streak of humans in space did not begin grandly.

“The initial two or three weeks was fairly cramped, because the station had to be kind of opened up gradually,” said Shepherd, a former member of the Navy SEALs who served as the commander of the first crew. “We could not turn everything on and go everywhere in the station initially.”

They set up systems such as scrubbers to keep carbon dioxide levels from building up, stowed cargo, attached components brought up by space shuttles, fixed things that broke and even ran a few experiments.

By the time the three astronauts returned to Earth in March 2001, Shepherd said, “the conditions on the space station, I thought, were actually pretty good — we were comfortable.”

Beyond the Pioneers

It was another decade before construction on the International Space Station was considered complete, with a lull of more than two years when the space shuttles were grounded after the loss of Columbia in 2003.

“All the terrible catastrophes for the shuttle meant that all of us, Americans and Russians, we had a long period of just maintaining the station,” said Pavel Vinogradov, a Russian astronaut who reached the station in 2006 when it was operating with a skeleton crew of two in what he called “survival mode.”

But when the shuttles were cleared to fly again, progress on construction resumed.

“I would tell you, looking back on it, it went way, way better than we could have ever hoped,” said Michael T. Suffredini, who served as NASA’s space station program manager for a decade, from 2005 to 2015.

That does not mean everything always went smoothly. Computers crashed, cooling systems failed, leaks popped up and the toilet broke.

In 2007, a particularly dire mishap almost crippled the station.

As astronauts were trying to unfurl a 112-foot solar array, it ripped. “That was pretty exciting because we didn’t have a replacement for it,” Suffredini said.

One solution would have been to jettison the damaged panel. But without any spares available, the station would be power-starved for years.

Engineers improvised a solution that repaired the tear and allowed the panel to be fully extended. Using materials on the station, astronauts made what were nicknamed “cuff links” — lengths of wires with connecting tabs at both ends. They were installed during a spacewalk by a NASA astronaut, Scott Parazynski, that lasted more than seven hours.

Peggy Whitson’s three trips to the space station pushed her to the record for the most cumulative time in space by an American: 665 days. Across that time, she experienced the station’s evolution from a construction site to a premier orbiting laboratory where astronauts could spend more time tending to experiments.

The station is to remain in orbit until at least 2024, and Suffredini is now looking to apply what has been learned to commercial space stations. He is president and chief executive of Axiom Space, a Houston company that NASA selected in January to build a commercial module to add to the International Space Station.

When the current space station is retired, the Axiom module would become the core of an Axiom space station. “Our whole company is founded on that premise that we can do it a lot less expensively,” Suffredini said.

Nanoracks, Manber’s company, is also developing a concept for a commercial outpost that would operate robotically most of the time and thus more cheaply. It would also enable experiments and manufacturing in space that would be too dangerous if there were people around. Astronauts could periodically visit.

Suffredini said the current trajectory of life in orbit followed the path of previous exploration of new territories. “In any government exploration in the history of mankind, you send out a few people that are government funded to go do a relatively risky thing, just to see what’s there,” he said.

If there’s anything of value, the pioneers follow and eventually the settlers. “In order to establish low-Earth orbit,” Suffredini said, “we need to get to the pioneering stage, which is what we’re really doing.”

For the International Space Station, Leroy Chiao was, in a sense, there before the beginning. In October 2000, he was one of seven astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery, which brought pieces of the nascent space station to orbit.

For the International Space Station, Leroy Chiao was, in a sense, there before the beginning. In October 2000, he was one of seven astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery, which brought pieces of the nascent space station to orbit. Construction had begun a couple of years earlier. But no one was living there yet. Much of the work on Chiao’s flight was done outside the space station, during spacewalks. But the astronauts also got to go inside briefly. “It had that new-car smell,” Chiao recalled. It was a runt of a space station then. The habitable portion consisted of just three modules, not the 16 orbiting today. But it was ready for people to move in. Discovery undocked on Oct. 20 and returned to Earth. Eleven days later, three astronauts — William Shepherd of NASA and two Russians, Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko — blasted off in a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. On Nov. 2, 2000, they docked at the space station and began their 4 1/2-month stay in orbit. Humans have been living off the planet ever since. Monday is the 20th anniversary of continuous occupation of the International Space Station. The project was pitched as post-Cold War space cooperation between the United States and Russia, although for many its cost — well above $100 billion — made it a poster child of inefficient government megaprojects. In the past decade, however, the station has, somewhat unexpectedly, turned into the linchpin for spurring capitalism in space, potentially leading to new industries and the possibility that more people will head to orbit. Research conducted on the space station has yet to discover a cure for cancer or osteoporosis. And it has not generated a technological breakthrough that would transform life on Earth. But it has given NASA and other space agencies the knowledge and experience of how to build complex machinery in space, and insight into how microgravity affects the human body. “The whole thing is an experiment of, Can humans live in space for long periods of time, operate in this challenging environment, and do it safely, do it successfully?” said Scott Kelly, one of the space station’s most prominent residents, who spent nearly a year in orbit, beginning in March 2015. “If that’s one of your main objectives of the program, I think it has been a great success.” Ashes of the Cold War An orbiting space station has long been seen as a steppingstone to the rest of the solar system. In the afterglow of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, a task force led by Vice President Spiro Agnew recommended ambitious follow-up space goals like a reusable space shuttle and a space station with the aim of sending astronauts to Mars as soon as the 1980s. President Richard Nixon, trying to rein in the federal budget, gave NASA the go-ahead only for the shuttle. The upper stage of one of the Saturn 5 rockets from one canceled moon mission was turned into Skylab, a space station for three NASA missions in 1973 and 1974. But it had crashed back to Earth by the time the space shuttles began flying in 1981. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced plans to build a space station he later christened Freedom. But after years of designs and redesigns, no piece of Freedom was ever built. In June 1993, the House of Representatives narrowly voted to keep it going. That year, the Clinton administration was in the process of transforming Freedom into the International Space Station. And in September 1993, Russia, which had decades of experience operating the Salyut and Mir outposts in orbit, signed on as a partner. The member nations of the European Space Agency as well as Canada and Japan also took part. “The International Space Station came out of the ashes of the Cold War,” said Jeffrey Manber, chief executive of Nanoracks, a company that has found a profitable business taking commercial payloads to the space station. Houston, We Have No Problem The first module, Zarya, built by Russia but financed by NASA, launched in November 1998. A couple of weeks later, the space shuttle Endeavour brought up Unity, the first American-built piece, which connects the Russian- and NASA-led segments. A Russian module, Zvezda, launched in July 2000. Those were the ones that were there when Shepherd, Krikalev and Gidzenko set up home. “Through the whole flight, there wasn’t really a typical day,” Shepherd said. The 20-year streak of humans in space did not begin grandly. “The initial two or three weeks was fairly cramped, because the station had to be kind of opened up gradually,” said Shepherd, a former member of the Navy SEALs who served as the commander of the first crew. “We could not turn everything on and go everywhere in the station initially.” They set up systems such as scrubbers to keep carbon dioxide levels from building up, stowed cargo, attached components brought up by space shuttles, fixed things that broke and even ran a few experiments. By the time the three astronauts returned to Earth in March 2001, Shepherd said, “the conditions on the space station, I thought, were actually pretty good — we were comfortable.” Beyond the Pioneers It was another decade before construction on the International Space Station was considered complete, with a lull of more than two years when the space shuttles were grounded after the loss of Columbia in 2003. “All the terrible catastrophes for the shuttle meant that all of us, Americans and Russians, we had a long period of just maintaining the station,” said Pavel Vinogradov, a Russian astronaut who reached the station in 2006 when it was operating with a skeleton crew of two in what he called “survival mode.” But when the shuttles were cleared to fly again, progress on construction resumed. “I would tell you, looking back on it, it went way, way better than we could have ever hoped,” said Michael T. Suffredini, who served as NASA’s space station program manager for a decade, from 2005 to 2015. That does not mean everything always went smoothly. Computers crashed, cooling systems failed, leaks popped up and the toilet broke. In 2007, a particularly dire mishap almost crippled the station. As astronauts were trying to unfurl a 112-foot solar array, it ripped. “That was pretty exciting because we didn’t have a replacement for it,” Suffredini said. One solution would have been to jettison the damaged panel. But without any spares available, the station would be power-starved for years. Engineers improvised a solution that repaired the tear and allowed the panel to be fully extended. Using materials on the station, astronauts made what were nicknamed “cuff links” — lengths of wires with connecting tabs at both ends. They were installed during a spacewalk by a NASA astronaut, Scott Parazynski, that lasted more than seven hours. Peggy Whitson’s three trips to the space station pushed her to the record for the most cumulative time in space by an American: 665 days. Across that time, she experienced the station’s evolution from a construction site to a premier orbiting laboratory where astronauts could spend more time tending to experiments. The station is to remain in orbit until at least 2024, and Suffredini is now looking to apply what has been learned to commercial space stations. He is president and chief executive of Axiom Space, a Houston company that NASA selected in January to build a commercial module to add to the International Space Station. When the current space station is retired, the Axiom module would become the core of an Axiom space station. “Our whole company is founded on that premise that we can do it a lot less expensively,” Suffredini said. Nanoracks, Manber’s company, is also developing a concept for a commercial outpost that would operate robotically most of the time and thus more cheaply. It would also enable experiments and manufacturing in space that would be too dangerous if there were people around. Astronauts could periodically visit. Suffredini said the current trajectory of life in orbit followed the path of previous exploration of new territories. “In any government exploration in the history of mankind, you send out a few people that are government funded to go do a relatively risky thing, just to see what’s there,” he said. If there’s anything of value, the pioneers follow and eventually the settlers. “In order to establish low-Earth orbit,” Suffredini said, “we need to get to the pioneering stage, which is what we’re really doing.”

How the space station became a base to launch humanity’s future

At least she didn't have to wait in line.

A US astronaut cast her ballot from the International Space Station on Thursday, making her voice heard in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">presidential election</a> despite being 253 miles (408 kilometers) above the Earth.

"From the International Space Station: I voted today," crew member Kate Rubins, who began a six-month stint aboard the orbiting station last week, said on US space agency NASA's Twitter account.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
From the International Space Station: I voted today 
 
— Kate Rubins <a href="https://t.co/DRdjwSzXwy">pic.twitter.com/DRdjwSzXwy</a>
— NASA Astronauts (@NASA_Astronauts) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA_Astronauts/status/1319375479669846017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The post featured a photograph of Rubins, her blonde hair floating in the zero-gravity environment, in front of a white enclosure with a paper sign that reads "ISS voting booth."

Rubins and NASA described the process as a form of absentee voting.&nbsp;

A secure electronic ballot generated by a clerk's office in Harris County, home of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, was sent up via email to the ISS.

Rubins filled out the ballot in the email and it was downlinked and delivered back to the clerk's office.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-election-2020-joe-biden-calls-donald-trumps-immigration-policies-criminal-337306">Also read|&nbsp;US election 2020: Joe Biden calls Donald Trump's immigration policies 'criminal'</a>

She is no stranger to the process: Rubins cast her vote from the ISS during the 2016 election. Congress passed legislation in 1997 that made voting from space possible.

"We consider it an honor to be able to vote from space," she said in a video before she and two Russian cosmonauts launched from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 14.

"If we can do it from space then I believe folks can do it from the ground too."

Three other American astronauts were also expected to vote from space but their October 31 trip to the ISS was delayed.&nbsp;

At least she didn't have to wait in line. A US astronaut cast her ballot from the International Space Station on Thursday, making her voice heard in the presidential election despite being 253 miles (408 kilometers) above the Earth.

At least she didn't have to wait in line. A US astronaut cast her ballot from the International Space Station on Thursday, making her voice heard in the presidential election despite being 253 miles (408 kilometers) above the Earth. "From the International Space Station: I voted today," crew member Kate Rubins, who began a six-month stint aboard the orbiting station last week, said on US space agency NASA's Twitter account. From the International Space Station: I voted today — Kate Rubins pic.twitter.com/DRdjwSzXwy — NASA Astronauts (@NASA_Astronauts) October 22, 2020 × The post featured a photograph of Rubins, her blonde hair floating in the zero-gravity environment, in front of a white enclosure with a paper sign that reads "ISS voting booth." Rubins and NASA described the process as a form of absentee voting. A secure electronic ballot generated by a clerk's office in Harris County, home of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, was sent up via email to the ISS. Rubins filled out the ballot in the email and it was downlinked and delivered back to the clerk's office. Also read| US election 2020: Joe Biden calls Donald Trump's immigration policies 'criminal' She is no stranger to the process: Rubins cast her vote from the ISS during the 2016 election. Congress passed legislation in 1997 that made voting from space possible. "We consider it an honor to be able to vote from space," she said in a video before she and two Russian cosmonauts launched from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 14. "If we can do it from space then I believe folks can do it from the ground too." Three other American astronauts were also expected to vote from space but their October 31 trip to the ISS was delayed.

Ultimate absentee ballot: US astronaut votes from space station

A three-person crew has successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, the Russian space agency&nbsp;Roscosmos confirmed.

The manner aircraft&nbsp;SoyuzMS17 successfully docked to the&nbsp;to the Russian segment of the International Space Station. It launched from Baikonur cosmodrome and had&nbsp;Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and&nbsp;NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins on board.

It has become the first spacecraft in the world that&nbsp;made only two orbits around the Earth. This was also the first time ever that a spacecraft took&nbsp;"a record short three hours and three minutes."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Есть закрытие крюков! <a href="https://t.co/XzM9coce0b">pic.twitter.com/XzM9coce0b</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1316301567277047809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Explaining about the mission, the International Space Station tweeted, "The Exp 64 crew will soon board the station to begin a six-month research mission after the hatch opens at about 6:45am ET."

As per reports, this is also being reported as the last Russian flight to carry a US crew member.&nbsp;“We have an incredible partnership,” Rubins said in an interview from Russia's Star City before her flight. “We'll continue to train crews over here and we're going to have cosmonauts come to the Johnson Space Center and train.”

The launch also co-incided with Kathleen Rubins' birthday.

A three-person crew has successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, the Russian space agency Roscosmos confirmed. The manner aircraft SoyuzMS17 successfully docked to the to the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

A three-person crew has successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, the Russian space agency Roscosmos confirmed. The manner aircraft SoyuzMS17 successfully docked to the to the Russian segment of the International Space Station. It launched from Baikonur cosmodrome and had Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins on board. It has become the first spacecraft in the world that made only two orbits around the Earth. This was also the first time ever that a spacecraft took "a record short three hours and three minutes." Есть закрытие крюков! pic.twitter.com/XzM9coce0b — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) October 14, 2020 × Explaining about the mission, the International Space Station tweeted, "The Exp 64 crew will soon board the station to begin a six-month research mission after the hatch opens at about 6:45am ET." As per reports, this is also being reported as the last Russian flight to carry a US crew member. “We have an incredible partnership,” Rubins said in an interview from Russia's Star City before her flight. “We'll continue to train crews over here and we're going to have cosmonauts come to the Johnson Space Center and train.” The launch also co-incided with Kathleen Rubins' birthday.

Three astronauts dock at ISS within three hours of launch

A commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) -- carrying the name of deceased NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla -- arrived at the International Space Station for ‘rendezvous and capture’ on October 5.

Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman to enter space, has had the spacecraft named after her for her key contributions to human spaceflight.

The SS Kalpana Chawla, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus, was launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 09:38 pm EDT.

On the NG-14 mission, the SS Kalpana Chawla will deliver approximately 3,630 kilograms of cargo to the station.

Research flying aboard the Cygnus includes the test of a biologic drug that could be used for the treatment of leukemia, a plant growth study that will cultivate radishes as a model for future crops in space, a compact toilet for astronauts to use on deep-space exploration missions and a 360-degree virtual reality camera that will be used to film during a spacewalk for an immersive cinematic production.

Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defence technology company said that this mission is named after Chawla in memory of the mission specialist who died with her six crewmates aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003 Northrop Grumman stated that it is proud to celebrate the life of Kalpana Chawla and her dream of flying through the air and in space.

"It is the company's tradition to name each Cygnus after an individual who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight," said Northrop Grumman.

Born in Haryana, India, Chawla moved to the United States to earn her master's and doctorate degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in 1984 and the University of Colorado in 1988, respectively.

She then began her career at NASA, conducting research in fluid dynamics at the Ames Research Center in California.

After becoming a naturalised US citizen, Chawla applied for and became a NASA astronaut as a member of "The Flying Escargot," NASA's 15th class of trainees. In 1997, she launched on STS-87, a 15-day shuttle mission that was dedicated to the science flying as part of the fourth United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4).

Chawla's second spaceflight, STS-107, came to a tragic end on February 1, 2003, following 16 days of conducting science onboard the space shuttle Columbia. A small piece of foam that struck the orbiter's left wing during launch created a hole that went undetected during the mission.

Upon Columbia's return to Earth, hot plasma entered the wing, tearing it apart, and the resulting loss of control led to the vehicle disintegrating and the death of the crew.

A commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) -- carrying the name of deceased NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla -- arrived at the International Space Station for ‘rendezvous and capture’ on October 5.

A commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) -- carrying the name of deceased NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla -- arrived at the International Space Station for ‘rendezvous and capture’ on October 5. Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman to enter space, has had the spacecraft named after her for her key contributions to human spaceflight. The SS Kalpana Chawla, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus, was launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 09:38 pm EDT. On the NG-14 mission, the SS Kalpana Chawla will deliver approximately 3,630 kilograms of cargo to the station. Research flying aboard the Cygnus includes the test of a biologic drug that could be used for the treatment of leukemia, a plant growth study that will cultivate radishes as a model for future crops in space, a compact toilet for astronauts to use on deep-space exploration missions and a 360-degree virtual reality camera that will be used to film during a spacewalk for an immersive cinematic production. Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defence technology company said that this mission is named after Chawla in memory of the mission specialist who died with her six crewmates aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003 Northrop Grumman stated that it is proud to celebrate the life of Kalpana Chawla and her dream of flying through the air and in space. "It is the company's tradition to name each Cygnus after an individual who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight," said Northrop Grumman. Born in Haryana, India, Chawla moved to the United States to earn her master's and doctorate degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in 1984 and the University of Colorado in 1988, respectively. She then began her career at NASA, conducting research in fluid dynamics at the Ames Research Center in California. After becoming a naturalised US citizen, Chawla applied for and became a NASA astronaut as a member of "The Flying Escargot," NASA's 15th class of trainees. In 1997, she launched on STS-87, a 15-day shuttle mission that was dedicated to the science flying as part of the fourth United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4). Chawla's second spaceflight, STS-107, came to a tragic end on February 1, 2003, following 16 days of conducting science onboard the space shuttle Columbia. A small piece of foam that struck the orbiter's left wing during launch created a hole that went undetected during the mission. Upon Columbia's return to Earth, hot plasma entered the wing, tearing it apart, and the resulting loss of control led to the vehicle disintegrating and the death of the crew.

Cargo spacecraft SS Kalpana Chawla arrives at ISS

NASA is planning to send a new zero-gravity toilet to the International Space Station. The toilet, that's worth $23 million- will be sent to the station for testing on a cargo ship. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: A new space toilet for International Space Station

NASA is about to launch an upgraded microgravity toilet to the International Space Station. Touted as smaller and lighter than the current toilets on the ISS, the new commode is also supposed to be more accommodating for women astronauts needing to use the space facilities.

NASA introduces an upgraded microgravity toilet to the ISS

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has said the United States should maintain its presence in Earth's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/international-space-station-moved-in-orbit-to-avoid-collision-with-space-debris-329583">orbit</a> with the International Space Station(ISS) in order to thwart Chinese activity.

Watch:

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"I'll tell you one thing that has me very concerned -- and that is that a day is coming when the International Space Station comes to the end of its useful life," Bridenstine told US lawmakers.

"In order to be able to have the United States of America have a presence in low Earth orbit, we have to be prepared for what comes next," Bridenstine added.

Bridenstine's warning comes as China prepares&nbsp;to start its international space station named Tiangong by 2022.&nbsp;

"We want to see a public-private partnership where NASA can deal with commercial space station providers, so that we can keep a permanent uninterrupted human presence in low Earth orbit," he said.

"I don't think it's in the interest of the nation to build another International Space Station -- I do think it's in the interest of the nation to support commercial industry, where NASA is a customer."

"China is rapidly building what they call the 'Chinese International Space Station,' and they're rapidly marketing that space station to all of our international partners," said Bridenstine.

"It would be a tragedy, if, after all of his time, and all of this effort, we were to abandon low Earth orbit and cede that territory," the NASA chief added.

Bridenstine said that it was vital to "ultimately not cede that territory to another country that doesn't have our interests at heart."

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has said the United States should maintain its presence in Earth's orbit with the International Space Station(ISS) in order to thwart Chinese activity.

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has said the United States should maintain its presence in Earth's orbit with the International Space Station(ISS) in order to thwart Chinese activity. Watch: "I'll tell you one thing that has me very concerned -- and that is that a day is coming when the International Space Station comes to the end of its useful life," Bridenstine told US lawmakers. "In order to be able to have the United States of America have a presence in low Earth orbit, we have to be prepared for what comes next," Bridenstine added. Bridenstine's warning comes as China prepares to start its international space station named Tiangong by 2022. "We want to see a public-private partnership where NASA can deal with commercial space station providers, so that we can keep a permanent uninterrupted human presence in low Earth orbit," he said. "I don't think it's in the interest of the nation to build another International Space Station -- I do think it's in the interest of the nation to support commercial industry, where NASA is a customer." "China is rapidly building what they call the 'Chinese International Space Station,' and they're rapidly marketing that space station to all of our international partners," said Bridenstine. "It would be a tragedy, if, after all of his time, and all of this effort, we were to abandon low Earth orbit and cede that territory," the NASA chief added. Bridenstine said that it was vital to "ultimately not cede that territory to another country that doesn't have our interests at heart."

China building International Space Station, US should not cede space territory: NASA chief Jim Bridenstine to US lawmakers

The next International Space Station (ISS) crew took their final pre-launch exams at Star City in the Moscow Region on Wednesday (September 23).

ISS Expedition 64 crew takes pre-launch exams

International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday was moved away in orbit on Tuesday in order to avoid collision with space debris. NASA said that the ISS carried out a '150 second reboost' to avoid 'unknown' space debris. As per NASA's calculations, the space debris was to pass by the ISS at a distance of 1.39 km, an extremely short range in space.

Currently, there are 3 astronauts at the ISS. NASA instructed them, 'out of abundance of caution', to move to the Russian section of the ISS closer to Soyuz spacecraft. This would have helped to extract the astronauts safely in case of any emergency.

ISS is currently orbiting the earth at the speed of 27,568km/h (17,130 mph). At this speed, even a small object can create damage to ISS, repair work of which is a costly affair going up to the tune of millions of dollars.

NASA stressed that there was no danger to the astronauts.

The issue with space debris

Space debris is a huge impediment in space exploration. According to Daily Mail, there are 160 million pieces of debris around Earth. These include large objects like defunct, old satellite and also small in dimensions of a few centimeters. But all of them are capable of causing great damage to satellites that are functioning.

Amid global calls for comprehensive action to control space debris, UK announced funding for clean up of the space through its space agency UKSA.

The £1 million funding (around $12,96,880) will be used to clear space debris, even though no concrete way to remove it has been formulated yet. 
&nbsp;

International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday was moved away in orbit on Tuesday in order to avoid collision with space debris. NASA said that the ISS carried out a '150 second reboost' to avoid 'unknown' space debris.

International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday was moved away in orbit on Tuesday in order to avoid collision with space debris. NASA said that the ISS carried out a '150 second reboost' to avoid 'unknown' space debris. As per NASA's calculations, the space debris was to pass by the ISS at a distance of 1.39 km, an extremely short range in space. Currently, there are 3 astronauts at the ISS. NASA instructed them, 'out of abundance of caution', to move to the Russian section of the ISS closer to Soyuz spacecraft. This would have helped to extract the astronauts safely in case of any emergency. ISS is currently orbiting the earth at the speed of 27,568km/h (17,130 mph). At this speed, even a small object can create damage to ISS, repair work of which is a costly affair going up to the tune of millions of dollars. NASA stressed that there was no danger to the astronauts. The issue with space debris Space debris is a huge impediment in space exploration. According to Daily Mail, there are 160 million pieces of debris around Earth. These include large objects like defunct, old satellite and also small in dimensions of a few centimeters. But all of them are capable of causing great damage to satellites that are functioning. Amid global calls for comprehensive action to control space debris, UK announced funding for clean up of the space through its space agency UKSA. The £1 million funding (around $12,96,880) will be used to clear space debris, even though no concrete way to remove it has been formulated yet.

International Space Station moved in orbit to avoid collision with space debris

Scientists have found a radiation-resistant bacteria can survive at least three years exposed in orbit, suggesting simple life forms could manage the long journey between between Earth and Mars unprotected.

The Japanese scientists behind the research said Wednesday the finding lends credence to so-called "panspermia theory", which posits that microbes can travel from one planet to another, seeding life on arrival.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/indian-satellite-astrosat-detects-uv-light-from-galaxy-93-billion-light-years-away-from-earth-322936">Also read|&nbsp;Indian satellite AstroSat detects UV light from galaxy 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth</a>

To test the theory, the researchers deposited a bacteria called Deinococcus radiodurans outside the International Space Station at an altitude of 400 kilometres (250 miles) from the Earth.

Despite enduring the harsh environment of outer space and exposure to strong UV and large temperature changes, the bacteria was still alive in parts after three years.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/iss-crew-switch-cabins-to-look-for-source-of-small-cabin-air-leak-322157">Also read|&nbsp;ISS crew switch cabins to look for source of small cabin air leak</a>

"I knew it would survive after carrying out various experiments in the lab, but when it came back alive, I was relieved," Akihiko Yamagishi, study author and emeritus professor at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, told AFP.

The results show that the bacteria could weather a journey between Mars and Earth, and opens up intriguing possibilities, he said.

"Everyone thinks the origin of life started on Earth, but the new findings indicate that other planets could also be where life began."

Yamagishi and his team hope to carry out similar experiments outside the Van Allen radiation belt, which would expose the bacteria to even more radiation.

Scientists believe that more than three billion years ago Mars was much warmer than today and was covered in rivers and lakes, conditions which could have led to simple microbial life.

The discovery, published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, comes with Mars back in the headlines as three missions head for the Red Planet.

They include the Hope probe from the United Arab Emirates, the Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, all of which are taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearer to each other than usual.

Scientists have found a radiation-resistant bacteria can survive at least three years exposed in orbit, suggesting simple life forms could manage the long journey between between Earth and Mars unprotected.

Scientists have found a radiation-resistant bacteria can survive at least three years exposed in orbit, suggesting simple life forms could manage the long journey between between Earth and Mars unprotected. The Japanese scientists behind the research said Wednesday the finding lends credence to so-called "panspermia theory", which posits that microbes can travel from one planet to another, seeding life on arrival. Also read| Indian satellite AstroSat detects UV light from galaxy 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth To test the theory, the researchers deposited a bacteria called Deinococcus radiodurans outside the International Space Station at an altitude of 400 kilometres (250 miles) from the Earth. Despite enduring the harsh environment of outer space and exposure to strong UV and large temperature changes, the bacteria was still alive in parts after three years. Also read| ISS crew switch cabins to look for source of small cabin air leak "I knew it would survive after carrying out various experiments in the lab, but when it came back alive, I was relieved," Akihiko Yamagishi, study author and emeritus professor at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, told AFP. The results show that the bacteria could weather a journey between Mars and Earth, and opens up intriguing possibilities, he said. "Everyone thinks the origin of life started on Earth, but the new findings indicate that other planets could also be where life began." Yamagishi and his team hope to carry out similar experiments outside the Van Allen radiation belt, which would expose the bacteria to even more radiation. Scientists believe that more than three billion years ago Mars was much warmer than today and was covered in rivers and lakes, conditions which could have led to simple microbial life. The discovery, published Wednesday in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, comes with Mars back in the headlines as three missions head for the Red Planet. They include the Hope probe from the United Arab Emirates, the Tianwen-1 from China and Mars 2020 from the United States, all of which are taking advantage of a period when the Earth and Mars are nearer to each other than usual.

Bacteria can survive cosmic trip: International Space Station study

In one of the rare instances, three crew members onboard the International Space Station (ISS) will be spending the weekend in the Russian area of the vessel.

NASA’s Chris Cassidy and Russia’s Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin will be shifting to be able to search for the source of a cabin air leak, NASA and Russian space agency Roscosmos announced.

“In September 2019, NASA and its international partners first saw indications of a slight increase above the standard cabin air leak rate,” NASA said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/growing-dent-on-earths-magnetic-field-can-damage-satellites-and-navigation-321602">Also read:&nbsp;Growing dent on Earth’s magnetic field can damage satellites and navigation</a>

According to sources, the leak was identified by a machine used to measure the amount of&nbsp;nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the station. The machine is reportedly used by the Russian segment of the vessel.

The process is something that has been taught to the crew members during their training and is considered to be in the&nbsp;on-board documentation.

This decision was taken by&nbsp;Roscosmos and NASA jointly. Both the bodies have assured that there is no danger to the crew or thr space station.

In one of the rare instances, three crew members onboard the International Space Station (ISS) will be spending the weekend in the Russian area of the vessel. NASA’s Chris Cassidy and Russia’s Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin will be shifting to be able to search for the source of a cabin air leak, NASA and Russian space agency Roscosmos announced.

In one of the rare instances, three crew members onboard the International Space Station (ISS) will be spending the weekend in the Russian area of the vessel. NASA’s Chris Cassidy and Russia’s Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin will be shifting to be able to search for the source of a cabin air leak, NASA and Russian space agency Roscosmos announced. “In September 2019, NASA and its international partners first saw indications of a slight increase above the standard cabin air leak rate,” NASA said in a statement. Also read: Growing dent on Earth’s magnetic field can damage satellites and navigation According to sources, the leak was identified by a machine used to measure the amount of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the station. The machine is reportedly used by the Russian segment of the vessel. The process is something that has been taught to the crew members during their training and is considered to be in the on-board documentation. This decision was taken by Roscosmos and NASA jointly. Both the bodies have assured that there is no danger to the crew or thr space station.

ISS crew switch cabins to look for source of small cabin air leak

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the&nbsp;first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is now en route its way back to the Earth.

SpaceX confirmed on Twitter by tweeting, "Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station" along with a video.

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Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> <a href="https://t.co/ea14fozdO8">pic.twitter.com/ea14fozdO8</a>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1289706785469677568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The two American astronauts' capsule is set to undock around 2334 GMT (7:30pm). However, the NASA is still observing the&nbsp;Hurricane Isaias — a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-might-delay-spacex-nasa-return-trip-from-iss-317469">Also read:&nbsp;Hurricane might delay SpaceX-NASA return trip from ISS</a>

"Conditions are 'Go' at the primary targeted site, off the coast (of) Pensacola, and alternate site off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico for splashdown and recovery on Sunday, Aug 2," NASA said in a blog post.

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All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LandAmerica?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LandAmerica</a> <a href="https://t.co/FvyzeA58sb">pic.twitter.com/FvyzeA58sb</a>
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1289576302333145089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Bob Behnken, in an ISS ceremony aboard said that earlier "the hardest part was getting us launched. But the most important part is bringing us home."

SpaceX is also running a live webcast of Crew Dragon's return to Earth.

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Webcast of Crew Dragon’s return to Earth from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@space_station</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroBehnken</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Doug?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Doug</a> → <a href="https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK">https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK</a> <a href="https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S">https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S</a>
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1289671305835327488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in nearly a decade, have successfully undocked from the ISS on Saturday late night. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is now en route its way back to the Earth. SpaceX confirmed on Twitter by tweeting, "Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station" along with a video. Separation confirmed. Dragon performing 4 departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/ea14fozdO8 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 1, 2020 × The two American astronauts' capsule is set to undock around 2334 GMT (7:30pm). However, the NASA is still observing the Hurricane Isaias — a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida. Also read: Hurricane might delay SpaceX-NASA return trip from ISS "Conditions are 'Go' at the primary targeted site, off the coast (of) Pensacola, and alternate site off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico for splashdown and recovery on Sunday, Aug 2," NASA said in a blog post. All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… #LandAmerica pic.twitter.com/FvyzeA58sb — Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) August 1, 2020 × Bob Behnken, in an ISS ceremony aboard said that earlier "the hardest part was getting us launched. But the most important part is bringing us home." SpaceX is also running a live webcast of Crew Dragon's return to Earth. Webcast of Crew Dragon’s return to Earth from the @space_station with @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug → https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK https://t.co/xZmI41Zw5S — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 1, 2020 ×

'I am ready to come home': SpaceX Crew Dragon undocks from ISS to return to Earth

The first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station in nearly a decade might not come home this weekend as scheduled because of Hurricane Isaias.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley blasted off from Cape Canaveral on May 30 on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon, and are supposed to splash down off the coast of Florida on Sunday afternoon.

For now, undocking remains scheduled for approximately 7:34 pm (2334 GMT) Saturday, and splashdown at 2:42 pm (1842 GMT) on Sunday.

But NASA said it was keeping a watchful eye on Hurricane Isaias -- a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida.

NASA would make a final call about six hours prior to undocking.

The potential splashdown sites are in the Gulf of Mexico and along Florida's Atlantic coast.

The mission marked the first time a crewed spaceship launched into orbit from American soil since 2011 when the Space Shuttle program ended. It was also the first time a private company has flown to the ISS carrying astronauts. 
&nbsp;

The first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station in nearly a decade might not come home this weekend as scheduled because of Hurricane Isaias. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley blasted off from Cape Canaveral on May 30 on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon, and are supposed to splash down off the coast of Florida on Sunday afternoon.

The first US astronauts to reach the International Space Station in nearly a decade might not come home this weekend as scheduled because of Hurricane Isaias. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley blasted off from Cape Canaveral on May 30 on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon, and are supposed to splash down off the coast of Florida on Sunday afternoon. For now, undocking remains scheduled for approximately 7:34 pm (2334 GMT) Saturday, and splashdown at 2:42 pm (1842 GMT) on Sunday. But NASA said it was keeping a watchful eye on Hurricane Isaias -- a category one storm that battered the Bahamas on Friday and was churning toward Florida. NASA would make a final call about six hours prior to undocking. The potential splashdown sites are in the Gulf of Mexico and along Florida's Atlantic coast. The mission marked the first time a crewed spaceship launched into orbit from American soil since 2011 when the Space Shuttle program ended. It was also the first time a private company has flown to the ISS carrying astronauts.

Hurricane might delay SpaceX-NASA return trip from ISS

Astronaut Bob Behnken is back with another mesmerizing glimpse from the space. This time, the astronaut posted a picture of Hurricane Hanna.&nbsp;

The hurricane made its second landfall in Texas on Saturday afternoon, inflicting damage by heavy rain and strong wind.&nbsp;

Behnken captured the Category I storm from the space leaving the netizens in awe.&nbsp;

Bob Behnken took to Twitter and showed a view of Hurricane Hanna taken from the International Space Station (ISS) as it was passing over the Gulf of Mexico on Friday. Behnken clicked the photo that showed ‘observable structure’ of the hurricane.&nbsp;

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Snapped this photo of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as it was starting to have observable structure from <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HurricaneHanna?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HurricaneHanna</a> <a href="https://t.co/KiamE0lmKk">pic.twitter.com/KiamE0lmKk</a>
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1287443639774466048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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“Snapped this photo of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as it was starting to have observable structure from @Space_Station. #HurricaneHanna,” reads the caption.

Posted on July 26, the picture has received over 17,000 likes and a variety of comments.&nbsp;

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Great Picture. Looks like a crazy hurricane. Must be crazy to be able to view Earth like how you view the land from the plane all the time. Would it be out of order to request pics looking the other way?
— Kamal Aluri (@KamalAluri) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalAluri/status/1287468564387991552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Can I come live with you guys up there. The Majority down here keep repeating the same information every day. I feel like in trapped in a damn rerun that's been playing for 1000s of years. <a href="https://t.co/C0P2cJQkAk">pic.twitter.com/C0P2cJQkAk</a>
— Mitchendo64 (@mitchendo64) <a href="https://twitter.com/mitchendo64/status/1287593537681285122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Hey man, how do you get a signal up there 🤔
— Dhiraajsinh Parmar (@Capt_Dhiraaj) <a href="https://twitter.com/Capt_Dhiraaj/status/1287479710717341696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Beautiful absolutely beautiful
— Jacob Connor Bailey (@onelifebachelor) <a href="https://twitter.com/onelifebachelor/status/1287477231665774592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Earlier, Bob shared a picture of lightening from space, leaving the netizens awe-struck.&nbsp;

Astronaut Bob Behnken is back with another mesmerizing glimpse from the space. This time, the astronaut posted a picture of Hurricane Hanna. The hurricane made its second landfall in Texas on Saturday afternoon, inflicting damage by heavy rain and strong wind.

Astronaut Bob Behnken is back with another mesmerizing glimpse from the space. This time, the astronaut posted a picture of Hurricane Hanna. The hurricane made its second landfall in Texas on Saturday afternoon, inflicting damage by heavy rain and strong wind. Behnken captured the Category I storm from the space leaving the netizens in awe. Bob Behnken took to Twitter and showed a view of Hurricane Hanna taken from the International Space Station (ISS) as it was passing over the Gulf of Mexico on Friday. Behnken clicked the photo that showed ‘observable structure’ of the hurricane. Snapped this photo of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as it was starting to have observable structure from @Space_Station. #HurricaneHanna pic.twitter.com/KiamE0lmKk — Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) July 26, 2020 × “Snapped this photo of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as it was starting to have observable structure from @Space_Station. #HurricaneHanna,” reads the caption. Posted on July 26, the picture has received over 17,000 likes and a variety of comments. Great Picture. Looks like a crazy hurricane. Must be crazy to be able to view Earth like how you view the land from the plane all the time. Would it be out of order to request pics looking the other way? — Kamal Aluri (@KamalAluri) July 26, 2020 × Can I come live with you guys up there. The Majority down here keep repeating the same information every day. I feel like in trapped in a damn rerun that's been playing for 1000s of years. pic.twitter.com/C0P2cJQkAk — Mitchendo64 (@mitchendo64) July 27, 2020 × Hey man, how do you get a signal up there 🤔 — Dhiraajsinh Parmar (@Capt_Dhiraaj) July 26, 2020 × Beautiful absolutely beautiful — Jacob Connor Bailey (@onelifebachelor) July 26, 2020 × Earlier, Bob shared a picture of lightening from space, leaving the netizens awe-struck.

Astronaut shares picture of Hurricane Hanna from space leaving netizens in awe

Lightning during thunderstorms leave might leave many of us in awe but imagine if it looks so attractive sitting on the earth, how beautiful will it look from space. NASA astronaut Bob Behnken who is currently stationed at the International Space Station has given us a fair idea of it.&nbsp;

The astronaut took to Twitter to share a clip showing portion of earth's atmosphere from outer space and shows flashes among the dark clouds.&nbsp;

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Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing. <a href="https://t.co/eLCGMTbfTY">pic.twitter.com/eLCGMTbfTY</a>
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1285717390198792195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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He captioned the video: “Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing.” &nbsp;

This video got him nearly 120,000 views and a variety of reactions from the netizens. While many were left appreciating the view, some asked questions to the astronaut. Here are some of the best reactions:&nbsp;

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I've loved thunderstorms since I was a small child. I would watch from the window, and cry when they stopped! 
I've been lucky enough to see some amazing storms, including experiencing a ground strike less than a mile away (bit too close TBH!), but the view from space beats all!
— Just Steve (@tankslappa) <a href="https://twitter.com/tankslappa/status/1285725770921508867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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🤔 Why is it purple, though?
— Judy Schmidt (@SpaceGeck) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceGeck/status/1285720737681223681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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What area is this over?
— Gregg Palermo (@GreggPalermo) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreggPalermo/status/1285718676617007106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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So pretty and peaceful 🥺 I would love to go to space but I would back out because I would start freaking out from heights 🤣
— Katelyn Marshall (@Kate_Marshall00) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kate_Marshall00/status/1285718944519782402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Lightning during thunderstorms leave might leave many of us in awe but imagine if it looks so attractive sitting on the earth, how beautiful will it look from space.

Lightning during thunderstorms leave might leave many of us in awe but imagine if it looks so attractive sitting on the earth, how beautiful will it look from space. NASA astronaut Bob Behnken who is currently stationed at the International Space Station has given us a fair idea of it. The astronaut took to Twitter to share a clip showing portion of earth's atmosphere from outer space and shows flashes among the dark clouds. Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing. pic.twitter.com/eLCGMTbfTY — Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) July 21, 2020 × He captioned the video: “Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing.” This video got him nearly 120,000 views and a variety of reactions from the netizens. While many were left appreciating the view, some asked questions to the astronaut. Here are some of the best reactions: I've loved thunderstorms since I was a small child. I would watch from the window, and cry when they stopped! I've been lucky enough to see some amazing storms, including experiencing a ground strike less than a mile away (bit too close TBH!), but the view from space beats all! — Just Steve (@tankslappa) July 21, 2020 × 🤔 Why is it purple, though? — Judy Schmidt (@SpaceGeck) July 21, 2020 × What area is this over? — Gregg Palermo (@GreggPalermo) July 21, 2020 × So pretty and peaceful 🥺 I would love to go to space but I would back out because I would start freaking out from heights 🤣 — Katelyn Marshall (@Kate_Marshall00) July 21, 2020 ×

'Violet fringes': Astronaut shares a clip of lightning seen from space

NASA astronaut Bob Behnken took to Twitter and posted stunning images of a natural light show from a comet this weekend. Comet Neowise, also known as C/2020 F3, was first seen at the end of March.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-of-its-kind-asteroid-spotted-near-jupiter-by-astronomers-300958">'First-of-its-kind' asteroid spotted near Jupiter by astronomers</a>

The astronaut Bob Behnken posted the tweet on July 5 from the International Space Station and captioned the post, "Last night's fireworks, for real. Because Science."

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Last night's fireworks, for real. Because Science. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEOWISE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEOWISE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/comet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#comet</a> <a href="https://t.co/IKcJ1wLFAl">pic.twitter.com/IKcJ1wLFAl</a>
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroBehnken/status/1279880785240227841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner took to twitter too to share the images of the bright comet highlighting the tail of Neowise. He wrote: "During the next revolution I tried to capture the C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) comet a bit closer, the brightest one over the last 7 years. Its tail is quite clearly visible from the @Space_Station!"

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During the next revolution I tried to capture the C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) comet a bit closer, the brightest one over the last 7 years. 
 
Its tail is quite clearly visible from the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/comet?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#comet</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEOWISE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NEOWISE</a> <a href="https://t.co/FnWkCummD6">pic.twitter.com/FnWkCummD6</a>
— Ivan Vagner (@ivan_mks63) <a href="https://twitter.com/ivan_mks63/status/1279466839823847426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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According to the report by Space.com, the comet is set to be visible throughout July and it will be the closest to Earth on July 22.&nbsp;

Neowise is the third comet to be discovered in 2020 and can be visible through naked eyes as per an article on CNET. Atlas and Swan, the other two comets were seen with the same potential but broke up before they could get as bright as Neowise.&nbsp;

In an article on Spaceweather.com, Dr Tony Phillips had written that the comet would develop in the weeks after perihelion or closest approach to the sun. He said: "Northern hemisphere observers would be able to easily see it in the evening sky in mid-July."

NASA astronaut Bob Behnken took to Twitter and posted stunning images of a natural light show from a comet this weekend. Comet Neowise, also known as C/2020 F3, was first seen at the end of March.

NASA astronaut Bob Behnken took to Twitter and posted stunning images of a natural light show from a comet this weekend. Comet Neowise, also known as C/2020 F3, was first seen at the end of March. Also read: 'First-of-its-kind' asteroid spotted near Jupiter by astronomers The astronaut Bob Behnken posted the tweet on July 5 from the International Space Station and captioned the post, "Last night's fireworks, for real. Because Science." Last night's fireworks, for real. Because Science. #NEOWISE #comet pic.twitter.com/IKcJ1wLFAl — Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) July 5, 2020 × Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner took to twitter too to share the images of the bright comet highlighting the tail of Neowise. He wrote: "During the next revolution I tried to capture the C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) comet a bit closer, the brightest one over the last 7 years. Its tail is quite clearly visible from the @Space_Station!" During the next revolution I tried to capture the C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) comet a bit closer, the brightest one over the last 7 years. Its tail is quite clearly visible from the @Space_Station!#ISS #comet #NEOWISE pic.twitter.com/FnWkCummD6 — Ivan Vagner (@ivan_mks63) July 4, 2020 × According to the report by Space.com, the comet is set to be visible throughout July and it will be the closest to Earth on July 22. Neowise is the third comet to be discovered in 2020 and can be visible through naked eyes as per an article on CNET. Atlas and Swan, the other two comets were seen with the same potential but broke up before they could get as bright as Neowise. In an article on Spaceweather.com, Dr Tony Phillips had written that the comet would develop in the weeks after perihelion or closest approach to the sun. He said: "Northern hemisphere observers would be able to easily see it in the evening sky in mid-July."

'Fireworks': Astronauts capture glimpse of Neowise comet from space!

Space X has made history with its arrival at the international space station. There are many firsts, it's the first commercially developed spacecraft to put Americans into the Earth's orbit, also, it's the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts in nearly a decade. Naturally, SpaceX founder Elon Musk is beaming with happiness.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk must have been a nervous man. He was at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

US President Donald Trump was there too. The privately-built SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stood upright. Ready for launch after two delays due to bad weather.

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Come the time of reckoning, 3:22 eastern daylight time on May 30. The first commercially designed and built spacecraft took off in triumph and&nbsp;Elon Musk was overjoyed.&nbsp;

After a 19-hour journey, and a tense automatic docking sequence. The capsule attached itself to the international space station as&nbsp;the portal opened.

The two NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were welcomed by the station's crew. This crewed mission has created history.

It's the first time a commercially developed spacecraft has put Americans in space. For all these years space was a hegemony of NASA in the US.

Now, Earth's orbit has welcomed a private player in SpaceX. Also, it's the first spaceflight with NASA astronauts that took-off from US soil in nine years.

Since 2011, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.&nbsp;

Naturally, the US President was all praise&nbsp;for the successful all-American mission, he said: "We have created the envy of the world, and will soon be landing on mars and will soon have the greatest weapons ever imagined in history -- I've already seen designs, and even I can't believe it. The United States has regained our place of prestige as the world leader. As has often been stated, you can't be number one on earth if you are number two in space."

The last time NASA launched astronauts into space aboard a brand new vehicle was 40 years ago. That was at the start of the space shuttle program.

For Musk -- the launch represents another milestone. It is the first time a reusable rocket has been deployed for a space mission. This makes spaceflight less costly and more frequent.

This could pave the way for civilians -- to hop on a ride to space. &nbsp;For now, the two NASA astronauts have begun their month long stay in the orbital laboratory.

Space X has made history with its arrival at the international space station. There are many firsts, it's the first commercially developed spacecraft to put Americans into the Earth's orbit, also, it's the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts in nearly a decade.

Space X has made history with its arrival at the international space station. There are many firsts, it's the first commercially developed spacecraft to put Americans into the Earth's orbit, also, it's the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts in nearly a decade. Naturally, SpaceX founder Elon Musk is beaming with happiness. SpaceX founder Elon Musk must have been a nervous man. He was at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. US President Donald Trump was there too. The privately-built SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stood upright. Ready for launch after two delays due to bad weather. Come the time of reckoning, 3:22 eastern daylight time on May 30. The first commercially designed and built spacecraft took off in triumph and Elon Musk was overjoyed. After a 19-hour journey, and a tense automatic docking sequence. The capsule attached itself to the international space station as the portal opened. The two NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were welcomed by the station's crew. This crewed mission has created history. It's the first time a commercially developed spacecraft has put Americans in space. For all these years space was a hegemony of NASA in the US. Now, Earth's orbit has welcomed a private player in SpaceX. Also, it's the first spaceflight with NASA astronauts that took-off from US soil in nine years. Since 2011, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft. Naturally, the US President was all praise for the successful all-American mission, he said: "We have created the envy of the world, and will soon be landing on mars and will soon have the greatest weapons ever imagined in history -- I've already seen designs, and even I can't believe it. The United States has regained our place of prestige as the world leader. As has often been stated, you can't be number one on earth if you are number two in space." The last time NASA launched astronauts into space aboard a brand new vehicle was 40 years ago. That was at the start of the space shuttle program. For Musk -- the launch represents another milestone. It is the first time a reusable rocket has been deployed for a space mission. This makes spaceflight less costly and more frequent. This could pave the way for civilians -- to hop on a ride to space. For now, the two NASA astronauts have begun their month long stay in the orbital laboratory.

SpaceX becomes first commercial company to launch NASA astronauts

American astronauts are to ascend to the International Space Station – with an eye toward the Moon and Mars – as NASA announced that applications are being accepted from March 2 to 31 for the next class of Artemis Generation astronauts. Finalisation of candidates is to be completed by the middle of 2021.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eyeing-moon-nasa-hosts-first-public-astronaut-graduation-ceremony-273598">Also read: Eyeing Moon, NASA hosts first public astronaut graduation ceremony</a> 
 
350 people have been selected by NASA since the 1960s to train as astronaut candidates for arduous missions in the name of space exploration.&nbsp;

Their current astronaut corp has 48 souls, with room for more as expeditions involving multiple destinations that will propel exploration forward as part of Artemis missions and beyond.

Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator stated that they were celebrating 20 years of continuous presence aboard the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit as of 2020 and are on the verge of sending the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024.

“For the handful of highly talented women and men we will hire to join our diverse astronaut corps, it’s an incredible time in human spaceflight to be an astronaut. We’re asking all eligible Americans if they have what it to takes to apply beginning March 2,” he added.

Citizenship of the United States of America and a Master's Degree in a STEM field constitutes the basic requirements to apply. Fields such as engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics, from an accredited institution, will be considered.

Master's Degree requirements can also be met by fulfilling any one of the below-mentioned criteria:&nbsp;

1: Two years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of work toward a PhD program in related science, technology, engineering or math field;

2: A completed doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree;

3: Completion (or current enrollment that will result in completion by June 2021) of a nationally recognized test pilot school program.

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Need some space? We’ve got the job for you! 👩‍🚀🚀🌕 
 
We’re accepting applications March 2-31 for the next class of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Artemis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Artemis</a> Generation astronauts. Find out if you have what it takes to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeAnAstronaut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeAnAstronaut</a>: <a href="https://t.co/vwvSH5hz1T">https://t.co/vwvSH5hz1T</a> <a href="https://t.co/mmZ3QYwYut">pic.twitter.com/mmZ3QYwYut</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1227340405676662785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Candidates must also possess at least 2 years of related and/or progressively responsible professional experience OR at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. Passing the NASA long-duration spaceflight physical is a must for Astronaut candidates.

For the first time as a part of the application process, applicants will be required to take an online assessment which will take around 2 hours to complete.

The new astronauts, upon completion of training, could launch on American rockets and spacecraft developed for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to live and work aboard the International Space Station.&nbsp;

The ISS is situated 250 miles above Earth, where they will take part in experiments that benefit life at home and prepare for more distant exploration.

An alternative to working at the International Space Station could be a launch from NASA’s powerful new Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The spacecraft will be docked at the Gateway in lunar orbit before taking a new human landing system to the Moon’s surface.&nbsp;

NASA plans on returning humans to the moon by 2024, after which plans are being made to establish sustainable lunar exploration by 2028. Experience and knowledge gained on and around the moon will allow NASA to send the first humans to Mars, a feat they plan to achieve by mid-2030s.

American astronauts are to ascend to the International Space Station – with an eye toward the Moon and Mars – as NASA announced that applications are being accepted from March 2 to 31 for the next class of Artemis Generation astronauts.

American astronauts are to ascend to the International Space Station – with an eye toward the Moon and Mars – as NASA announced that applications are being accepted from March 2 to 31 for the next class of Artemis Generation astronauts. Finalisation of candidates is to be completed by the middle of 2021. Also read: Eyeing Moon, NASA hosts first public astronaut graduation ceremony 350 people have been selected by NASA since the 1960s to train as astronaut candidates for arduous missions in the name of space exploration. Their current astronaut corp has 48 souls, with room for more as expeditions involving multiple destinations that will propel exploration forward as part of Artemis missions and beyond. Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator stated that they were celebrating 20 years of continuous presence aboard the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit as of 2020 and are on the verge of sending the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024. “For the handful of highly talented women and men we will hire to join our diverse astronaut corps, it’s an incredible time in human spaceflight to be an astronaut. We’re asking all eligible Americans if they have what it to takes to apply beginning March 2,” he added. Citizenship of the United States of America and a Master's Degree in a STEM field constitutes the basic requirements to apply. Fields such as engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics, from an accredited institution, will be considered. Master's Degree requirements can also be met by fulfilling any one of the below-mentioned criteria: 1: Two years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of work toward a PhD program in related science, technology, engineering or math field; 2: A completed doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree; 3: Completion (or current enrollment that will result in completion by June 2021) of a nationally recognized test pilot school program. Need some space? We’ve got the job for you! 👩‍🚀🚀🌕 We’re accepting applications March 2-31 for the next class of #Artemis Generation astronauts. Find out if you have what it takes to #BeAnAstronaut: https://t.co/vwvSH5hz1T pic.twitter.com/mmZ3QYwYut — NASA (@NASA) February 11, 2020 × Candidates must also possess at least 2 years of related and/or progressively responsible professional experience OR at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. Passing the NASA long-duration spaceflight physical is a must for Astronaut candidates. For the first time as a part of the application process, applicants will be required to take an online assessment which will take around 2 hours to complete. The new astronauts, upon completion of training, could launch on American rockets and spacecraft developed for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to live and work aboard the International Space Station. The ISS is situated 250 miles above Earth, where they will take part in experiments that benefit life at home and prepare for more distant exploration. An alternative to working at the International Space Station could be a launch from NASA’s powerful new Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The spacecraft will be docked at the Gateway in lunar orbit before taking a new human landing system to the Moon’s surface. NASA plans on returning humans to the moon by 2024, after which plans are being made to establish sustainable lunar exploration by 2028. Experience and knowledge gained on and around the moon will allow NASA to send the first humans to Mars, a feat they plan to achieve by mid-2030s.

Need some space? NASA has got the job for you

NASA's Christina Koch returned to Earth safely Thursday having shattered the spaceflight record for female astronauts after almost a year aboard the International Space Station.

Koch touched down at 0912 GMT on the Kazakh steppe after 328 days in space along with Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency.

Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency, said the crew had returned safely.

"All is well on board, the crew are feeling well," Rogozin wrote on Twitter.

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Koch, a 41-year-old Michigan-born engineer, beat the previous record for a single spaceflight by a woman -- 289 days, held by NASA veteran Peggy Whitson -- on December 28, 2019. &nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/science-trending-nasa-telescope-nasa-bids-farewell-to-iconic-spitzer-space-telescope-277732">NASA bids farewell to iconic Spitzer Space Telescope</a>

She had already made history by that point as one half of the first-ever all-woman spacewalk along with NASA counterpart Jessica Meir in October.&nbsp;

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[This NASA photo released on February 4, 20202 shows NASA astronaut Christina Koch during a spacewalk on January 15, 2020. (AFP Photo)] 
 
Koch told NBC on Tuesday that she would "miss microgravity" as she spoke to journalists ahead of the three-and-a-half hour journey back to Earth.

"It's really fun to be in a place where you can just bounce around between the ceiling and the floor whenever you want," she said, smiling as she twisted her body around the ISS.

'Make space for women'

Koch called three-time flyer Whitson "a heroine of mine" and a "mentor" in the space programme after she surpassed the 59-year-old's record.&nbsp;

She also spoke of her desire to "inspire the next generation of explorers." &nbsp;

Koch's return comes after an advert produced by the skincare brand Olay ran during an intermission in the American football Super Bowl with a call to "make space for women".&nbsp;

The advert featured NASA astronaut Nicole Stott and saw the company promise to donate up to $500,000 to the non-profit Women Who Code, which works with young women seeking careers in tech and scientific fields. &nbsp;

This year's Super Bowl was watched by over 100 million people while advert time costs more than $5 million for a 30-second commercial. &nbsp;

The first woman in space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova whose spaceflight in 1963 is still the only solo mission carried out by a woman.

But the cosmonauts Russia has sent to the ISS since expeditions began in 2000 have all been men with the exception of Yelena Serova's launch in 2014.

Both Tereshkova and Serova are now lawmakers in the Russian parliament, where they represent the ruling United Russia party.&nbsp;

Unlike Koch, whose stay aboard the ISS was extended, Parmitano and Skvortsov are rounding off regular six-month missions.

Parmitano handed over command of the ISS to Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The 43-year-old Italian posted regular shots of the Earth while aboard, highlighting the plight of the Amazon rainforest and describing the Alps as "like a spinal column, never bending to time".&nbsp;

Four male cosmonauts have spent a year or longer in space as part of a single mission with Valery Polyakov's 437 days the overall record.&nbsp;

Scott Kelly holds the record for a NASA astronaut, posting 340 days at the ISS before he returned home in 2016.

NASA's Christina Koch returned to Earth safely Thursday having shattered the spaceflight record for female astronauts after almost a year aboard the International Space Station.

NASA's Christina Koch returned to Earth safely Thursday having shattered the spaceflight record for female astronauts after almost a year aboard the International Space Station. Koch touched down at 0912 GMT on the Kazakh steppe after 328 days in space along with Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency. Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency, said the crew had returned safely. "All is well on board, the crew are feeling well," Rogozin wrote on Twitter. Koch, a 41-year-old Michigan-born engineer, beat the previous record for a single spaceflight by a woman -- 289 days, held by NASA veteran Peggy Whitson -- on December 28, 2019. Also read: NASA bids farewell to iconic Spitzer Space Telescope She had already made history by that point as one half of the first-ever all-woman spacewalk along with NASA counterpart Jessica Meir in October. [This NASA photo released on February 4, 20202 shows NASA astronaut Christina Koch during a spacewalk on January 15, 2020. (AFP Photo)] Koch told NBC on Tuesday that she would "miss microgravity" as she spoke to journalists ahead of the three-and-a-half hour journey back to Earth. "It's really fun to be in a place where you can just bounce around between the ceiling and the floor whenever you want," she said, smiling as she twisted her body around the ISS. 'Make space for women' Koch called three-time flyer Whitson "a heroine of mine" and a "mentor" in the space programme after she surpassed the 59-year-old's record. She also spoke of her desire to "inspire the next generation of explorers." Koch's return comes after an advert produced by the skincare brand Olay ran during an intermission in the American football Super Bowl with a call to "make space for women". The advert featured NASA astronaut Nicole Stott and saw the company promise to donate up to $500,000 to the non-profit Women Who Code, which works with young women seeking careers in tech and scientific fields. This year's Super Bowl was watched by over 100 million people while advert time costs more than $5 million for a 30-second commercial. The first woman in space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova whose spaceflight in 1963 is still the only solo mission carried out by a woman. But the cosmonauts Russia has sent to the ISS since expeditions began in 2000 have all been men with the exception of Yelena Serova's launch in 2014. Both Tereshkova and Serova are now lawmakers in the Russian parliament, where they represent the ruling United Russia party. Unlike Koch, whose stay aboard the ISS was extended, Parmitano and Skvortsov are rounding off regular six-month missions. Parmitano handed over command of the ISS to Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka on Tuesday. The 43-year-old Italian posted regular shots of the Earth while aboard, highlighting the plight of the Amazon rainforest and describing the Alps as "like a spinal column, never bending to time". Four male cosmonauts have spent a year or longer in space as part of a single mission with Valery Polyakov's 437 days the overall record. Scott Kelly holds the record for a NASA astronaut, posting 340 days at the ISS before he returned home in 2016.

Christina Koch, NASA astronaut returns to Earth after record 328 days in space

Meet Christina Koch, the NASA spacewalker who created history

NASA Sends Its First All-Women Spacewalk Crew Outside The International Space Station October 18, 2019 is a seminal day. A historic first.

Gravitas: A Historic First: The First All-women Space Walk

WION Exclusively speaks to Ratan Shrivastava | Independent Consultant- Aerospace, Defence & Space. Watch video to know more.

WION Exclusively speaks to Ratan Shrivastava | Independent Consultant- Aerospace, Defence & Space

LIVE Coverage of First all Female Spacewalk at ISS. Watch video to know more.

LIVE Coverage of First all Female Spacewalk at ISS

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/3-man-crew-from-italy-russia-us-blasts-off-to-international-space-station-382">A three-man crew </a>including an Emirati who became the first Arab to reach the International Space Station returned to Earth safely on Thursday and were in good shape, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

Hazzaa Al-Mansoori of the United Arab Emirates touched down in the Kazakh steppes at 1059 GMT along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who both survived a failed launch to the ISS last year.

"The crew that returned to Earth is feeling well," Roscosmos said immediately after the landing.

Roscosmos footage from the landing site in central Kazakhstan showed Mansoori smiling as he sat wrapped in an Emirati flag after leaving the capsule.

Hague and Ovchinin completed a 203-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory while Mansoori's two crewmates from his September 25 launch -- Russia's Oleg Skripochka and NASA's Jessica Meir -- are staying on as part of a six-member team.

Although Mansoori's mission was short -- &nbsp;eight days in total -- it has been the source of great pride in the UAE, a newcomer to the world of space with ambitions to send an unmanned probe to orbit Mars by 2021.

UAE leaders were quick to hail his safe return.

Abu Dhabi's powerful Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan hailed the mission in a Twitter post.

"Congratulations to the people of the UAE for this historic achievement. Zayed's sons will fulfil our ambition to reach Mars," the Crown Prince wrote.

Mansoori has been active on Twitter where he shared photos of the UAE and Mecca -- Islam's holiest site -- from the space station.

On Thursday, he posted a view of space taken from the station's Cupola panoramic observatory module and paid tribute to UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed.

"With fear and pride, I am returning with Zayed's ambition achieved. We are not done yet, and we will never be. To bring back the golden era of Arab astronauts," he wrote.

Mansoori's blast-off from the launchpad that sent Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space was roared on by a large crowd at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in the UAE, where he has been feted as a hero.

Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper, was lit up at the moment of the launch.

The 35-year-old former military pilot's whirlwind mission has had wall-to-wall coverage in Arab media.

He is expected to receive an ecstatic welcome when he returns to the UAE following a stopover at the Roscosmos training base in Star City outside Moscow.

Mansoori flew to the ISS after the UAE signed a contract with Roscosmos to allow him to become a "spaceflight participant," a term used for people from outside the main space agencies who take short trips to the station.

Russia currently enjoys a monopoly on manned flights to the ISS.

The first Arab in outer space was Saudi Arabia's Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud, who flew on a US shuttle mission in 1985.

Two years later, Syrian air force pilot Muhammed Faris spent a week aboard the Soviet Union's Mir space station.

As part of its space plans, the UAE has also announced its aim to become the first Arab country to send an unmanned probe to orbit Mars by 2021, naming it "Hope".

While onboard, Mansoori donned Emirati dress, treated crew members to local snacks and participated in scientific experiments including a time-perception study that saw him sport a blindfold.

The return from space of Ovchinin and Hague came a year after their rocket failed to launch in the first accident of its kind in Russia's post-Soviet history. &nbsp;

The two men took off in a Soyuz rocket for the ISS in October 2018, but an accident minutes after blast-off sent them plunging back to Earth.

The pair launched again -- this time without hiccups -- to begin Ovchinin's second and Hague's first mission aboard the ISS in February.

The ISS -- a rare example of cooperation between Russia and the West -- has been orbiting Earth at about 28,000 kilometres (17,000 miles) an hour since 1998.

A three-man crew including an Emirati who became the first Arab to reach the International Space Station returned to Earth safely on Thursday and were in good shape, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

A three-man crew including an Emirati who became the first Arab to reach the International Space Station returned to Earth safely on Thursday and were in good shape, the Russian space agency Roscosmos said. Hazzaa Al-Mansoori of the United Arab Emirates touched down in the Kazakh steppes at 1059 GMT along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who both survived a failed launch to the ISS last year. "The crew that returned to Earth is feeling well," Roscosmos said immediately after the landing. Roscosmos footage from the landing site in central Kazakhstan showed Mansoori smiling as he sat wrapped in an Emirati flag after leaving the capsule. Hague and Ovchinin completed a 203-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory while Mansoori's two crewmates from his September 25 launch -- Russia's Oleg Skripochka and NASA's Jessica Meir -- are staying on as part of a six-member team. Although Mansoori's mission was short -- eight days in total -- it has been the source of great pride in the UAE, a newcomer to the world of space with ambitions to send an unmanned probe to orbit Mars by 2021. UAE leaders were quick to hail his safe return. Abu Dhabi's powerful Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan hailed the mission in a Twitter post. "Congratulations to the people of the UAE for this historic achievement. Zayed's sons will fulfil our ambition to reach Mars," the Crown Prince wrote. Mansoori has been active on Twitter where he shared photos of the UAE and Mecca -- Islam's holiest site -- from the space station. On Thursday, he posted a view of space taken from the station's Cupola panoramic observatory module and paid tribute to UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed. "With fear and pride, I am returning with Zayed's ambition achieved. We are not done yet, and we will never be. To bring back the golden era of Arab astronauts," he wrote. Mansoori's blast-off from the launchpad that sent Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into space was roared on by a large crowd at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in the UAE, where he has been feted as a hero. Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper, was lit up at the moment of the launch. The 35-year-old former military pilot's whirlwind mission has had wall-to-wall coverage in Arab media. He is expected to receive an ecstatic welcome when he returns to the UAE following a stopover at the Roscosmos training base in Star City outside Moscow. Mansoori flew to the ISS after the UAE signed a contract with Roscosmos to allow him to become a "spaceflight participant," a term used for people from outside the main space agencies who take short trips to the station. Russia currently enjoys a monopoly on manned flights to the ISS. The first Arab in outer space was Saudi Arabia's Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud, who flew on a US shuttle mission in 1985. Two years later, Syrian air force pilot Muhammed Faris spent a week aboard the Soviet Union's Mir space station. As part of its space plans, the UAE has also announced its aim to become the first Arab country to send an unmanned probe to orbit Mars by 2021, naming it "Hope". While onboard, Mansoori donned Emirati dress, treated crew members to local snacks and participated in scientific experiments including a time-perception study that saw him sport a blindfold. The return from space of Ovchinin and Hague came a year after their rocket failed to launch in the first accident of its kind in Russia's post-Soviet history. The two men took off in a Soyuz rocket for the ISS in October 2018, but an accident minutes after blast-off sent them plunging back to Earth. The pair launched again -- this time without hiccups -- to begin Ovchinin's second and Hague's first mission aboard the ISS in February. The ISS -- a rare example of cooperation between Russia and the West -- has been orbiting Earth at about 28,000 kilometres (17,000 miles) an hour since 1998.

First Arab on International Space Station returns to Earth

Two teams of astronauts met up on the International Space Station on Saturday. Three astronauts who've been there since March were joined by three others who took off from a Russian launch site earlier in the day.

Soyuz hatch opening, welcome at ISS

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to have her mission on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-twins-study-landmark-research-for-an-eventual-mars-mission-209733">International Space Station (ISS)</a> extended to nearly 11 months, which would set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, the US space agency said Wednesday.

Koch, 40, arrived on the ISS on March 14 with two other crew members - an American and a Russian - for what was initially planned to be a six-month mission.

The two other astronauts will return to Earth on October 3 but Koch's stay would be extended until February 2020, which would beat the record held by another female US astronaut, Peggy Whitson, who spent 288 days aboard the ISS in 2016-17, NASA said.

"It feels awesome," Koch said when told her mission was being prolonged. "I have known that this was a possibility for a long time and it's truly a dream come true."

Jennifer Fogarty, chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, said Koch's extended mission would provide additional data about the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body and "support future missions to the Moon and Mars."

The record for an extended spaceflight by an American is held by US astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent 340 days aboard the ISS in 2015-16 with Russian Mikhail Kornienko.

The longest ever spaceflight was by Russia's Valery Polyakov, who spent 14 months aboard the Mir space station in 1994-95.

The current team aboard the ISS is made up of three Americans -- Koch, Anne McClain and Nick Hague -- two Russians -- Oleg Kononenko and Alexey Ovchinin -- and a Canadian, David Saint-Jacques.

Between June and September, several astronauts will return to Earth and be replaced by others, including an Italian, Luca Parmitano, and the first ever astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, who will spend about a week in space.

Astronauts are currently flown to and from the ISS using Russia's Soyuz spacecraft. US manufacturers SpaceX and Boeing are developing their own transports and those are scheduled to be ready by the end of the year.

The ISS -- a rare area of cooperation between Moscow and Washington -- has been orbiting the Earth since 1998. 
&nbsp;

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to have her mission on the International Space Station (ISS) extended to nearly 11 months, which would set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, the US space agency said Wednesday.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is going to have her mission on the International Space Station (ISS) extended to nearly 11 months, which would set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, the US space agency said Wednesday. Koch, 40, arrived on the ISS on March 14 with two other crew members - an American and a Russian - for what was initially planned to be a six-month mission. The two other astronauts will return to Earth on October 3 but Koch's stay would be extended until February 2020, which would beat the record held by another female US astronaut, Peggy Whitson, who spent 288 days aboard the ISS in 2016-17, NASA said. "It feels awesome," Koch said when told her mission was being prolonged. "I have known that this was a possibility for a long time and it's truly a dream come true." Jennifer Fogarty, chief scientist of NASA's Human Research Program, said Koch's extended mission would provide additional data about the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body and "support future missions to the Moon and Mars." The record for an extended spaceflight by an American is held by US astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent 340 days aboard the ISS in 2015-16 with Russian Mikhail Kornienko. The longest ever spaceflight was by Russia's Valery Polyakov, who spent 14 months aboard the Mir space station in 1994-95. The current team aboard the ISS is made up of three Americans -- Koch, Anne McClain and Nick Hague -- two Russians -- Oleg Kononenko and Alexey Ovchinin -- and a Canadian, David Saint-Jacques. Between June and September, several astronauts will return to Earth and be replaced by others, including an Italian, Luca Parmitano, and the first ever astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, who will spend about a week in space. Astronauts are currently flown to and from the ISS using Russia's Soyuz spacecraft. US manufacturers SpaceX and Boeing are developing their own transports and those are scheduled to be ready by the end of the year. The ISS -- a rare area of cooperation between Moscow and Washington -- has been orbiting the Earth since 1998.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch to set record longest spaceflight by a woman

A day after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asat-satellite-destruction-led-to-400-pieces-of-debris-endangering-iss-nasa-207311">NASA branded India's</a> anti-satellite missile(ASAT) test as a "terrible thing", the US State Department said it was an important concern and that it had taken note of government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues.&nbsp;

"The issue of space debris, that's an important concern for United States and&nbsp;I would say that we took note of Indian Government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said on NASA's remarks.

NASA had said on Monday that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/us-didnt-spy-on-indias-asat-test-pentagon-206628">Indian satellite which was destroyed</a> had led to twenty-four pieces of debris floating "above the apogee of the International Space Station".

The US military tracks objects in space to predict the collision risk for the International Space Station(ISS) and for satellites. They are currently tracking 23,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres.

"We have a strong strategic partnership with India and we continue to pursue shared interests in space and in scientific&nbsp;and technical cooperation, that includes collaboration on safety and security in space," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino added while briefing reporters at the White House.

US Strategic Command's Joint Force Space Component Command (JFSCC) had said earlier that 250 pieces of debris associated with an Indian ASAT launch last Wednesday were&nbsp;being actively tracked.&nbsp;

The JFSCC said it will continue to actively track debris associated with the event and issue close approach notifications as required until the debris enters the earth's atmosphere.

The Pentagon had said the ISS is not at risk.

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell from the prestigious Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics had said India acted in a less irresponsible manner than the Chinese in doing the test.&nbsp;

"We don't know yet how much debris and how high. The United States has said that it's tracking about 250 pieces. But it will take them at least a few days, if not a few weeks to figure to catalogue those pieces," he told PTI. 
&nbsp;

A day after NASA branded India's anti-satellite missile(ASAT) test as a "terrible thing", the US State Department said it was an important concern and that it had taken note of government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues.

A day after NASA branded India's anti-satellite missile(ASAT) test as a "terrible thing", the US State Department said it was an important concern and that it had taken note of government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues. "The issue of space debris, that's an important concern for United States and I would say that we took note of Indian Government’s statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said on NASA's remarks. NASA had said on Monday that the Indian satellite which was destroyed had led to twenty-four pieces of debris floating "above the apogee of the International Space Station". The US military tracks objects in space to predict the collision risk for the International Space Station(ISS) and for satellites. They are currently tracking 23,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres. "We have a strong strategic partnership with India and we continue to pursue shared interests in space and in scientific and technical cooperation, that includes collaboration on safety and security in space," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino added while briefing reporters at the White House. US Strategic Command's Joint Force Space Component Command (JFSCC) had said earlier that 250 pieces of debris associated with an Indian ASAT launch last Wednesday were being actively tracked. The JFSCC said it will continue to actively track debris associated with the event and issue close approach notifications as required until the debris enters the earth's atmosphere. The Pentagon had said the ISS is not at risk. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell from the prestigious Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics had said India acted in a less irresponsible manner than the Chinese in doing the test. "We don't know yet how much debris and how high. The United States has said that it's tracking about 250 pieces. But it will take them at least a few days, if not a few weeks to figure to catalogue those pieces," he told PTI.

We continue to collaborate with India on security and safety in space: US on ASAT test

Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft returning <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russias-soyuz-rocket-blasts-off-into-space-to-international-space-station-181195">from the International Space Station</a>(ISS) carrying Russian, German and US astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan, Russian space agency informed.

"There's been a landing... The crew of the manned Soyuz MS-09 has returned safely to Earth," Russian space agency Roscosmos said.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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ЕСТЬ ПОСАДКА! Добро пожаловать домой, «Алтаи»! Экипаж пилотируемого корабля <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%8E%D0%B7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Союз</a> МС09 благополучно вернулся на Землю спустя 197 суток полёта! 
// 
TOUCHDOWN! Welcome home, Sergey, <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Alex?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Astro_Alex</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AstroSerena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AstroSerena</a>! <a href="https://t.co/HUXbsjFx3o">pic.twitter.com/HUXbsjFx3o</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1075618149259755520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"The crew feels well after returning to Earth," the space agency added.

Soyuz was carrying Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos.

The landing occurred at 0802 Moscow time (0502 GMT) on the Kazakh steppe, Roscosmos said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Специалисты поисково-спасательных групп добрались до спускаемого аппарата и начали проводить эвакуацию вернувшегося на Землю экипажа корабля <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D0%A1%D0%BE%D1%8E%D0%B7%D0%9C%D0%A109?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#СоюзМС09</a>. Самочувствие Сергея Прокопьева Александра Герста и Серины Ауньён-Чэнселлор хорошее. <a href="https://t.co/t3L2EKGIKh">pic.twitter.com/t3L2EKGIKh</a>
— РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) <a href="https://twitter.com/roscosmos/status/1075626159424069633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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NASA said that all search and recovery helicopters had arrived at the scene and were extracting the crew.

Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft returning from the International Space Station(ISS) carrying Russian, German and US astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan, Russian space agency informed.

Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft returning from the International Space Station(ISS) carrying Russian, German and US astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan, Russian space agency informed. "There's been a landing... The crew of the manned Soyuz MS-09 has returned safely to Earth," Russian space agency Roscosmos said. ЕСТЬ ПОСАДКА! Добро пожаловать домой, «Алтаи»! Экипаж пилотируемого корабля #Союз МС09 благополучно вернулся на Землю спустя 197 суток полёта! // TOUCHDOWN! Welcome home, Sergey, @Astro_Alex and @AstroSerena! pic.twitter.com/HUXbsjFx3o — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) December 20, 2018 × "The crew feels well after returning to Earth," the space agency added. Soyuz was carrying Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosmos. The landing occurred at 0802 Moscow time (0502 GMT) on the Kazakh steppe, Roscosmos said. Специалисты поисково-спасательных групп добрались до спускаемого аппарата и начали проводить эвакуацию вернувшегося на Землю экипажа корабля #СоюзМС09. Самочувствие Сергея Прокопьева Александра Герста и Серины Ауньён-Чэнселлор хорошее. pic.twitter.com/t3L2EKGIKh — РОСКОСМОС (@roscosmos) December 20, 2018 × NASA said that all search and recovery helicopters had arrived at the scene and were extracting the crew.

Watch: Soyuz spacecraft with German, US, Russian astronauts returns from International Space Station

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian, American and Canadian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, following the first manned launch since a failed launch in October.

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency blasted off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome earlier in the day.

They successfully docked at the ISS on schedule at 1736 GMT to begin an expected six and a half months aboard the ISS, the Russian Roscosmos space agency said via Twitter.&nbsp;

It was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russias-soyuz-rocket-blasts-off-into-space-to-international-space-station-181195">the first manned voyage for the Soviet-era Soyuz since October 11</a>, when a rocket carrying Russia's Aleksey Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague failed just minutes after blast-off, forcing the pair to make a harrowing emergency landing.

They escaped unharmed but the failed launch -- the first such incident in Russia's post-Soviet history -- raised concerns about the state of the Soyuz programme.&nbsp;

The Soyuz is the only means of reaching the ISS since the United States retired the space shuttle in 2011.

Kononenko, McClain and Saint-Jacques smiled and gave thumbs up to the cheering crowd including relatives as they ascended into the Soyuz capsule on Monday morning.

Minutes after take off, Roscosmos said the capsule was in orbit. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine meanwhile thanked the US and Russian teams "for their dedication to making this launch a success".

Risk 'part of our profession' 
In a successful rehearsal for Monday's flight, a Soyuz cargo vessel took off on November 16 from Baikonur and delivered several tonnes of food, fuel and supplies to the ISS.

Russia said last month the October launch had failed because of a sensor damaged during assembly at the Baikonur cosmodrome, but insisted the spacecraft remained reliable.

While flight commander Kononenko is beginning his fourth mission to add to an impressive 533 days in space, both Saint-Jacques and McClain are making their maiden trip.

Crew commander Kononenko, 54, said during a press conference on the eve of the launch that "risk is part of our profession".&nbsp;

But he added that his team "absolutely" trusted those who had prepared for the flight.

European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergei Prokopyev of Roscosmos were set to greet the trio on arrival at the ISS.

Veteran Kononenko said the crew would conduct a spacewalk on December 11 as part of an investigation into a mysterious hole that has caused an air leak on the ISS.

While on board, Saint-Jacques will be involved in an experiment called "At Home in Space" which "takes a closer look at how crew members adapt to living with each other by creating a shared culture," according to the Canadian Space Agency.&nbsp;

Among the dozens of other experiments the new crew members will take part in is one that will use worms to examine muscle loss in space, led by British scientists.

The experiment could pave the way to new treatments for muscular conditions for people on Earth, according to the UK Space Agency.

'Spacewalking like rugby' 
McClain, 39, served in Iraq and has represented the United States in women's rugby.

She has said that training to spacewalk resembled the sport since it demands "grit, toughness, mental focus, and more".&nbsp;

Russia-US cooperation in space has remained one of the few areas not affected by a crisis in ties between the former Cold War enemies.

But comments by the combative chief of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, have raised eyebrows.

He recently joked Russia would send a mission to the Moon to "verify" whether or not NASA lunar landings ever took place.

In recent years Russia's debt-laden space industry has suffered a number of mishaps including the loss of cargo spacecraft and satellites.&nbsp;

At a press conference following the successful docking, Rogozin announced March 1, 2019, as the date for the next manned launch to the ISS.&nbsp;

He said Ovchinin and Hague would be on board, along with NASA's Christina Koch.&nbsp;

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian, American and Canadian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, following the first manned launch since a failed launch in October.

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Russian, American and Canadian astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Monday, following the first manned launch since a failed launch in October. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Anne McClain of NASA and David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency blasted off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome earlier in the day. They successfully docked at the ISS on schedule at 1736 GMT to begin an expected six and a half months aboard the ISS, the Russian Roscosmos space agency said via Twitter. It was the first manned voyage for the Soviet-era Soyuz since October 11, when a rocket carrying Russia's Aleksey Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Hague failed just minutes after blast-off, forcing the pair to make a harrowing emergency landing. They escaped unharmed but the failed launch -- the first such incident in Russia's post-Soviet history -- raised concerns about the state of the Soyuz programme. The Soyuz is the only means of reaching the ISS since the United States retired the space shuttle in 2011. Kononenko, McClain and Saint-Jacques smiled and gave thumbs up to the cheering crowd including relatives as they ascended into the Soyuz capsule on Monday morning. Minutes after take off, Roscosmos said the capsule was in orbit. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine meanwhile thanked the US and Russian teams "for their dedication to making this launch a success". Risk 'part of our profession' In a successful rehearsal for Monday's flight, a Soyuz cargo vessel took off on November 16 from Baikonur and delivered several tonnes of food, fuel and supplies to the ISS. Russia said last month the October launch had failed because of a sensor damaged during assembly at the Baikonur cosmodrome, but insisted the spacecraft remained reliable. While flight commander Kononenko is beginning his fourth mission to add to an impressive 533 days in space, both Saint-Jacques and McClain are making their maiden trip. Crew commander Kononenko, 54, said during a press conference on the eve of the launch that "risk is part of our profession". But he added that his team "absolutely" trusted those who had prepared for the flight. European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, NASA's Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Sergei Prokopyev of Roscosmos were set to greet the trio on arrival at the ISS. Veteran Kononenko said the crew would conduct a spacewalk on December 11 as part of an investigation into a mysterious hole that has caused an air leak on the ISS. While on board, Saint-Jacques will be involved in an experiment called "At Home in Space" which "takes a closer look at how crew members adapt to living with each other by creating a shared culture," according to the Canadian Space Agency. Among the dozens of other experiments the new crew members will take part in is one that will use worms to examine muscle loss in space, led by British scientists. The experiment could pave the way to new treatments for muscular conditions for people on Earth, according to the UK Space Agency. 'Spacewalking like rugby' McClain, 39, served in Iraq and has represented the United States in women's rugby. She has said that training to spacewalk resembled the sport since it demands "grit, toughness, mental focus, and more". Russia-US cooperation in space has remained one of the few areas not affected by a crisis in ties between the former Cold War enemies. But comments by the combative chief of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, have raised eyebrows. He recently joked Russia would send a mission to the Moon to "verify" whether or not NASA lunar landings ever took place. In recent years Russia's debt-laden space industry has suffered a number of mishaps including the loss of cargo spacecraft and satellites. At a press conference following the successful docking, Rogozin announced March 1, 2019, as the date for the next manned launch to the ISS. He said Ovchinin and Hague would be on board, along with NASA's Christina Koch.

Soyuz arrives at ISS on first manned mission since October failure

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