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SpaceX Reused Crew Dragon Docks at Space Station

SpaceX Reused Crew Dragon Docks at Space Station
SpaceX Reused Crew Dragon Docks at Space Station

A used SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the company's Crew-2 mission docked successfully at the orbiting lab early on Saturday.
The Crew Dragon Endeavour, which launched SpaceX's first crewed flight for NASA in May 2020, linked up with the station's US-built Harmony module at 5:08 a.m. EDT (0908 GMT), as both spacecraft sailed 264 miles above the Indian Ocean, Space.com reported.
The spacecraft was launched from Pad 039A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday. The Crew Dragon spacecraft previously carried NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station as part of SpaceX's Demo-2 test flight. This flight is the first time that a SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle was reused for a launch and the first time that two Crew Dragon vehicles are docked at the station at the same time. 
Arriving at the ISS on Endeavour were four veteran space-flyers: NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet. 
The four astronauts arrived safely at the station about 23 hours after their successful launch, ready to begin their mission in space. They are expected to open the hatches between their Crew Dragon and the station at 7:15 a.m. EDT (1115 GMT). 
"We're so excited to be here; we're ready to get to work," McArthur told acting NASA chief, Steve Jurczyk, after entering the station. 
The flight to the International Space Station wasn't entirely smooth. As the astronauts were preparing for sleep on Friday, SpaceX flight controllers called up to warn them of a possible space junk collision hazard. 
"For awareness, we have identified a late breaking possible conjunction with a fairly close miss distance to Dragon," SpaceX capsule communicator, Sarah Gilles, told the astronauts at 1:24 p.m. EDT, according to CBS News. 
"As such, we do need you to immediately proceed with suit donning and securing yourselves in seats. We will be erring on the side of caution to get you guys into a better configuration."
After a successful docking, the seven-person crew of Expedition 65, including the four SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts who arrived at the ISS in November, met the new station residents, helping them aboard. 
With the new crew’s arrival, there will be 11 astronauts on the station for a few days, until the four Crew-1 astronauts return to Earth in their Crew Dragon, named Resilience, on Wednesday. 
 

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