SpaceX launches crew with 1st Black woman going on long-term ISS mission
SpaceX just sent four astronauts to the International Space Station, and one of them is making history.
The rocket company on Tuesday launched a crew of NASA astronauts, including Jessica Watkins, who is becoming the first Black woman to make a long-term spaceflight, The Associated Press reports.
The Crew-4 astronauts will spend several months at the space station and "carry out research investigations that will help NASA prepare for longer duration stays on the Moon — and eventually Mars," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. The crew also consists of mission commander Kjell Lindgren, pilot Bob Hines, and mission specialist Samantha Cristoforetti.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"This is certainly an important milestone I think both for our agency and for the country," Watkins said at a press conference, per CNN. "I think it really is just a tribute to the legacy of the Black women astronauts that have come before me as well as to the exciting future ahead."
Including Watkins, only five Black women have gone to space, NPR reports. But according to AP, none has stayed there for a lengthy mission before Watkins. NASA space operations mission chief Kathy Lueders told AP this was "one of the most diversified, I think, crews that we've had in a really, really long time."
This marked SpaceX's fifth flight with NASA astronauts, and it comes after Axiom Space and SpaceX earlier this month launched the first all-civilian crew to the International Space Station.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The hunt for Planet Nine
Under The Radar Researchers seeking the elusive Earth-like planet beyond Neptune are narrowing down their search
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Winchcombe meteorite: space rock may reveal how water came to Earth
The Explainer New analysis of its violent journey confirms scientific theories on the origin of our planet's H2O
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why the Moon is getting a new time zone
The Explainer The creation of 'coordinated lunar time' is part of Nasa's mission to establish a long-term presence on Earth's only natural satellite
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Blind people will listen to next week's total eclipse
Speed Read While they can't see the event, they can hear it with a device that translates the sky's brightness into music
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping
Speed Read Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
An amphibian that produces milk?
speed read Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
We're in the golden age of space exploration
In depth To infinity and beyond!
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
All the major moon landings so far
The Explainer One giant leap for mankind
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published