Crew Dragon astronauts begin mission at ISS

Nov 18, 2020 | News On Japan

Nov 18, 2020 (NHK) - Members of the SpaceX Crew Dragon are now settling into the International Space Station -- their home and workplace for the next six months.

Their arrival made history. It's the first time a privately-owned vessel has made the trip. The four-person crew is now ready to get to work on the orbiting lab.

Japanese astronaut Noguchi Soichi said, "We are very humble and happy to be here. This is the first operational flight of the Crew Dragon. It took 27 hours but we enjoyed every moment."

From now until spring, the astronauts will study the effects of space --- in the hope that those findings will help people on Earth.

That includes research involving iPS stem cells that could lead to a breakthrough in regenerative medicine.

Throughout the process, they'll update people on the ground and try to inspire resilience among those fighting the pandemic.

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