In a major milestone for commercial spaceflight, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has successfully launched the Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Crew Dragon spacecraft lifted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four astronauts into orbit. This marks the fifth operational crewed mission by SpaceX to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The Crew-3 mission includes NASA astronauts Raja Chari (mission commander), Tom Marshburn (pilot), and Kayla Barron (mission specialist), along with European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer. The international crew is scheduled to spend approximately six months aboard the ISS, conducting a range of scientific experiments, maintenance activities, and technology demonstrations.
The launch took place under clear skies, with the Falcon 9 rocket igniting smoothly and lifting off as scheduled. Just over 12 minutes later, Crew Dragon successfully separated from the rocket’s second stage and began its journey to rendezvous with the orbiting laboratory. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS about 22 hours after launch.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the mission’s success, stating, “The Crew-3 launch is another example of how public-private partnerships are transforming human spaceflight. We’re entering a new era of low-Earth orbit operations, and SpaceX continues to be a key partner in that journey.”
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also shared his excitement on social media, congratulating the crew and SpaceX team for a flawless mission start. Crew Dragon, named Endurance, is the latest in the company’s reusable fleet and features enhanced safety and performance upgrades based on lessons from previous missions.
Crew-3 will replace the Crew-2 astronauts who recently returned to Earth after their own six-month stint aboard the ISS. The station will now host a diverse international team, continuing collaborative work on research projects ranging from medical science and climate monitoring to materials science and space technology.
The successful Crew-3 mission further solidifies SpaceX’s position as a leader in commercial human spaceflight, setting the stage for more routine missions to orbit and, eventually, deeper space exploration.
For real-time mission updates and livestream coverage, visit www.nasa.gov or www.spacex.com.
