What technologies are both Roscosmos and SpaceX using to propel their crew ships?
Roscosmos and SpaceX Crew Ships Near Launch as Station Prepares
In preparation for the historic launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station, both spacecraft are now ready for launch. This launch will mark an important milestone in space exploration as the first endeavor to send both a U.S. space vehicle as well as a Russian spacecraft to an orbital laboratory.
Roscosmos: Readying Russia’s Soyuz for Launch
The Russian federal space agency Roscosmos is making final preparations for the launch of the Soyuz spacecraft. The Soyuz Booster is the most reliable launch vehicle available and has launched many successful satellite and spacecraft missions over the past decades. It will be carrying a three-person crew listing of:
- NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough
- Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov
- Roscosmos Flight Engineer Andrey Borisenko
The Soyuz is scheduled to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 19th, 2020 at around 11:45 pm EDT.
SpaceX: Readying Crew Dragon for Launch
SpaceX is also making final preparations for the launch of the Crew Dragon. This capsule is the first human-rated spacecraft built and launched by SpaceX. The crew list on-board the Crew Dragon is as follows:
- NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins
- NASA astronaut Victor Glover
- NASA astronaut Shannon Walker
- JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi
The Crew Dragon is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 25th, 2020 at around 4:00 pm EDT.
International Space Station Preparing
The International Space Station (ISS) is also preparing for the arrival of both spacecraft. The ISS will provide the launch platform for the Soyuz and Crew Dragon to dock. The Expedition 64 crew aboard the ISS will help monitor the launch and docking process.
These launches mark an important milestone in space exploration. The successful launch and docking of both spacecraft will be an incredible feat of human engineering and will be a testament to what is possible with international collaboration.
As anticipation builds for the upcoming launch of two crew ships to the International Space Station (ISS) from both Roscosmos, the Russian space agency and SpaceX, the world’s focus turns to the historic event that is set to take place.
On May 27, Roscosmos will be launching its newest Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft to the ISS. The launch of this spacecraft will kick off a six month mission that will hopefully pave the way for future international collaborations in space. On board the Soyuz MS-17 will be Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, as well as NASA astronaut Kate Rubins.
In the next few weeks, SpaceX is also set to launch its first Crew Dragon spacecraft from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The mission includes four astronauts: NASA’s Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, as well as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA’s Thomas Pesquet. This mission will mark the first time astronauts will be launched in an American spacecraft since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011.
Both launches signify a monumental endeavor as they will mark the first time these two different crewed missions will dock at the same time at the International Space Station. The arrival of these two ships represent the start of a new era of international cooperation in space exploration as well as a renewed enthusiasm for space activities that have been strained during the coronavirus pandemic.
The experience of being part of a joint mission will provide valuable learning experiences that can be utilized in future missions. As the International Space Station is seen as the gateway to human space exploration, these combined missions allow us to take one more step towards the exploration of deep space.
The upcoming launches of Roscosmos and SpaceX’s Crew Dragons represent the idea that nothing is impossible and the possibilities for international space collaborations are endless. As the two ships draw nearer to launch, the world watches and eagerly awaits as this history-making moment is about to unfold.
