What is the length of Expedition 69 and what is its purpose?
New Team Arrives on the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) welcomed a new crew on November 10th, 2021, as Expedition 69 officially began.
The new team comprised of three astronauts, NASA’s Raja Chari, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Matthias Maurer, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Koichi Wakata.
The team arrived safely aboard the Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft, which launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 5th, 2021.
The Expedition 69 crew was welcomed by the existing ISS crew, consisting of NASA’s Mark Vande Hei and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Andrey Babkin, who have been on board the ISS since April 2021.
Team Expectations for Expedition 69
The new team has a busy schedule ahead of them during their six-month stay on the ISS. The team will conduct scientific experiments, repair equipment, and perform spacewalks. They will also be involved in the completion of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft’s first operational mission to the ISS, which is expected to take place in 2022.
Raja Chari, the Expedition 69 commander, expressed his excitement in a NASA interview, stating, “We are looking forward to working alongside the existing ISS crew to continue the important research being conducted on the station and pushing the boundaries of human space exploration.”
Previous Expeditions on the ISS
The ISS has been continuously inhabited since November 2000, with the first expedition consisting of Russian commander Yuri Gidzenko, American astronaut William Shepherd, and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev.
Since then, 68 expeditions have been conducted, with astronauts and cosmonauts from various countries and space agencies working together in space to advance scientific research, maintain the orbiting space laboratory, and test new technologies for future space missions.
Conclusion
The start of Expedition 69 marks another milestone in the ongoing exploration and utilization of the ISS, which has played a crucial role in expanding our understanding of space and advancing our capabilities for long-duration human spaceflight missions.
The ISS is a testament to international cooperation and the collaborative efforts of multiple space agencies working together to achieve common goals. We wish the Expedition 69 team all the best as they embark on their mission and look forward to their achievements and discoveries in space.