SpaceX Delivers Four Astronauts to ISS in 15 Hours

SpaceX has successfully delivered a new crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station in a record-setting 15-hour journey from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The crew comprises NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, who is the mission commander, and Mike Fincke, along with Japan's Kimiya Yui and Russia's Oleg Platonov. They will spend approximately six months aboard the ISS, replacing the Crew-10 members who have been on the station since March and are expected to return to Earth soon. This mission marks Cardman's and Platonov's first spaceflight, Yui's second, and Fincke's fourth, and highlights adjustments in astronaut assignments due to delays in Boeing's Starliner program and prior health concerns for Platonov. The arrival increases the ISS population to 11, with onboard crews welcoming the newcomers with meals and cold drinks. NASA is also considering smaller crew sizes for future SpaceX flights and a cargo-only mission for Starliner before resuming crewed operations.