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A Russian astronaut who took a U.S. elevator to the International Space Station arrived at her new home on Thursday for a five-month stay accompanied by a Japanese astronaut and two NASA astronauts, including the first A Native American woman who went into space.
The SpaceX capsule was pulled to the space station the day after it was launched into orbit. The connection takes place 260 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the west coast of Africa.
For the first time in 20 years, the Russians have hitchhiked at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the result of a new deal despite friction over the war in Ukraine.
Astronaut Anna Kina and two Russians are already at the orbital outpost. She will live and work in Russia until March before returning to Earth in the same SpaceX capsule.
Ride with Kikina: Marine Colonel Nicole Mann, Wailacki member of the Round Valley Indian Tribe in California, Navy Capt Josh Cassada and Japan’s Koichi Wakata, the only experienced space pilot on the team, completed five Task.
When the capsule shuts down, station residents assure newcomers that their bunks are ready and the lights are on outside.
“You guys are the best,” replied capsule commander Col Mann.
Col Mann and her crew will replace three Americans and an Italian who will return next week in their own SpaceX capsule, where they’ve been for nearly half a year. Until then, 11 people will share the orbiting lab.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio arrived two weeks ago. He launched from Kazakhstan on a Soyuz rocket, opening a cashless crew exchange between NASA and Roscosmos. They agreed to the plan last summer so that there would always be Americans and Russians at the station.
Until Elon Musk’s SpaceX started launching astronauts two years ago, NASA was forced to spend tens of millions of dollars each time an astronaut flew aboard a Soyuz.
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