The "Dragon" spacecraft of the U.S. Space Exploration Technology Company was launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida on board a "Falcon 9" rocket at 5:15 EST on the 13th (18:15 Beijing time), carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station.
After the spacecraft separated from the rocket, it continued to fly to the predetermined orbit.According to plan, the Dragon spacecraft will complete docking with the International Space Station on the afternoon of the 14th Eastern Time.
This mission, codenamed "Manned 12", is the 12th International Space Station astronaut rotation mission carried out by the manned Dragon spacecraft.
The four astronauts aboard the spacecraft are NASA astronauts Jessica Meier and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adeno, and Roscosmos astronaut Andrei Fedyaev.
According to NASA, the mission will last approximately 8 months.During this period, astronauts will conduct a number of scientific research experiments to accumulate experience for future lunar and Mars exploration missions, including studying the interaction between plants and nitrogen-fixing bacteria to improve food production capabilities in the space environment.
