A SpaceX rocket, carrying three American NASA astronauts—Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Michael Barratt—and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, en route to the International Space Station (ISS) for a six-month mission. This crew, which marks a significant moment of cooperation between the United States and Russia amidst global tensions, is tasked with a scientific mission focused on studying degenerative diseases by growing artificial replicas of human organs in the microgravity environment of space, an experiment impossible to conduct on Earth.

The mission faced a brief delay due to high winds but proceeded successfully, with the crew set to replace the current international team aboard the ISS from the U.S., Denmark, Japan, and Russia. During their stay, they are expected to oversee the arrival of two new spacecraft: Boeing’s Starliner capsule and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, both designated to deliver cargo to the ISS.

Jeanette Epps, who has become the second Black woman assigned to a long-duration space station mission, shared her hope of inspiring Black girls to pursue careers in space exploration. Barratt, at age 65, is participating in his third space mission, becoming the oldest full-time astronaut to fly in space. For Dominick and Grebenkin, this mission marks their first time in space.

The ISS, a symbol of multinational collaboration, involves space agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, the U.S., and Russia. Meanwhile, NASA and the crew are closely monitoring a cabin leak on the Russian side of the space station, which they have clarified poses no threat to operations or crew safety.

The launch and ongoing mission underscore the enduring spirit of international cooperation in space exploration, with the ISS continuing to serve as a beacon for scientific advancement and unity beyond Earth’s boundaries.