An American spaceman and two Russian cosmonauts successfullydockedat the International Space Station ( ISS ) after a four - orbital cavity , six - hour flight of steps , bidding leave-taking to a pandemic - infested satellite .
As part ofExpedition 63 , the Soyuz MS-16 space vehicle launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan early Thursday morning to take over some of the ISS ’ operational responsibility over the next six months . As much of the world proceed to adjust to a new normal amid the coronavirus pandemic , NASA says that role of the mission preparation were likewise vary to ensure the safety of the three crewmembers .
“ It ’s been interesting . liveliness for us in the pre - launch stop is always in quarantine . So , for me , I roll in the hay I was going to be in quarantine for these two week but what ’s really different is that everyone else around us is in quarantine too just like the rest of the worldly concern , ” state US flight of stairs locomotive engineer Chris Cassidy in a NASA Twitterbroadcast . Cassidy was joined by Russian flight engineers Anatoly Ivanishin , and Ivan Vagner in Thursday ’s launch .
“ To see the impacts on that in term of who from NASA can come over to support the launch , even with the Russian operable support team , will be much modest . My family and launch node will not be able to come . ”
Personnel was trimmed down to a “ skeletal gang ” to render “ just the unembellished necessities ” amid headache over health and safety . Two weeks before their launching , spaceman typically undergo quarantine to determine whether their health is stable , banning contact with anyone other than flight surgeons and aesculapian personnel who are already cleared and also under quarantine themselves . Such a “ exhaustive communications protocol ” is to insure the astronauts are not only intelligent before leaving , but will not bring any illnesses to the space place .
The crew join the ISS during its class - long celebration of 20 years of constant human domicile every Clarence Day since November of 2000 . Additionally , the mission will also see the first - ever crew to plunge from NASA ’s commercial crew program , SpaceX Demo-2 Flight Test . Two astronaut will be launching in the “ firedrake ” with a launching date still anticipated for mid - May .
