NASA and SpaceX have successfully launched four astronauts to the International Space Station. The launch took place early on Friday morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the Crew Dragon capsule carrying two American astronauts, one from Russia, and one from the United Arab Emirates. The mission marks the third crewed launch for the companies’ partnership as NASA looks to reduce its dependence on Russia for transporting astronauts to the ISS.

After a 23-hour journey, the Crew Dragon capsule docked with the ISS on Saturday morning. This marks the second successful docking for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. The previous docking took place in March 2019, when the capsule was in a demonstration mission without any crew members aboard.

As the capsule docked, it generated as much power as 12 refrigerators, and reached speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour. The successful docking of the capsule is a milestone for NASA and SpaceX, as it demonstrates the reliability and capability of the crewed Dragon vehicle.

Following the docking, the astronauts will begin their six-month mission aboard the ISS. During their time on the station, the crew will conduct a range of scientific experiments, including tests on growing radish plants as part of efforts to develop sustainable food and life support systems for long-duration space travel.

The successful launch and docking of the Crew Dragon capsule is a significant achievement for NASA and SpaceX, further demonstrating their capability to conduct crewed missions to space. This marks another step forward in the companies’ joint efforts to develop critical infrastructure for space exploration and support human presence in space.