SpaceX crew rotation wraps as new astronauts settle aboard the ISS
A Crew Dragon Freedom capsule separated from the International Space Station on Thursday, carrying commander Jessica Meir, pilot Jack Hathaway, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot and cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev toward a splashdown off the California coast. Earlier this week, SpaceX’s Crew‑13 mission launched from Cape Canaveral and docked with the Harmony module in under eight hours, the quickest U.S. launch‑to‑dock interval on record.
The arriving crew—NASA commander Jessica Watkins, pilot Luke Delaney, Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov—will remain on the station for about six months. The handover keeps the ISS continuously staffed for ongoing scientific work.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 4h later
- Left-leaning coverage is the most divided on this story
- Coverage peaked at 8 outlets in a single hour
Why it matters
The rotation ensures an uninterrupted human presence on the ISS and sustains international research in microgravity.
How this story developed
- Sep 28 NASA and SpaceX ready to launch Crew-13 for ISS research and technology tests
- Oct 2 Crew‑13 arrived at the ISS in a record‑fast less‑than‑eight‑hour flight and docked with the station.
- Oct 8 Crew‑12 has returned to Earth aboard Crew Dragon Freedom.
Related stories
5 in this thread