SpaceX's Crew Dragon 2 spacecraft successfully launched to the International Space Station this Friday, April 23rd. On board are astronauts from the United States Megan MacArthur and Shane Kimbro, Japanese Akihiko Hoshide and Frenchman Tom Pesce.
The Falcon 9 launch took place from launch pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Crew Dragon is expected to dock with the ISS on Saturday, April 24, at approximately 12:09 (Moscow time).
The crew of Crew Dragon 2 will have to spend six months on board the ISS.
This is the second flight to the ISS for the French astronaut Tom Pesquet (in 2016, it was delivered to orbit by the Russian Soyuz). During the Alpha mission, he will become the first Frenchman to be entrusted with the role of crew commander.
