Expedition 64 Set a New World Record

On October 14, 1:45 am ET, Expedition 64 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Soyuz rocket. Expedition 64 carried NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and set a world record for the least amount of time to reach the ISS. Before this launch, the least amount of time taken to get the ISS was 3 hours and 48 minutes and was set by Progress 70. Expedition 64 reached the ISS in 3 hours and 3 minutes. Usually, Soyuz rockets take an average of 6 hours and 4 orbits around the Earth to intersect the ISS. However, on Expedition 64, the Soyuz rockets only orbited the Earth twice, making this the first Soyuz rocket that used this “fast-track” method.

Expedition 64 Crew Pictured From Left to Right:
Kate Rubins, Sergey Ryzhikov,Sergey Kud-Sverchkov

You may wonder why the rockets are being launched from Kazakhstan when a NASA astronaut is on board. After the first stages of these space programs and the end of the space race, both NASA and Roscosmos started working on various projects, including reusable rockets. NASA’s solution was the Space Shuttles, and Roscosmos’s answer was the Soyuz rockets. Both of these rockets were supposed to make space flight more routine and decrease the price of spaceflight. Both of these vehicles were very successful with the Space Shuttle program starting in 1981 and ending in 2011 and the use of the Soyuz beginning from 1966 and still being used today. Both rockets have done many launches, with the Soyuz rocket being the most launched in history.

Soyuz Rocket Launching

Ever since the end of the space race, America’s NASA and Russia’s Roscomos have started to work together regarding space. One of the most significant projects NASA and Roscosmos worked on together extensively was the International Space Station. The International Space Station, or the ISS for short, was an international collaboration to build a massive space station. These agencies included NASA(America), Roscosmos(Russia), ESA(Europe), JAXA(Japan), and CSA(Canada). All the agencies developed different parts of the ISS and would contribute to building the ISS in space. To launch these parts, both Roscosmos Soyuz rockets, and NASA Space Shuttles. 

The first launch of an ISS segment was in 1998. Over the next few years, more and more parts were being added to the ISS. However, production slowed down after the Columbia disaster in 2003. Because of this event, the Space Shuttles were grounded for 2 years. During this time, NASA astronauts and segments of the ISS were launched through the Soyuz rockets. Eventually, the Space Shuttle program came to an end in 2011, which led to more Soyuz rockets for NASA astronauts and research. However, there were some problems with this. The first problem was the cost. Roscosmos often charged enormous amounts for seats for NASA astronauts. Another problem was that NASA had to comply with Roscosmos' timelines, which led to more Roscosmos astronauts being in space and NASA research slowing down. However, recently there have been some solutions to this.

Soyuz Capsule Docked
to the ISS

One solution is the Commercial Crew Program by NASA. The Commercial Crew Program is a program where companies develop solutions to launch astronauts and materials into space more efficiently and for a lower price. Some of the companies that are competing in this program include SpaceX and Boeing. As a part of the program, SpaceX is developing ways to save money and make space flight more routine. Both companies have developed rockets and capsules, with SpaceX developing the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon Capsule and Boeing developing Starliner. As of now, SpaceX became the first commercial company to launch astronauts to the ISS in June, with the next launch expected to be in November. Eventually, both of these companies hope to commercialize space.

In the end, the future of space travel is bright for NASA. With less reliance on Soyuz rockets now with the Commercial Crew Program, NASA, along with other nations, is working on the next steps through space exploration. In Expedition 64, the crew will be spending 6 months on the ISS. They met Expedition 63 when they arrived on the ISS and will receive the Crew-1 crew in November. The crew will do various research, including biological research. In the end, the way we explore space will quickly change in the next decade.

Expedition 64 Crew Picture Consisting of Expedition 64 and SpaceX Crew-1

Sources:

“Expedition 64.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expedition_64

“Soyuz (Rocket Family).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_ (rocket_family).  

“Soyuz MS.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_MS.