NASA has released a remarkable nine-second timelapse video capturing the successful launch of SpaceX's Crew-2 mission on Friday. The footage shows the Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
The timelapse, which compresses 12 minutes into eight seconds, begins with the bright launch plume on the left. As the rocket ascends, its exhaust spreads out in the thin atmosphere, illuminated by the rising Sun. The video also captures the first stage of the Falcon 9 returning to Earth, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean for reuse.
Crew-2 launched at 10:49 BST on 23 April 2021 and docked with the ISS the following day, over 260 miles above the Indian Ocean. The crew includes NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, who will spend six months aboard the station.
This mission marked the first time SpaceX reused both a Falcon 9 rocket and a Crew Dragon capsule for a crewed flight. The same rocket previously launched Crew-1, and the capsule was used in the 'Launch America' mission in May 2020. The astronauts will conduct experiments, including drug tests using tissue chips that simulate human organs in microgravity.
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet brought a selection of gourmet meals prepared by French culinary institutions, including lobster, beef bourguignon, and almond tarts, to be enjoyed on special occasions. The arrival of Crew-2 brought the total number of people on the ISS to 11, the highest ever, before Crew-1 returns to Earth.
