Today marks an incredible day in history: three space travelers have launched into the void of space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan, as well as cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka, are on their way to the International Space Station (ISS).
The three “space tourists” lifted off at 1:01 p.m. EDT (17:01 GMT) on a Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft, according to NASA. This marks Morgan’s first spaceflight but the fourth mission for his two Russian crewmates. The flight will take one day to get to the ISS, and the hatch to the space station is expected to open at 3:45 p.m. EDT (19:45 GMT).
This mission adds to the ISS’s incredible history since the station was first launched in 1998. The space station has gone through many changes and now plays a major role in space exploration, allowing astronauts and scientists to further our knowledge of space.
Morgan is a 45-year-old medical doctor and colonel in the U.S. Army, who has been with NASA since 2013. Skvortsov and Skripochka, both 55-year-olds, have been part of the Russian cosmonaut corps since 1991.
The three astronauts will join three other station crew members: NASA astronaut Christina Koch, Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano.
As with any launch, the astronauts will endure great forces while they soar off into the sky. The spacecraft will reach a top speed of 17,000 mph (27,359 kph), and the three astronauts will bear temperatures as low as minus 250 degrees Fahrenheit (-157 degrees Celsius).
A launch of this magnitude always comes with a high level of excitement. NASA wishes Morgan, Skvortsov, and Skripochka a “bon voyage” to the stars, likely marking the beginning of an incredible journey for the brave trio.