US astronauts enter space station in milestone mission
- American astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley entered the International Space Station after spending 19 hours chasing down the station at speeds of up to 28,000kph
Nasa astronauts entered the International Space Station on Sunday after a landmark 19-hour journey on the first crewed US spacecraft in nearly a decade, a triumph for SpaceX and private enterprise.
The hatch opened at 1.02pm Eastern Time (1702 GMT) as Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley carried out final procedures, crossing the threshold about 20 minutes later.
Wearing black polo shirts and khaki pants, they were greeted by fellow American astronaut Chris Cassidy, as well as Russia cosmonauts Anatoli Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.
The five men posed for photos and then Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine spoke to the crew from mission control in Houston.
“Welcome to Bob and Doug,” said Bridenstine. “I will tell you the whole world saw this mission, and we are so, so proud of everything you have done for our country.”
“It’s great to get the United States back in the crewed launch business and we’re just really glad to be on board this magnificent complex,” replied Hurley, who commanded the Crew Dragon capsule called “Endeavor”.