SpaceX is gearing up for its third astronaut launch in under a year, after getting the green light from Nasa a week ahead of next week's planned flight. They will spend six months at the orbiting lab, replacing another SpaceX crew that’s close to coming home. READ MORE:* World's space achievements a bright spot in stressful 2020* Double Dragons: SpaceX launches space station supplies* US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsuleAP The crew for its third astronaut launch to the International Space Station. Three of the astronauts are back for their second space station mission: Nasa’s Shane Kimbrough, France’s Thomas Pesquet and Japan’s Akihiko Hoshide. Nasa astronaut Megan McArthur was part of the final Hubble Space Telescope repair team in 2009.

Source: Stuff April 15, 2021 22:41 UTC