US-launched astronauts beat record for most days in space

The group of four astronauts who docked on to the International Space Station (ISS) using a SpaceX rocket have beat the decades-long record for most consecutive days spent in space by a U.S.-launched spacecraft.

The Washington Post reports that the Crew-1 astronauts, who launched on Nov. 15, set the new benchmark on Sunday. The previous record was 84 days and was set in 1974.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, nicknamed “Resilience” by the crew, docked onto the station 27 hours after launching from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

The SpaceX mission was the first time a privately owned spacecraft has flown to the ISS. As the Post notes, the Crew-1 mission was the first operational mission launched from U.S. soil since the Space Shuttle was retired in 2011.

Three NASA astronauts are on the SpaceX crew: Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover. Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi is also a member of the crew. They are expected to remain on the ISS for around six months.

Another Dragon capsule is expected to arrive at the ISS in April to relieve the initial crew. The crews are expected to keep rotating crews until Boeing is expected to join in with its own spacecraft later this year.