Four astronauts departed for the International Space Station on Sunday to supervise the arrival of two new spacecrafts during their six-month assignment.

A Falcon rocket from SpaceX took off at Kennedy Space Center, transporting NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.

The astronauts are scheduled to arrive at the orbiting laboratory by Tuesday. They will take over for the current crew consisting of members from the U.S., Denmark, Japan, and Russia, who have been there since August.

“When will you arrive?” asked Andreas Mogensen, the commander of the space station, via X (formerly known as Twitter), after a delayed departure of three days due to strong winds. SpaceX Launch Control jokingly called it “fashionably late.”

On Sunday night, there was nearly another delay. A slight opening in the seal of the SpaceX capsule’s hatch led to a rushed round of evaluations, but it was ultimately determined to be safe for the entire mission.

The group of astronauts will spend half a year on the space station, during which two spacecrafts commissioned by NASA will arrive. In late April, Boeing’s Starliner capsule, with test pilots on board, is expected to arrive, followed by Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser, a small shuttle, a month or two later. The Dream Chaser will be used for delivering supplies to the station, but it is not yet equipped for transporting passengers.

Initially, Epps was designated to pilot Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which faced delays and complications. NASA ultimately reassigned her to pilot for SpaceX.

She expressed her amazement about reaching orbit by saying, “I’m currently in a New York mindset, just like the song by Billy Joel.”

Epps, who is from Syracuse, N.Y., is the second Black woman assigned to a long station mission. She said before the flight that she is especially proud to be a role model for Black girls, demonstrating that spaceflight “is an option for them, that this is not just for other people.”

A female engineer formerly employed by Ford Motor Co. and the CIA transitioned into a role as an astronaut in 2009. Epps was scheduled to launch to the space station in 2018 on a Russian rocket, but was unexpectedly replaced without any public explanation.

Dominick, a pilot in the Navy, and Grebenkin, a former military officer in Russia, are both new to space.

Barratt, an astronaut in his third mission, is the most senior full-time astronaut to venture into space. He will reach the age of 65 in April.

Barratt compared the experience to a roller coaster ride filled with exuberant teenagers after successfully entering orbit. When asked about his age before the flight, he responded, “As long as we maintain good health, stay active, and remain involved, we are capable of flying.”

NASA program manager Joel Montalbano confirmed that the cabin leak on Russia’s side of the space station is increasing in size and has been sealed off. Despite this, he reassured that it has not affected station operations or the safety of the crew. Flight controllers are closely monitoring the situation.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides assistance to the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is accountable for the entirety of the content.

Source: wral.com