Successful Launch of Crew 7 Mission; Yasmin Maqbali: We Are One Team with a Common Goal

The rocket carrying astronauts for the Crew 7 mission successfully launched towards the International Space Station early Saturday morning, August 25. The mission is commanded by Yasmin Maqbali, an Iranian-American astronaut, who is accompanied by astronauts from Denmark, Japan, and Russia. The Falcon rocket, built by SpaceX, launched the Dragon spacecraft into Earth orbit at 3:27 AM Eastern Time from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to the announced schedule, the spacecraft is expected to arrive at the International Space Station at 8:39 AM Eastern Time on Sunday, replacing four crew members who have been residing at the space station since March. This is one of the most international Crew missions conducted in collaboration with SpaceX. The astronauts from four different countries joined their gloves together in a sign of solidarity after the successful launch. This is the first time that an astronaut from each country is seated in each chair, making Crew 7 a historic mission; however, NASA stated that this was due to specific timing and is coincidental. One of the benefits of this cultural diversity is the variety of foods, including Iranian stew, Danish chocolate, and Japanese fish, which the astronauts have excitedly discussed. Yasmin Maqbali expressed her happiness during a radio contact from Earth orbit, stating, 'We are one team with a common goal.' Before the operation, in an exclusive interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, she spoke about her responsibilities as commander: 'As the commander of Crew 7, I must ensure the safety of the astronauts and the spacecraft, and that the mission objectives, which are to reach the International Space Station and return to Earth, are met.' She added, 'Of course, I see myself only as a member of this extraordinary group; two members of the group have been to space before, and Konstantin and I are going to space for the first time. Therefore, I only consider their strengths and weaknesses and coordinate using the resources we have.' Andreas Mogensen, a Danish astronaut, Satoshi Furukawa, a Japanese astronaut, and Konstantin Borisov, a Russian astronaut, are the other members of Crew 7. During their stay at the International Space Station, expected to last 190 days, the crew will conduct a series of experiments, including investigating the potential risks of bacteria and fungi spread for human space missions. Another of their experiments will study astronauts' brain waves during sleep to gain more awareness of the differences in sleeping in such an environment compared to Earth and its effects on the human body. One of the most important experiments will investigate better ways to recycle astronauts' urine and feces for use in space travel. Astronauts have long used recycled sweat and urine for drinking and bathing. Yasmin Maqbali's parents fled Iran during the 1979 Revolution. She was born in Germany and grew up in Long Island, New York, joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and flew with attack helicopters in Afghanistan. This is Yasmin Maqbali's first space flight, which she believes can inspire Iranian girls to achieve their big dreams. In her exclusive interview with Persian Voice of America, she said, 'If you want to do something or have a dream, work hard to achieve it. Sometimes it is very difficult to do this or to reach that dream. Sometimes there are people who tell you that it cannot be done, but rest assured that if you really want it, there is always a way to achieve that goal.' This is the eighth operation conducted by NASA and SpaceX as part of the flight service program that has transformed space exploration since 2020. The launch of Yasmin Maqbali and the astronaut team to the space station was delayed by one day. Yasmin Maqbali stated in an interview with Voice of America: 'I have wanted to go to space since childhood.'