Four astronauts and a toy springer spaniel have arrived at the International Space Station. The crew members of SpaceX Crew-8 also witnessed the space tradition, when the fluffy toy acts as an indicator of weightlessness, which demonstrates the onset of microgravity on board a spacecraft during entry into Earth orbit.
This fun tradition has been going on for five years. It was started during the flight of the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. This tradition involves the children of one of the astronauts choosing a plush toy, which then becomes a symbol of microgravity in orbit during the next Crew Dragon mission. Also, this weightlessness indicator serves as a memory of how far parents are separated from their families, serving for the benefit of science and the whole world.
The toy spaniel was chosen by the children of Crew-8 mission Commander Matthew Dominick. In the video, you can see how the toy floats in zero gravity, released by the commander. The launch of Crew-8 took place five years after SpaceX first used its zero gravity indicator, the plush planet Earth.
This is the third dog that has flown with astronauts. Earlier, other plush toys that accompanied NASA astronauts from various missions visited orbit. Such a weightlessness indicator is then used to raise funds for children’s hospitals when it is sold at a charity auction.
The members of Crew-8 will remain on the International Space Station for the next six months, conducting scientific research and preparing for future missions to the Moon.
Earlier, we reported on how Shaun the Sheep took off to the moon.
According to collectspace.com
Follow us on Twitter to get the most interesting space news in time
https://twitter.comne/ust_magazine
