NASA SpaceX Launch: How long does it take to reach the International Space Station?

The recent NASA-SpaceX collaborative operation of sending two astronauts to the International Space Sation (ISS) has garnered a lot of public interest. As it is NASA's first all-American launch since 2011, the excitement for the launch of the Demo-2 mission. The space shuttle will dock at the ISS after arriving at the orbit.

Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will be leading SpaceX's first manned mission, which is yet another reason for the excitement amid space enthusiasts. There have been various reports on the internet talking about Demo-2 mission and its docking/undocking from the ISS. But, how long does it take to reach the International Space Station?

Also read: How Long Do Astronauts Stay In Space Station And What's The Length Of Demo-2 Mission?

Time to reach the Space Station

Image courtesy - Official International Space Station Instagram

Though the question is simple, the answer varies depending on various spacecraft technologies and capabilities. Back in 2010, NASA had released a video where a curious student asked astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson about how long does it take to read the International Space Station. The astronaut had revealed that it takes about three days to reach ISS. Check out the video below - 

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But a decade forward thorough technological advancements, space shuttles reportedly reach the International Space Station in or under 24 hours. As per reports, the Crew Dragon space shuttle is expected to dock at the International Space Station roughly 24 hours after it arrives at the orbit. Various space shuttles apply different strategies in order to dock at the International Space Shuttle. Below is the reported route which the Crew Dragon will follow. 

How will Crew Dragon dock at the ISS?

As per reports, the Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida along with the Crew Dragon shuttle. After liftoff, Falcon 9 will release Crew Dragon into low Earth orbit under 15 minutes and return to Earth. The Falcon 9 is scheduled to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic ocean.

After reaching the orbit, Crew Dragon will orbit the Earth for about 19 hours. During that time, the shuttle will raise its orbit gradually by igniting the engine and catch up with International Space Station. One of the most interesting parts about Crew Dragon is its design to require minimal human input.

Crew Dragon features an automatic system which uses sensors and cameras to fly itself toward the space station and hook itself to a docking port. 

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