When Crew-8 Returns From Space, Its SpaceX Capsule Will Set Records

SpaceX Crew Dragon 'Endeavour' has racked up the most time in space by a crewed spacecraft.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 04:43 PM ET

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The SpaceX Crew Dragon craft Endeavour approaches the ISS in 2021 during the Crew-2 mission. [Credit: NASA/Michael Hopkins]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour is setting new records for the most cumulative time spent in space by a crewed spacecraft, having logged 23 months across five missions.
Its current Crew-8 mission is also establishing a new record for the longest single flight by a crew-carrying spacecraft, prolonged beyond 225 days due to unexpected operational delays.
The capsule's name "Endeavour" honors a legacy of exploration, referencing Captain Cook's HMS Endeavour, Apollo 15's Command Module, and NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Over its operational life, Endeavour has transported 18 diverse international astronauts and cosmonauts, significantly contributing to International Space Station missions.

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When SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour returns to Earth this week, it will set a clutch of records for the most time in space by a crewed spacecraft.

Launched for her fifth mission in March, Endeavour has notched 23 cumulative months in orbit, circled Earth 11,000 times, and traveled 292 million miles (470 million kilometers). It is but one of several historical Endeavours that helped satiate humanity’s thirst for exploration.