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, including the most cumulative time in orbit (23 months across five missions) and the longest single mission for a crewed spacecraft (over 225 days for its current Crew-8 flight).
The current Crew-8 mission's extended duration, which set the single-flight record, was unexpectedly prolonged due to issues with Boeing's Starliner and adverse weather conditions from Hurricane Milton.
The capsule's name, *Endeavour*, carries a legacy of exploration, honoring historical vessels such as Captain Cook's HMS *Endeavour*, Apollo 15's Command Module, and NASA's Space Shuttle *Endeavour*.

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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.