Astronauts Make 51-hour Journey to Space Station in Just SIX Hours

Faline · #1 ● 03-29-2013, 03:43 PM

Here’s a real boost for intergalactic travel – the latest crew to blast off to the International Space Station got there in just six hours.

The two Russians and an American today took a short cut and shaved 45 hours off the journey that normally takes a gruelling two days.

Using sophisticated new controls, precision steering and two bursts of power with much more fuel, the Soyuz capsule orbited the earth just four times as opposed to the normal 30 times before reaching the ISS 250 miles above the planet.

Pavel Vinogradov, *Alexander Misurkin and Nasa’s Chris Cassidy took off from Kazakhstan for their five-month stay in space.

Pavel said: “At first everybody was apprehensive but our ballistic specialists *calculated the possibility and the Soyuz vehicle now has a digital command-and-control system and an onboard computer that can do pretty much anything.”

The express route had been tested three times with unmanned craft prior to this mission.

It reduces the effect of lengthy space travel on the crew.

Russian engineers are hoping to cut the journey time even further.