Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF Fri-Yay/Good News.

~ John W. Howell

Today’s good news comes from the Good News Network.

Priceless Video Shows US-Russian Group Hug in Microgravity When Astronauts Arrive at the ISS

By Andy Corbley –

NASA’s Crew-8 spacecraft recently docked with the International Space Station on its mission to deposit three US astronauts for a sixth-month stay. Their arrival was recorded with a video of a pile-on group hug in microgravity.

Yet there was another passenger on board—Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.

It isn’t editorializing to say that US-Russia relations are the worst they’ve been since the worst days of the Cold War. Yet despite their differences, there’s one long and grand tradition they have always shared: peaceful cooperation and coexistence in space.

In the video, thrilled that their colleagues made it to the ISS safely, and thrilled, one would imagine, with the mere presence of new faces, Crew-8 mission commander Matthew Dominic is mobbed by NASA Crew-7 mission commander Jasmin Moghbeli and Soyuz-24 mission flight engineer Marina Vasilevskaya.

The three astronauts’ group hug begins to float toward the ceiling when Dominic realizes just in time that they will all get a nasty bump on their heads if he doesn’t stop them.

Dominic then moves to greet Soyuz-24 mission commander Oleg Kononenko while the rest of his crew follow behind, hugging those wearing the red, white, and blue and the white, blue, and red.

NASA astronauts Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps arrived in the Crew capsule Endeavor with Grebenkin for a six-month stay to relieve the Crew-7 mission team that arrived in the Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance. 

The mission was the fifth flight for the Endurance, and is the first SpaceX Crew Dragon to reach that milestone. Currently, the craft is rated for a maximum of five flights, but Space News reports that the company has sat down with NASA to study extending that certification to as many as 15 flights based on performance.

Astronauts have a unique way of seeing the world, figuratively and literally. Looking down on our home from low-Earth orbit day after day, they realize (and they all say they do) that space is an incredibly harsh environment, and everything we humans have and need is concentrated on this single planet with no alternative.

The video shows what they think of the current tensions in US-Russia relations, and perhaps we should all take a leaf out of their book.©

The good news in this article is that humans with a common goal can accomplish much, regardless of their differences.  Today’s John Ku talks about cooperation. I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Together by John W. Howell © 2024

Separately, work’s hard,

But together makes a job . . .

Easier to do.

WATCH the micrograv group hug below… 

 

79 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF Fri-Yay/Good News.”

  2. This is a beautiful account of cooperation between nations, John. Thank you for sharing it. All things are possible, and your JohnKu captures that hope. Well done!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. We’ve proven that we can work together with anyone when we need to. I wish we could expand that ability. The astronauts are right – this is the only place we can live, at least in the near term. Good article to highlight, John.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think if people had the right leaders, there would be nothing that couldn’t be accomplished. These astronauts respect individual abilities above political concerns as it should be. Thanks, Dan.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. To quote Col. John ‘Hannibal’ Smith: “I love it when a plan comes together.” Nice one, John!

    Liked by 2 people

  15. Great video and story, John 🙂 Makes me full of hope that if brought together, people find a lot in common.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. That was great, John. The bouncing hair made me laugh, and what a wonderful message of hope. It’s all about choice, isn’t it? If we can make the right choices, the world could be full of peace.

    Liked by 2 people

  26. Sigh!
    I’m making another wish right now.
    It’s always a good feeling when I come here, thank you John!
    Your JohnKu is so true.

    🌎𝖃 🌍𝖃 🌏𝖃

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Like the song says, People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” Thanks for sharing this, John. Very inspiring. All the best.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.