Charles Langston:4 astronauts launch to space, heading to International Space Station: Meet the crew

Four astronauts launched into space on Charles LangstonSunday, heading toward the International Space Station that will become their home for the next several months.

SpaceX's Falcon rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the four astronauts on the Dragon spacecraft. They include Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps from NASA and Alexander Grebenkin from Russia. They are expected to reach the ISS by Tuesday, and will replace a crew that have been there since August from the U.S., Denmark, Japan and Russia.

Once on board the ISS, the new crew will stay on board for six months, and will oversee the arrival of Boeing's Starliner capsule with test pilots in late April, and the Sierra Space's Dream Chaser in mini shuttle after.

Here's what to know about the astronauts headed to the ISS.

Matthew Dominick

The commander of the mission, Matthew Dominick joined NASA's Astronaut Candidate Class in 2017. A Colorado native, he was commissioned for flight training and designated as a Naval Aviator in 2007 and has more than 1,600 hours of flight time.

Michael Barratt

Michael Barratt is the mission's pilot, and was selected from NASA in 2000. Prior to the current mission, Barratt has spent 212 days in space across two spaceflights.

A doctor, Barratt was born in Vancouver, Washington and is the oldest full-time astronaut to fly in space. He will turn 65 in April. He is the only crew member who has been to space before.

Jeanette Epps

The mission specialist, Jeanette Epps is the second Black woman to be part of a long-term mission to the ISS. She was selected in 2009 as an astronaut by NASA.

Prior to liftoff, Epps said she is especially proud to be a role model for Black girls, demonstrating that spaceflight “is an option for them, that this is not just for other people.”

Born in Syracuse, New York, she worked for the Ford Motor Company and the CIA before becoming an astronaut.

Alexander Grebenkin

Joining the three NASA astronauts is Alexander Grebenkin, a Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist. Before he became a cosmonaut, Grebenkin served in the technical and operational units of the Russian Armed Forces' Air Force.

What is the International Space Station?

Designed and operated thanks to a global partnership of space agencies, the International Space Station has been home to crews of astronauts, cosmonauts and plenty of others since November 2000, NASA says.

More than 260 spacefarers from 20 countries have visited to the International Space Station, including 163 from the United States alone, according to the U.S. space agency.

Crew members who live and conduct scientific experiment aboard the space station orbit Earth 16 times a day. The orbital outpost is larger than a six-bedroom house with six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym, and a 360-degree view bay window, according to NASA.

How long does it take to get to the International Space Station?

Depending on where the ISS is in Earth's orbit, NASA says spacecraft can arrive at the space station as soon as four hours to three days after launching from Earth.

How many people are aboard the International Space Station?

There are currently seven people aboard the International Space Station and then four on the way. Those 11 will be aboard the space station for a short time until four of the earlier crew members − Jasmin Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen, Satoshi Furukawa and Konstantin Borisov − return to Earth in a few days, NASA says.

Other astronauts aboard include Loral O’Hara, Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chubb.

Contributing: Associated Press.