Coverage is underway on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website for today’s launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 science expedition mission to the International Space Station. Crew-6 marks the sixth crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system, and its sixth flight with crew, to the space station for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped by the company’s Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, awaits liftoff from Launch Complex 39A, targeted for Monday at 1:45 a.m. EST.
The Crew-6 flight will carry NASA astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Warren “Woody” Hoburg, along with UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
Just before 10:25 p.m., the crew is scheduled to depart for the launch pad after walking out from astronaut crew quarters inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at Kennedy. About 25 minutes later they will arrive at Launch Complex 39A.
After ascending the launch tower to the crew access arm, the astronauts will climb into the Dragon spacecraft that will take them to the International Space Station. They will conduct checks to ensure their communications system works and their spacesuits are airtight.
A little less than two hours before launch, technicians will close the hatch to the Dragon, sealing the astronauts inside for their historic journey. About 45 minutes prior to the targeted lift off, the SpaceX launch director will conduct a poll of NASA and SpaceX mission managers to see if they are ready for launch.
With a successful “GO for launch” decision, the crew access arm will be retracted, the crew will close their visors, the launch escape system will be activated in the event of a contingency, and SpaceX will begin loading propellant into the Falcon 9 rocket for launch.
U.S. Space Force 45th Space Wing meteorologists are forecasting a 95% chance of favorable weather at lift off based on Falcon 9 crewed Dragon launch weather criteria, and teams will continue to monitor lift off and downrange weather conditions until launch time.
More details about the Crew-6 mission can be found by following the Crew-6 blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, and commercial crew on Facebook.