NASA and SpaceX are making final preparations to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, October 5.
As part of the build-up to lift-off, which NASA will be livestreaming from the launch site at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space agency has shared a cinematic trailer (below) on its YouTube channel.
Crew-5 will carry NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina to the ISS.
The mission is notable as Mann will be NASA’s first indigenous woman in space, as well as the first female commander for a commercial crew launch.
The four astronauts will stay aboard the ISS for about six months and work on more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations during their visit.
“Crew-5 will conduct new and exciting scientific research in areas including investigations to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and benefit life on Earth,” NASA said this week. “Experiments will include studies on 3D biological printing of cells and tissues in space, understanding liquid behavior in lunar and martian gravity, and multiple experiments aimed at better understanding heart disease.”
The Crew-5 mission will be SpaceX’s eighth astronaut flight since the first one in the summer of 2020, and the seventh astronaut flight to the ISS. The other crewed mission was the first-ever all-civilian flight, which orbited Earth for several days without docking at the space station.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT) on Wednesday for the Crew-5 launch. Digital Trends has all the information you need to watch a livestream of the launch.
With clear and calm conditions expected at Kennedy, it looks as if only a late technical issue could prevent SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from getting away on time. We’ll keep you posted if any schedule changes occur between now and noon on Wednesday.
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