NASA and SpaceX have completed final preparations to launch four astronauts into the International Space Station on Wednesday October 5.
NASA will livestream the lift-off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA has posted a trailer on YouTube.
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.
They will spend approximately six months aboard the ISS and perform more than 200 technology demonstrations and science experiments during their stay.
“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 The first in the summer 2020, and the seventh flight of astronauts to the ISS. The crewed flight was not the only one. It was the first all-civilian mission to orbit Earth and orbit for several days, without ever docking at the station.
NASA and SpaceX will launch the Crew-5 rocket at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PST) Wednesday for Crew-5’s launch. Digital Trends has all you need Watch a live stream 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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