18.12.2021
Two Astronauts Receive Assignments for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Mission
NASA has assigned two crew members to launch on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission – the sixth crew rotation flight aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station.
NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, for the mission. The agency’s international partners will assign additional crew members as mission specialists in the future.
The mission is expected to launch in 2023 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Bowen, Hoburg, and the international crew members will join an expedition crew aboard the space station.
This will be Bowen’s fourth trip into space as a veteran of three space shuttle missions: STS-126 in 2008, STS-132 in 2010, and STS-133 in 2011. Bowen has logged more than 40 days in space, including 47 hours, 18 minutes during seven spacewalks. He was born in Cohasset, Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and a master’s degree in ocean engineering from the Joint Program in Applied Ocean Science and Engineering offered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts. In July 2000, Bowen became the first submarine officer selected as an astronaut by NASA.
Hoburg was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 2017 and this will be his first trip to space. He is from Pittsburgh and earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT and a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. At the time of his selection as an astronaut, Hoburg was an assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. Hoburg's research focused on efficient methods for design of engineering systems. He also is a commercial pilot with instrument, single-engine, and multi-engine ratings.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program works with the American aerospace industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station on American-made rockets and spacecraft launching from American soil.
For more than 21 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, 244 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 3,000 research and educational investigations from researchers in 108 countries and areas.
The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and developing a robust low-Earth orbit economy, NASA is free to focus on building spacecraft and rockets for deep space missions to the Moon and Mars.
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 18.08.2022
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First glimpse of UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi in a SpaceX astronaut suit
The Emirati astronaut is set to go on a six-month mission to the International Space Station next spring
Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, right, is seen for the first time in a SpaceX astronaut suit. He is sitting in a Dragon Crew Capsule during a training session. All photos: Nasa / SpaceX
New images released by Nasa show for the first time UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi in a SpaceX astronaut suit, sitting inside a Crew Dragon capsule.
The former IT professional is preparing to go to the International Space Station for a six-month mission, with the launch scheduled for spring 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
In the photos, Dr Al Neyadi, 41, is seen with his SpaceX Crew-6 mission colleagues, including mission specialist Andrey Fedyaev, pilot William Hoburg and commander Stephen Bowen.
The photos were taken during a training session at SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
They are learning how to operate the capsule, which will blast off into space on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre.
This is the UAE’s second mission to the space station and the Arab world’s first long-duration space mission.
Dr Al Neyadi served as a back-up astronaut on that first mission, training alongside Hazza Al Mansouri who made headlines around the world as the first Arab on the ISS and first Emirati in space.
Dr Al Neyadi's journey in the UAE’s space programme began in 2017, when he applied to become an astronaut.
He comes from an IT background, having served as a network security engineer for the armed forces for many years.
He holds a doctorate in information technology from Griffith University in Australia and a degree in electronics and communications engineering from the University of Brighton in England.
Quelle: The National
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Update: 6.11.2022
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Startvorbereitung für SpaceX Crew-6 ISS Mission
Next SpaceX Crew Dragon ISS mission, Crew-6, is now on tap for a mid-February 2023 launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
That mission, originally planned for spring 2023, will carry two NASA astronauts, one astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, and one Russian cosmonaut to the space station for a roughly six-month stay.
Quelle: Florida Today
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Update: 23.12.2022
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NASA Invites Media to Next SpaceX Commercial Crew Space Station Launch
Media accreditation is now open for the launch of the sixth SpaceX commercial crew mission to the International Space Station for NASA.
The earliest targeted launch date for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission is mid-February 2023, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, mated atop a Falcon 9 rocket will carry two NASA astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen, and Pilot Woody Hoburg, along with UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who will join as mission specialists. This is the first spaceflight for Hoburg, Al Neyadi, and Fedyaev. It is the fourth mission to space for Bowen.
Following a handover period on the space station, crew members from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission will return to Earth aboard their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, Endurance.
Media accreditation deadlines for the Crew-6 launch are as follows:
- U.S. media and U.S. citizens representing international media must apply by 11:59 p.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 31.
- International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5.
All accreditation requests should be submitted online at:
For questions about accreditation, please email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
Any special logistical requests, such as space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections, should be requested to NASA Kennedy by Friday, Feb. 4 at: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 12.01.2023
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SpaceX and NASA target Crew-6 astronaut launch in mid-February
An international complement will ride SpaceX's Dragon Endeavor for the first ferry of crew to the ISS this year.
The four crew members who comprise the SpaceX Crew-6 mission pose for a photo in their spacesuits during a training session at the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California. From left are, Mission Specialist Andrey Fedyaev, Pilot Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Commander Stephen Bowen, and Mission Specialist Sultan Al Neyadi. (Image credit: SpaceX)
NASA's next crewed mission is approaching launch date.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting mid-February for the launch of the next commercial crew mission to the International Space Station (ISS). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will carry a crew of four to orbit aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavor, where the spacecraft will rendezvous and dock with the ISS for approximately six months of research and station maintenance.
Crew-6 will be SpaceX's tenth crewed flight, and the fourth for Dragon Endeavor, which also launched Demo-2, Crew-2, and Axiom Space's Ax-1 mission.
Aboard Endeavor, a duo of NASA astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Woody Hoburg, will fly alongside United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut and mission specialist Andrey Fedyaev. For all but Bowen, who's already flown three missions to the ISS aboard the space shuttle, Crew-6 will be this group's first launch.
Bowen and Hoburg were both added to the Crew-6 manifest in December 2021. Fedyaev was added in July, 2022, as part of a crew swap agreement between NASA and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. And on July 25, 2022, just ten days after the NASA/Roscosmos crew swap announcement, Al Neyadi was added as the final member of the Crew-6 list.
Al Neyadi's addition was part of a 2021 contract between NASA and Axiom Space, wherein a NASA astronaut would fly on a Soyuz mission to the ISS in exchange for a future seat for Axiom on a commercial U.S. launch. Axiom Space partnered with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center of the UAE to fill that seat in April of last year, and Al Neyadi was selected, according to a NASA press release(opens in new tab) at the time.
A short overlap of space station personnel will take place as the members of Crew-6 get acclimated to their new orbital environment. Crew-6's arrival will bring the ISS occupancy to eleven in the days leading up to the departure of Crew-5 and the Dragon Endurance spacecraft that flew them there.
The Crew-6 astronauts' stay aboard the ISS is slated through the arrival of SpaceX's Crew-7 mission, currently scheduled for sometime in the fall of 2023.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 20.01.2023
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Briefings, Interviews Set for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Mission
A pair of news conferences on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will highlight the agency’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station in February. The mission is NASA’s sixth crew rotation flight involving a U.S. commercial spacecraft carrying crew for a science expedition aboard the microgravity laboratory.
First up, a mission overview news conference at 12 p.m. EST, followed by a crew news conference at 2 p.m. Both will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
The Crew-6 mission will carry NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg as well as UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Crew members also will be available for individual interviews after 3:30 p.m.
The Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is scheduled to launch no earlier than Feb. 26 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This event will be the final media opportunity to speak to the Crew-6 astronauts before they travel to Kennedy for launch. Media wishing to participate in person or seeking a remote interview with the crew must request credentials from the Johnson newsroom at: 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.
U.S. media interested in attending must request in-person participation by noon Tuesday, Jan. 24. Media interested in participating by phone must contact the Johnson newsroom by 9:45 a.m. the day of the event. Those wishing to submit a question on social media may do so using #AskNASA.
Briefing participants include:
12 p.m. Mission Overview News Conference
- Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Johnson
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
- Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
- Sergei Krikalev, executive director, Human Space Flight Programs, Roscosmos
- Salem AlMarri, Director General, Mohammaed Bin Rashid Space Centre, UAE
2 p.m. Crew News Conference
- Stephen Bowen, NASA astronaut, spacecraft commander
- Woody Hoburg, NASA astronaut, pilot
- Sultan Alneyadi, UAE astronaut, mission specialist
- Andrey Fedyaev, Roscosmos cosmonaut, mission specialist
3:30 p.m. Crew Individual Interview Opportunities
- Crew-6 members will be available for a limited number of interviews
This will be Bowen’s fourth trip into space. A veteran of three space shuttle missions: STS-126 in 2008, STS-132 in 2010, and STS-133 in 2011, Bowen has logged more than 40 days in space, including 47 hours, 18 minutes during seven spacewalks. As mission commander, he will be responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry. He will serve as an Expedition 69 flight engineer aboard the station.
Bowen was born in Cohasset, Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and a master’s degree in ocean engineering from the Joint Program in Applied Ocean Science and Engineering offered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts. In July 2000, Bowen became the first submarine officer selected as an astronaut by NASA.
The mission will be Hoburg’s first flight since his selection as an astronaut in 2017. As pilot, he will be responsible for spacecraft systems and performance. Aboard the station, he will serve as an Expedition 69 flight engineer.
Hoburg is from Pittsburgh. He earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT and a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. At the time of his selection as an astronaut, Hoburg was an assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. Hoburg's research focused on efficient methods for design of engineering systems. He also is a commercial pilot with instrument, single-engine, and multi-engine ratings. Follow @Astro_Woody on Twitter.
Alneyadi will be making his first trip to space, representing the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Once aboard the station, he will become a flight engineer for Expedition 69. Follow @Astro_AlNeyadion Twitter.
Fedyaev will be making his first trip to space, and will also serve as a mission specialist, working to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. He will be a flight engineer for Expedition 69.
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 24.01.2023
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Crew-6 mission: SpaceX to launch 4 astronauts to ISS in February from Florida
LAKE MARY, Fla. - SpaceX is preparing to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station in February for its Crew-6 mission.
The Falcon 9 rocket, with Dragon Endeavour spacecraft atop, is set to liftoff on Sunday, Feb. 26. from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, NASA will hold a news conference at noon to discuss the mission overview, followed by a news conference with the crew at 2 p.m.
The crewed mission will consist of NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
It will be NASA's sixth crew rotation flight involving a U.S. commercial spacecraft carrying a crew for a science expedition aboard the microgravity laboratory, the space agency said on its website.
Quelle: FOX35
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Update: 29.01.2023
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NASA still working on long-term plans for ISS seat barters
Crew-6 will fly (from left) Andrey Fedyaev, Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg and Sultan Alneyadi to the ISS for a six-month mission. NASA is still in talks with Roscosmos to allow Russian cosmonauts to fly on future commercial crew missions in exchange for flying NASA astronauts on Soyuz. Credit: SpaceX
WASHINGTON — As NASA prepares to launch another commercial crew mission with a Russian cosmonaut on board, the agency says it has yet to work out an agreement with Roscosmos on future crew swaps.
At a Jan. 25 briefing, agency officials said they are moving ahead with plans to launch the Crew-6 Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station on Feb. 26 at 2:07 a.m. Eastern. The spacecraft will deliver to the station NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, Emirati astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
Fedyaev will be the second Russian cosmonaut to fly on Crew Dragon, after Anna Kikina, who launched on Crew-5 in October 2022 and will return from the station in early March. Those flights were enabled by a seat barter agreement completed in July 2022 that also allowed American astronauts to fly on Soyuz spacecraft. NASA had long sought what it called “integrated crews” on visiting vehicles to ensure that there would be both Americans and Russians on the station in the event either Soyuz or commercial crew vehicles were unavailable for an extended period.
At the time of the announcement, NASA said the agreement covered the flights of Kikina and Fedyaev on Crew Dragon and NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Loral O’Hara on Soyuz. Rubio launched on Soyuz MS-22 in September 2022, but damage to that spacecraft in December will extend his stay, along with his two Russian crewmates, as Roscosmos will replace it with an uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 launching Feb. 20.
That will delay the flight of O’Hara, who had been originally scheduled to launch in March with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, likely until the fall on Soyus MS-24. However, NASA managers said the agency has not finalized plans yet for future integrated crews.
“Right now we’re still working with Roscosmos on the swap in the fall of this year,” said Joel Montalbano, NASA ISS program manager. “We’re not finalized yet on the fall, but we’re continuing to work in that direction.”
He and others said they want to continue to exchange seats between Soyuz and commercial crew missions. “Integrated crew, and that integrated crew strategy and planning, helped us really be able to work on having the most robust strategy possible” to deal with the Soyuz MS-22 problem, said Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator for space operations.
At a separate briefing Jan. 25, Bowen, commander of Crew-6, endorsed continued use of integrated crews. “I think it’s an advantage for all of us.”
Busy mission
Crew-6 is scheduled to spend six months at the ISS. A full schedule of research activities is planned, as well as spacewalks near the end of their stay to install a final set of new solar panels for the station.
Crew-6 will also see a high cadence of visiting vehicles. That will start, Montalbano said, with a cargo Dragon mission, SpaceX CRS-27, scheduled to launch about 12 days after Crew-6, a schedule Montalbano said could slip if there are delays in the return of Crew-5. A Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo mission, NG-19, will follow in early April.
That will be followed by two crewed missions making short-term visits. The crewed flight test of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, with NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams on board, is currently scheduled to launch in mid-April. The Starliner crew capsule was mated to its service module last week in Florida.
“We’re really looking forward” to Starliner, said Bowen. Having two companies able to transport astronauts to the station “will change the way we look how we fly to space.”
Later in the second quarter will feature a visit by Ax-2, the second private astronaut mission by Axiom Space. NASA said Jan. 20 that it and the other ISS partners had approved the crew for that mission, which will be commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson with an Axiom customer, John Shoffner, serving as pilot.
The NASA statement did not disclose the other two people flying on Ax-2, stating only that those two mission specialists “will be announced later.” They are widely believed to be astronauts from Saudi Arabia under a deal Axiom Space and the Saudi Space Commission announced in September 2022. A NASA official confirmed at a November committee meeting that Saudi astronauts would fly on Ax-2 and had already started training.
Bowen said he and the Crew-6 crew had talked with Whitson and Shoffner about the upcoming Ax-2 mission. “We think it’s going to be a great opportunity, a great flight when they get to visit,” he said. The Ax-2 mission will spend about a week at the station. “They have a great plan for their mission and we’ll do what we can to support them.”
Another SpaceX cargo Dragon will follow Ax-2, delivering solar arrays. Hoburg said it will take two or three spacewalks to install that final pair of arrays that will boost the station’s power.
“We’re going to be busy,” Bowen said. “We’re going to be tired, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Quelle: SN
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Update: 5.02.2023
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New images show UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi in SpaceX astronaut suit
He is scheduled to travel into space on February 26
Dr Al Neyadi trains inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
SpaceX has released new images of UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi in his pressure suit — the one he will be wearing during his flight to the International Space Station on February 26.
The shots were taken during a training session last month at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
Dr Al Neyadi, 41, and his three crew mates will head to the space station on a Dragon capsule, which will sit atop a Falcon 9 rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 11.07am GST.
There are also new images of him training inside a crew capsule, which he and his colleagues will be flying in for about 22 hours to reach to the orbiting science laboratory.
Dr Al Neyadi, who comes from an IT engineering background, is now preparing to enter a mandatory two-week quarantine.
All astronauts isolate before going into space to prevent any bacteria from spreading on their spaceship and on the ISS.
He gave his last public address at a press event in Dubai on Thursday, where he spoke about the science experiments he will be doing during his mission and how the training has been.
"I remember when they said it's a six month mission, I thought 'what would I do there for so long?'," he said during the event.
"But with the activities there, that’s actually still not enough time."
Dr Al Neyadi will be carrying out about 20 experiments given by universities across the UAE, but he will also be doing research work assigned by Nasa and maintenance work on the station.
Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati in space, said that he was excited for his colleague.
Maj Al Mansouri is the back-up astronaut on this mission, and Dr Al Neyadi was the back-up for his mission in 2019.
"Sultan communicated with me on the ISS and he gave me updates. Now, I’ll be in mission control telling him that everyone is watching him from Earth," said Maj Al Mansouri.
"My advice is to be interested in everything that’s happening and remember the first moment you feel zero-gravity."
Dr Al Neyadi's launch will be streamed live on Nasa, SpaceX and MBRSC websites and social media channels.
Quelle: The National
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UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi faces 14-day quarantine before space launch
Countdown to lift-off for the Arab world's first long-duration mission has begun
Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is preparing to go into a mandatory 14-day quarantine before he launches into space on February 26.
He and three crewmates will be placed in quarantine quarters in Houston, Texas, and then will leave for the Florida launch site a week before lift-off.
The 41-year-old was speaking at a press conference in Dubai on Thursday, his final public address before he heads to the International Space Station on a six-month mission.
"I will leave here directly for quarantine," said Dr Al Neyadi, who comes from an IT background.
"We have to maintain the safety of the astronauts and we cannot go to space without quarantining first."
Astronauts are required to complete a period of isolation before launch to ensure they are not sick or carrying an illness when on the space station.
Hanan Al Suwaidi, a consultant family physician from Dubai who was the flight surgeon for the UAE's first astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, will look after Dr Al Neyadi before and after his journey to space.
Dr Al Neyadi is part of the SpaceX/Nasa Crew-6 mission, which will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
Once in Florida, the astronauts will go back into quarantine until launch day, but will be carrying out a launch rehearsal — known as day dress — a day or two before lift-off.
It is necessary for the astronauts to temporarily come out of quarantine to perform the crucial practice run, but the number of people they come into contact with will be limited.
"On dress day, we'll be wearing our suits, we'll get into the Teslas to reach the launch site, then we sign on the door that leads to the rocket," Dr Al Neyadi said.
The crew then board the rocket, which is not fuelled, to complete the rehearsal.
Teslas pick and drop crews launching on a SpaceX rocket because both companies are founded by billionaire Elon Musk.
As the astronauts leave quarantine quarters on launch day to get into the Teslas, their families wait outside to say goodbye for the last time before lift-off.
Excitement builds
Dr Al Neyadi, a father of five who was born and raised in Al Ain, has family members who will be attending the launch.
He said that he was most excited about experiencing what microgravity will feel like.
"I’d like to experience this feeling and live on the station," he said.
"I’m not worried and we’re prepared for the most difficult circumstances. There’s no kind of fear and tension, but there’s enthusiasm and preparedness."
Maj Al Mansouri, who spent eight days on the ISS in 2019, also spoke at the event and wished his colleague all the best and said that the UAE's space programme could involve crewed missions to the Moon one day.
"It is an indescribable sense of pride to carry the UAE flag to space and speak in the Arabic language on the ISS," he said.
"We go to space to be able to live on the Moon in the future and then go to Mars. That is the objective of the UAE. We are building a settlement on Mars in 100 years and we need to start working from now.
"My advice is to be interested in everything that’s happening and remember the first moment you feel zero gravity."
Quelle: The National
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Update: 19.02.2023
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NASA Sets Coverage for Agency’s SpaceX Crew-6 Events, Launch
NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station.
Launch is targeted for 2:07 a.m. EST, Sunday, Feb. 26, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 2:54 a.m., Monday, Feb. 27.
Crew arrival at Kennedy, launch, the postlaunch news conference, and docking coverage will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. NASA also will host audio-only news teleconferences following the agency’s flight and launch readiness reviews. Follow all live events at:
The Crew-6 launch will carry two NASA astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Warren Hoburg, along with UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who will serve as mission specialists to the space station for a science expedition mission.
This is the sixth crew rotation mission with astronauts using the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the orbiting laboratory as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. This Dragon is named Endeavour.
The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
All media participation in the following news conferences will be remote except where specifically listed below.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Tuesday, Feb. 21
12:30 p.m. (approximately) – Crew arrival media event at Kennedy on NASA Television
- Kelvin Manning, deputy director, Kennedy
- Dana Hutcherson, deputy manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
- Salem AlMarri, director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
- NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen
- NASA astronaut Warren Hoburg
- UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi
- Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev
The event is limited to in-person media only. Follow Commercial Crew and Kennedy Space Center on Twitter for the latest arrival updates.
6 p.m. (approximately) – Flight Readiness Review media teleconference (no earlier than one hour after completion of the review) with the following participants:
- Ken Bowersox, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Dana Weigel, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
- Emily Nelson, chief flight director, Johnson
- Jared Metter, director, Flight Reliability, SpaceX
- Adnan AlRais, mission manager UAE Astronaut Mission 2, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 4 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21 at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Friday, Feb. 24
10:30 p.m. (approximately) – Prelaunch News Teleconference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants:
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Dana Weigel, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, Johnson
- Emily Nelson, chief flight director, Johnson
- Kirt Costello, chief scientist, International Space Station Program, Johnson
- Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
- Salem AlMarri, director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
- Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron
Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Saturday, Feb. 25
10:30 p.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins
Sunday, Feb. 26
2:07 a.m. – Launch
Following conclusion of launch and ascent coverage, NASA coverage of agency’s Crew-6 flight to the space station will continue with audio only, with full coverage resuming at the start of the arrival broadcast. Viewers can continue to listen to real-time audio between Crew-6 and flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Audio stream, which also includes conversations with astronauts aboard the space station and a live video feed from the orbiting laboratory.
4 a.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch news conference on NASA TV
- Ken Bowersox, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Dana Weigel, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, Johnson
- Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
- Salem AlMarri, director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 1 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 26, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Monday, Feb. 27
1 a.m. – NASA TV arrival coverage begins
2:54 a.m. – Docking to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module
4:35 a.m. – Hatch opening
5:20 a.m. – Welcome ceremony
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 23.02.2023
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NASA pushes back launch of next crewed mission one day until Monday morning
The four astronauts of NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission arrived at Kennedy Space Center Tuesday afternoon after a short flight aboard a NASA private jet from Houston.
Turns out they will spend at least one extra day on the Space Coast as their launch date has been pushed back until Monday.
After speaking with reporters, NASA's Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, joined by Sultan Alneyadi of the United Arab Emirates and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, were transported to the astronaut crew quarters facility at KSC. There, they will live in quarantine and continue to prepare ahead of their launch to the International Space Station.
At a news conference later Tuesday, NASA leadership and other mission managers announced that liftoff from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center is now expected at 1:45 a.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 27, a delay of about 24-hours.
Launch Monday, February 27
- Company / Agency: SpaceX for NASA
- Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9
- Location: Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center
- Launch Time: 1:45 a.m.
- Trajectory: Northeast
- Weather: TBD
- Landing: Drone ship
Quelle: Florida Today
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Update: 27.02.2023
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Florida weather solid for NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 launch to ISS; eyes on flight conditions
Local weather looks solid for NASA's launch of a new crew to the International Space Station early Monday, but forecasters are keeping an eye on conditions farther downrange in the Atlantic Ocean.
If NASA and SpaceX teams continue polling "go," a crew of three astronauts and a cosmonaut are set to launch from Kennedy Space Center at 1:45 a.m. EST Monday. It will mark the opening of an instantaneous window at pad 39A, meaning SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket must fly exactly on time or delay to another day.
Weather around the pad should be 95% "go" for liftoff, Space Force forecasters said Saturday, but conditions along the northeastern launch trajectory over the Atlantic were noted as "low-to-moderate risk." Downrange impacts like large waves are critical to crewed missions since, in the event of an emergency, the Crew Dragon capsule would automatically propel itself from the rocket and splash down in the Atlantic.
"Spaceport weather continues to look favorable, with a very low threat of a cumulus cloud violation," Space Launch Delta 45 forecasters said Saturday. "All eyes will be on the movement of the ridge axis over the ascent corridor and if the timing will correspond with launch."
After liftoff, the rocket's brand new first stage will target a landing on the Just Read in the Instructions drone ship.
As of Saturday afternoon, NASA and SpaceX mission managers were still meeting to discuss the mission during the routine launch readiness review, or LRR. Results from that were expected late Saturday night.
The Crew Dragon capsule, meanwhile, will be flying its fourth mission to date. It previously launched the first flight with astronauts, Demo-2, in 2020; Crew-2 in 2021; and Axiom's private Ax-1 mission to the ISS last year.
Flying NASA's Crew-6 mission are NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, the United Arab Emirates' Sultan Alneyadi, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. All are launching on their first mission with the exception of Bowen, who has been assigned to three previous space shuttle flights.
Crew-6 will be SpaceX's seventh crewed mission under contract for NASA since 2020. The company was selected by NASA, along with Boeing, as commercial replacements for the shuttle program that ended in 2011. Boeing has launched a successful test flight of its Starliner capsule and its first test mission with astronauts is slated for April.
A few miles south of pad 39A, meanwhile, SpaceX is also preparing another Falcon 9 rocket for a Monday liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 40. That mission, slated to fly another batch of Starlink internet satellites, is scheduled for liftoff during a six-hour window that opens around 1 p.m. EST. SpaceX is expected to release an exact launch time Sunday.
Feb. 27: NASA's SpaceX Crew-6
- Company / Agency: SpaceX for NASA
- Mission: Crew-6 to International Space Station
- Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9
- Location: Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center
- Launch Time: 1:45 a.m.
- Launch Window: Instantaneous
- Trajectory: Northeast
- Weather: 95% "go"
- Landing: Drone ship
Quelle: Florida Today
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Update: 28.02.2023
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Last-minute problem keeps SpaceX rocket, astronauts grounded
Last-minute technical trouble forced SpaceX to call off an attempt to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Last-minute technical trouble forced SpaceX to call off Monday’s attempt to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA.
The countdown was halted with just two minutes remaining until liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. With just a split second to blast off, there was no time to deal with the problem, which involved the engine ignition system.
SpaceX delayed the launch until at least Thursday.
Strapped into the capsule atop the Falcon rocket were two NASA astronauts, one Russian cosmonaut and one astronaut from the United Arab Emirates. They had to wait until all the fuel was drained from the rocket — an hourlong process — before getting out.
“We'll be sitting here waiting,” commander Stephen Bowen assured everyone. “We're all feeling good.”
Bowen and his crew — including the first astronaut from the United Arab Emirates assigned to a monthslong mission, Sultan al-Neyadi — will replace four space station residents who have been up there since October.
Officials said the problem involved ground equipment used for loading the engine ignition fluid. The launch team could not be sure there was a full load. A SpaceX engineer likened this critical system to spark plugs for a car.
Quelle: abcNews
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Hardware forces NASA and SpaceX to scrub launch of Crew-6 from Florida
A last-minute hardware issue forced NASA and SpaceX teams to stand down from the launch of three astronauts and a cosmonaut early Monday, setting the stage for another attempt later this week.
Just five minutes before the planned 1:45 a.m. EST launch from Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX engineers reported seeing abnormal data with the system designed to ignite the 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket's engines. A quick resolution wasn't available, so teams opted to scrub.
The next opportunity to launch NASA's Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, the United Arab Emirates' Sultan Alneyadi, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev opens at 12:34 a.m. EST Thursday, March 2. According to a Space Force update issued early Monday, liftoff weather for that attempt is likely to be 90% "go." Conditions downrange in the Atlantic Ocean, a critical factor in the event that the Crew Dragon capsule needs to abort the mission and splash down in the water, were listed as "moderate risk."
Another opportunity was available 24 hours after the original Monday window, but downrange conditions were too inclement for an attempt.
It also remains to be seen whether SpaceX will be able to resolve the hardware issue, narrowed down to the nine-engine ignitor known as TEA-TEB, in time for the Thursday window. TEA-TEB is a mixture of triethylaluminium and triethylborane that ignites on contact with air and ultimately allows the Merlin main engines to fire and throttle up to produce 1.7 million pounds of thrust. The issue is extremely rare for SpaceX.
Once the astronauts and cosmonaut launch on their Crew-6 mission, the seventh under contract for NASA, they will spend about a day traveling to the International Space Station. They'll then stay on station for about six months and conduct science investigations and general maintenance.
SpaceX's next mission, meanwhile, won't even wait a full day before taking flight from nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station: another Falcon 9 rocket with a batch of Starlink internet satellites is set for liftoff at 1:38 p.m. EST. Over the weekend, SpaceX said the mission – the 71st for Starlink so far – includes 21 next-generation "V2 Mini" satellites. They include more powerful antennas, more advanced thrusters, and can handle more capacity per satellite.
SpaceX also said the satellites include new Hall thrusters, which use electricity from solar arrays in combination with propellants to produce thrust. Though Hall thrusters are common, this will mark the first time argon is used.
"Developed by SpaceX engineers, they have 2.4 times the thrust and 1.5 times the specific impulse of our first-generation thrusters, SpaceX said. "This will also be the first time ever that argon Hall thrusters are operated in space."
That's not all for Starlink. Yet another Falcon 9 will take off less than an hour after the Cape Canaveral mission, this time from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. A batch of the satellites will fly from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 11:31 a.m. Pacific, or 2:31. p.m. EST.
Quelle: Florida Today
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Update: 1.03.2023
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Quelle: SpaceX