NASA and SpaceX Launch Crew-6 Mission to the ISS
Preparations are underway for the launch of SpaceX's 27th cargo supply mission to the International Space Station, set for 8:30 p.m., with the joint efforts of NASA and SpaceX.[0] Tuesday, March 14 at Eastern Daylight Time[0] The mission will take off from Launch Complex 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, operated by the agency.[1]
The mission marks the end of the original six missions SpaceX was awarded by NASA.[1] On October 5, 2022, SpaceX launched the Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station from Florida.[2] On board were four astronauts—NASA's Nicole Mann, a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in northern California, and the first Native American woman in space; Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, the first Russian to ride a SpaceX spacecraft; and Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese astronaut to begin a record fifth spaceflight.[3] The fourth astronaut was Josh Cassada, a physicist and test pilot who helped install an iROSA array to the ISS during three EVAs in late 2022.[3]
The Crew-6 mission, launching March 14, will include NASA astronauts Woody Hoburg and Stephen Bowen, United Arab Emirates' Sultan Al Neyadi, and cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.[4] The foursome will spend six months aboard the ISS conducting more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations.[5] During their stay, the crew will also go outside the space station for spacewalks to install a new set of upgraded solar arrays.[6]
Crew-5 is now in a handover period with Crew-6, and the 11 crew members on board the Station—along with three on the Chinese Tiangong space station—will share the duties of packing their spacecraft with cargo, performing refresher training for their splashdown, and gathering any final biological samples.[3]
Resumption of NASA TV coverage is scheduled for 8 p.[7] Endurance is expected to splash down on Saturday evening at around 9:02 p.m.[8] Crew-5 members were recovered near Tampa, Florida off the coast of the EST.[8] The quartet is expected to land off the shore of Florida at 9:19 p.m. on Saturday.[9]
The long-term goal of the experiments is to prepare NASA and its corporate partners for future manned exploration of the Moon, and eventually Mars.[10] Audio coverage of Crew-5's return to Earth will be provided by NASA, and full broadcast will begin once splashdown has occurred.[7]
0. “NASA, SpaceX prep for Crew-5 return to Earth and 27th resupply mission launch” Devdiscourse, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/science-environment/2374016-nasa-spacex-prep-for-crew-5-return-to-earth-and-27th-resupply-mission-launch
1. “NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts to return to Earth with valuable research after six-month on Saturday” Business Upturn, 11 Mar. 2023, https://www.businessupturn.com/science/nasas-spacex-crew-5-astronauts-to-return-to-earth-with-valuable-research-after-six-month-on-saturday/
2. “SpaceX launches NASA Crew-6 mission” Adda247, 3 Mar. 2023, https://currentaffairs.adda247.com/spacex-launches-nasa-crew-6-mission/
3. “Crew Dragon Endurance returning to Earth on Crew-5 mission – NASASpaceFlight.com” NASASpaceflight.com, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/03/crew-5-return/
4. “SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts leave the space station after five months in space” Nates's Crest, 11 Mar. 2023, https://www.natescrest.com/spacex-crew-5-astronauts-leave-the-space-station-after-five-months-in-space
5. “SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts hope to leave space station March 9 as NASA watches weather” Space.com, 8 Mar. 2023, https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-5-international-space-station-mission-splashdown
6. “SpaceX capsule docks at space station with multinational crew – Spaceflight Now” Spaceflight Now, 3 Mar. 2023, https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/03/03/spacex-capsule-docks-at-space-station-with-multinational-crew
7. “Coverage Set as NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 Prepares to Splashdown” InvestorsObserver, 9 Mar. 2023, https://www.investorsobserver.com/news/qm-pr/6074908932472953
8. “Dragon Endurance Undocks from the Space Station – Space Station” NASA Blogs, 11 Mar. 2023, https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2023/03/11/dragon-endurance-undocks-from-the-space-station/
9. “Four Space Station Crew Members Target Saturday for Return to Earth on SpaceX Dragon” SciTechDaily, 10 Mar. 2023, https://scitechdaily.com/four-space-station-crew-members-target-saturday-for-return-to-earth-on-spacex-dragon/
10. “Crew 6 Finally Heads to Orbit” Hernando Sun, 7 Mar. 2023, https://www.hernandosun.com/2023/03/07/crew-6-finally-heads-to-orbit/
