BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — On Saturday, the first operational mission to the International Space Station under the Commercial Crew program will lift off from the Space Coast.
That meant a countdown dress rehearsal on Thursday, where crews did everything but fuel the rocket.
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NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi on Thursday took park in the countdown dress rehearsal of launch day.
“They go out to the pad, they suit up, they get seated in the rocket,” said Dr. Ken Kremer with Space UpClose. “They go through a countdown dress rehearsal, but they do not load the rocket. That’s why it’s dry instead of wet.”
NASA and SpaceX are targeting 7:49 p.m. Saturday for the launch of the Crew-1 Dragon.
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When the team arrives at the ISS, they’ll join Expedition 64 for a six-month science mission.
The U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron is predicting a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad. However, recovery conditions will be equally important just in case of a launch emergency.
Teams have one more major milestone ahead of liftoff: The launch readiness review, which is scheduled for Friday.
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