KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Three astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut are on their way to the International Space Station.
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They lifted off from our Space Coast at 10:53 p.m. Sunday.
The launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center came after two weather-related delays on Friday and Saturday.
The launch team had concerns Sunday about a small crack that was detected in a side hatch seal of the Dragon spacecraft, but ultimately decided the mission was still a go for launch.
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Now, they’ll spend the next several months aboard the ISS conducting experiments that will help prepare NASA for missions to the Moon and beyond.
WATCH below: Liftoff of Crew-8 mission Sunday night at KSC
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Crew-8 will arrive at the International Space Station around 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps and cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin will spend 6 months aboard the station, conducting some 200 experiments and technology demonstrations.
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It’s a first flight to space for Grebenkin, Dominick, and Epps.
Crew-8 pilot Barratt is the veteran on this mission.
This is his third trip to the space station. After a brief handoff, Crew-7 will splash down in about a week.
Stay with WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News in the coming days for updates on Crew-8′s arrival to ISS and Crew-7′s return to Earth.
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