The astronauts who will soon launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission arrived today, Oct. 26, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to undergo final preparations before launch.
NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, landed at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy after departing earlier today from Ellington Field near the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The crew was greeted by leaders from NASA and ESA, and a media event began shortly after their arrival. Participants included:
- Janet Petro, director, Kennedy Space Center
- Bob Cabana, NASA associate administrator
- Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA
- NASA astronaut Raja Chari, commander
- NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn, pilot
- NASA astronaut Kayla Barron, mission specialist
- ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, mission specialist
Crew-3 astronauts are scheduled to lift off at 2:21 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 31, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. They are slated to arrive at the space station the following day, Nov. 1, where they will remain for a six-month science mission. Docking is targeted for 12:10 a.m. EDT.
This is the third crew rotation flight for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, and the first flight of a new Crew Dragon spacecraft. More details about the mission and the Commercial Crew Program can be found in the online press kit, or by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew, and commercial crew on Facebook.