March 2

History has been made! UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has taken off and is heading to space as part of NASA’s Space-X Crew-6 mission.

10.25am
Sultan Al Neyadi’s first message from space after his launch.

9.35am
The Falcon 9 spacecraft has now taken off.

9.28am
Engine chill prior to launch.

9.05am
The crew access arm has been retracted from the rocket.

8.35am

One hour to go for mission launch.

7.33am
Prepare for mission launch.

7.28am
The hatch to the spacecraft has been closed.

7.15am
The crew walks across the Crew Access arm and enter the Dragon spacecraft in which they will liftoff to the International Space Station.

6.38am
The Crew-6 team heads to the launch complex.

February 27

An attempt to launch NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station will take place later this week.

The next available launch attempt will be on Thursday, March 2, at 12.34am EST, ‘pending resolution of the technical issue preventing Monday’s launch’, NASA said in a blog post.

NASA and SpaceX scrubbed today’s launch attempt due to a ground systems issue. It was set to liftoff from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A at 1.45am Eastern Standard Time/10.45am UAE local time.

“Mission teams decided to stand down to investigate an issue preventing data from confirming a full load of the ignition source for the Falcon 9 first stage Merlin engines, triethylaluminum triethylboron (or TEA-TEB),” the space agency added.

“I’m proud of the NASA and SpaceX teams’ focus and dedication to keeping Crew-6 safe,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “Human spaceflight is an inherently risky endeavour and, as always, we will fly when we are ready.”

SpaceX has removed propellant from the Falcon 9 rocket and the astronauts have exited the Dragon spacecraft for astronaut crew quarters. Both the Falcon 9 and Dragon are in a safe configuration.

The Crew-6 mission will carry UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi as well as NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. They will be onboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, mated atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The spacecraft has a height of 8.1 metres and can carry up to seven passengers.

Al Neyadi is the first Arab astronaut to join the six-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Read: NASA reveals new launch date for mission carrying UAE astronaut

Sultan Al Neyadi be making his first trip to space, representing the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center.

10.54am
NASA announced that the launch of its Crew-6 mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida has been scrubbed.

More information is expected to come soon, the agency said in a blog post.

10am
Its a ‘Go’ for the propellant launch.

9.40am
Al Neyadi taking the assigned seat in the spacecraft.

9.05am
Ground support leaving the pad.

8.50am

The UAE astronaut fulfilling one of the pre-launch traditions.

7.32am

The crew fulfilled a few traditions prior to launch.

Sultan Al Neyadi took to Twitter to pen a heartful note prior to beginning his historic mission.