NASA reveals new launch date for mission carrying UAE astronaut

A new launch date has been announced for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station.

The mission, carrying UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, will now liftoff from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, on February 27, at 1.45am Eastern Standard Time.

The takeoff will take place at 10.45am UAE local time.

UPDATE: NASA’s @SpaceX #Crew6 mission to the @Space_Station is now scheduled to lift off no earlier than 1:45am ET (0545 UTC) on Monday, Feb. 27, with live coverage beginning at 10pm ET Sunday.

Follow our Crew-6 blog for the latest mission updates: https://t.co/5fBuq1gE17 pic.twitter.com/HuTmaD4XCF

— NASA (@NASA) February 22, 2023

“Managers from NASA and SpaceX, along with international partners, met throughout the day Tuesday as part of the mission’s Flight Readiness Review (FRR) in preparation for the sixth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the microgravity laboratory”, NASA said in its blog post.

“The FRR focused on the preparedness of SpaceX’s crew transportation system, the space station, and its international partners to support the flight, as well as the certification of flight readiness,” it added.

Besides Al Neyadi, the Crew-6 mission will carry NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

They will fly onboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, mated atop a Falcon 9 rocket.

The six-month long endeavour will include several scientific experiments and research endeavours.

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

Read: UAE’s Sultan Al Neyadi chosen to be first Arab astronaut to join ISS mission

The crew have arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to start final preparations for their mission.

Emirati Astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi and his Crew-6 colleagues arrive at the Kennedy Space Center, 5 days before the launch of the first Arab long-duration astronaut mission. #UAEMission2#UAEAstronautProgramme pic.twitter.com/9yFSFgG7TZ

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 21, 2023