NASA-SpaceX Crew-5: Astronauts complete rehearsals for launch mission to ISS on Oct 5

Astronauts of NASA’s Crew-5 mission have completed the full rehearsal of launch activities, SpaceX informed. The mission will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at 9:30 pm IST on October 5 from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. According to NASA, the astronauts will dock at the space station at 2:27 am the next day. 

Earlier on October 2, the four crew members– Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, Anna Kikina and Koichi Wakata– arrived at Launch Complex 39A of the KSC where they carried out the rehearsals donning the new SpaceX suits. 

After their training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the astronauts were supposed to reach the KSC on October 1 but their arrival was delayed due to Hurricane Ian which ravaged the state of Florida. The hurricane also led to the postponement of Crew-5 by a day. Yesterday, SpaceX shared pictures of the Falcon 9 rocket, at the launch pad, mounted with the Crew Dragon ‘Endurance’ spacecraft that is being used for the second time with a few upgrades. 

This spacecraft will be historic for another reason as it will carry Kikina, the first Russian cosmonaut to board a commercial US-made spacecraft. In addition to this, NASA’s Mann will become the first Native American woman to fly to space and that too for a roughly six-month-long mission. 

"During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct over 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations in areas such as human health and lunar fuel systems", SpaceX said in a statement. Earlier today, SpaceX also completed a static fire test of its Falcon 9 booster at Launch Complex 39A as part of launch preparations. 

More about Crew-5 members

Josh Cassada:  A physicist and US Navy test pilot, Cassada was selected by NASA in 2013. He earned his Physics B.A. at Albion College and his Ph. D. at the University of Rochester, conducting experimental high-energy physics research at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Cassada has accumulated more than 4,000 flight hours in over 45 different aircraft during his tenure as an instructor at the US Naval Test Pilot School.

Nicole Mann: Also selected by NASA in 2013, Mann is a colonel in the Marine Corps and has served as a test pilot in the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet. According to NASA's description, he was also deployed twice aboard aircraft carriers in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Koichi Wakata: Wakata, who is set to launch on his fifth space mission, has previously been part of long-duration ISS missions including Expeditions 18, 19 and 20. In 1996, he flew to space under the STS-72 satellite retrieval mission and again on the STS-92 mission ISS assembly mission.

Anna Kikina: She would be embarking on her career's flight after being selected as a cosmonaut candidate for Roscosmos in 2012 and in the Roscosmos cosmonaut corps in 2014. In addition to being a Master of sports in polyathlon (all-around) and rafting, Kikina is a certified airborne instructor having 153 parachute jumps under her name.