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Four Things To Know About the Crew-3 Launch

The next round of NASA astronauts are heading to the International Space Station.

NASA’s Crew-3 astronauts will begin their journey to the International Space Station late Wednesday, replacing the recently splashed-down Crew-2 astronauts.

Here are four things you should know about Crew-3′s mission.

1. The Crew

Serving as mission commander will be NASA astronaut Raja Chari, a Milwaukee native who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1999. Chari attained his master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn will serve as the crew’s pilot. Marshburn holds multiple degrees, including a Doctorate of Medicine from Wake Forest University. Marshburn, a North Carolina native, previously flew on two spaceflights—STS-127 and Expedition 34/35. He also served as a flight surgeon for Space Shuttle Medical Operations.

Crew-3′s mission specialist will be NASA astronaut Kayla Barron, a graduate of 2017′s Astronaut Candidate Class. Barron attained a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Cambridge. Barron also was a member of the first class of women to be commissioned into the submarine community.

Joining the crew from the European Space Agency (ESA) will be Matthias Maurer, serving as a mission specialist. Maurer graduated as an ESA astronaut in September 2018 at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. This will be Maurer’s first spaceflight, and the ESA’s second astronaut to fly onboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft.

From left, astronauts Matthias Mauer, Tom Marshburn, Raji Chari and Kayla Barron will stay aboard the International Space Station for six months.
From left, astronauts Matthias Mauer, Tom Marshburn, Raji Chari and Kayla Barron will stay aboard the International Space Station for six months. SpaceX

2. The Mission

Crew-3 is the third rotation of astronauts as part of the Commercial Crew Program. So far, each crew has flown to the ISS on a SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule, powered by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

During their six-month stay, the crew will be conducting hundreds of experiments, just like the rotations before them. Unfortunately, this will be the first rotation without a direct handover.

Typically, the outgoing crew will welcome the incoming astronauts aboard the ISS. After multiple delays for both crews, NASA decided to send Crew-2 back to Earth before Crew-3′s arrival.

Read more: Astronauts Return After Six-Month Mission in Space

3. The Trip Up

Crew-3′s launch is currently scheduled for 9:03 p.m. EST Wednesday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew originally planned for an October 31 launch, but it was delayed because of unfavorable weather, then delayed once more for a minor medical issue.

Shortly after separation, the Falcon 9 rocket will safely land itself on SpaceX’s fully autonomous barge in the Atlantic Ocean.

Even though the crew is taking off Wednesday evening, they won’t reach the ISS until Thursday evening. Crew-3 is expected to dock at the ISS at 7:10 p.m. EST. At 8:45 p.m., the Crew Dragon will open its hatch onto the ISS and 35 minutes later, Crew-3 will hold their welcoming ceremony.

4. Where to Watch

NASA will be live streaming everything from Wednesday’s launch to the welcoming ceremony Thursday Yes, Julieon YouTube and at nasa.gov. SpaceX will also be streaming Crew-3′s launch, as well as Falcon 9′s return to Earth.

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