SpaceX - Dragon Crew-3 Mission patch.
Oct 29, 2021
Yesterday night, Oct. 28, NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, will participate in a countdown dress rehearsal at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the upcoming Crew-3 launch.
Image above: Seen here is an up-close view of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket on Oct. 28, 2021, with a sunrise serving as the backdrop at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. Photo credit: SpaceX.
Rehearsal will begin with launch teams assisting the Crew-3 astronauts into their SpaceX spacesuits inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building – just as they will on launch day. Next, the crew will take the elevator down to the ground floor and exit the building’s double doors, where Tesla Model Xs will be waiting to drive them the short distance to Launch Complex 39A.
Image above: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is vertical with the Crew Dragon atop for the Crew-3 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 27, 2021. Photo credit: SpaceX.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft that will carry them to the International Space Station arrived at the launch pad and was raised into a vertical position for launch on Wednesday, Oct. 27. After they arrive to the launch pad, Spacecraft Commander Chari, Pilot Marshburn, and Mission Specialists Barron and Maurer will ride the launch tower’s elevator up to the crew access arm – the walkway they will use to enter the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Image above: ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, left, and NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, second from left, Raja Chari, second from right, and Kayla Barron, right, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-3 mission launch, Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credits: NASA/Joel Kowsky.
Once securely seated inside, the crew will check their communications systems before the spacecraft’s hatch is closed. The rehearsal will conclude with the Go/No-Go poll for Falcon 9 fueling, which normally occurs about 45 minutes before liftoff.
Falcon 9 / Dragon Crew liftoff. Animation Credit: SpaceX
The third crew rotation flight for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Crew-3 is targeted to launch at 2:21 a.m. EDT on Sunday, Oct. 31.
Related links:
NASA TV: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive
Commercial Crew Program: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html
International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Images (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Danielle Sempsrott.
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