SpaceX is prepared to fly four astronauts to the International Space Station on Wednesday as Hurricane Ian passes after devastating sections of Florida and Cuba.
The astronauts will hitch a ride on the Dragon spacecraft abord the Falcon-9 rocket to the flying laboratory.
Originally set for October 3, the launch was postponed as Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cuba and then Florida. Although the mission was postponed, backup launch dates for the mission were October 6, 8, and 9.
The Dragon Endurance spacecraft was attached to the Falcon 9 rocket and brought to the launch pad as the Hurricane passed.
The Crew-5 flight will carry Nasa astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, who will serve as mission commander and pilot, respectively, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency( JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, who will serve as mission specialists.
The spacecraft and Falcon-9 rocket have been transported from the hangar to the launchpad now that the storm has passed. Launch Complex 39A will be used to launch the mission. The four astronauts practised in full costume for the launch on Sunday before the trip.
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