Astronauts who will orbit next month on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission are now very familiar with their upcoming journey into space. In fact, after a successful Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew is now ready to fly to the International Space Station for a science mission.
NASA astronauts Nicole Mann (commander) and Josh Cassada (pilot), along with mission specialists Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and cosmonaut Anna Kikina of Roscosmos, will lift off in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. They will be carried by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and launched from JFK’s Launch Complex 39A. Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than Oct. 3. Part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, Crew-5 is the sixth manned spaceflight mission for SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. This is the fifth crew rotation mission to the space station since 2020.
Crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station pose for a photo at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center
CEIT allows crew members to familiarize themselves with the launch day schedule and experience the interior of the Dragon spacecraft in a near-flight configuration. As part of the full test program, astronauts don their space suits to enter the spacecraft, perform a clothing leak check and complete communication tests.
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is capable of carrying up to seven passengers to and from Earth orbit and beyond. It is currently the only vehicle capable of returning large amounts of cargo to Earth and is the first private spacecraft ever to send humans to the International Space Station.
Inside the vehicle, the crew also listened to the regular operating noise of Dragon’s fans and pumps, which helped prepare them for the sounds they might hear on launch day. The crew will need more time to familiarize themselves with the interior of Dragon before leaving the spacecraft, which marks the end of CEIT.
Prior to that, the crew also received mission-specific training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The unique 18-month training program featured activities including learning and participating in extravehicular activities; T-38 jet flying; Russian language; spacesuit training; robotics; spacecraft training; and physical, tools and science training.
Crew-5 will fly to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Challenger Dragon spacecraft, an orbital science lab that the company’s Crew-3 mission previously flew to and from.
