A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is going to launch a crew of astronauts to the International Space Station Wednesday, marking the second of three rocket launches this week.
The four crew members — astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada of NASA, astronaut Koichi Wakata of JAXA, or Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and cosmonaut Anna Kikina of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, are scheduled to depart from Cape Canaveral, in Florida, at noon and is expected to dock at the space station at 5 p.m. EDT.
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Mann, who is the commander of the flight, will be the first Native American woman to fly to orbit.
“I am very proud to represent Native Americans and my heritage,” Mann said at a press conference Saturday. “I think it’s important to celebrate our diversity and also realize how important it is when we collaborate and unite, the incredible accomplishments that we can have.”
The crew will remain on the International Space Station for five months, joining a long list of astronauts to serve as the full-time staff aboard the station since it opened in 1998. The space station is not owned by a specific country and will be operated through at least 2024. NASA said it will continue operating the station until at least 2030, but Russia says it will withdraw after 2024 to focus on building its own space station in approximately 2028.
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An Atlas V rocket launched two satellites into orbit Tuesday, becoming the first rocket to launch from Florida since Hurricane Ian flooded portions of the state. The third and final launch out of Cape Canaveral this week is scheduled for Thursday evening.
