NASA is preparing to launch the next crew of astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) after SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft was given the green light for launch. The SpaceX Crew-7 mission is scheduled for liftoff on Friday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will ride on board SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft named “Endurance.” The four-person crew includes NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov.
During a NASA briefing, officials announced that previous concerns regarding corrosion on the isolation valves of a cargo Dragon spacecraft have been resolved. SpaceX replaced some valve components on the Crew Dragon spacecraft, ensuring its safety for the mission. Operations teams have not reported any major issues with the Falcon 9 rocket or the spacecraft. The Crew-7 members are expected to spend approximately six months on board the ISS.
The launch will be live-streamed on NASA Television, the space agency’s website, and app. The Crew-7 mission marks another important milestone in NASA’s ongoing collaboration with SpaceX to transport astronauts to and from the ISS, furthering the agency’s efforts in human space exploration.