SpaceX Crew-6 crew successfully completes countdown rehearsal
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Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi and Crew-6 will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10.45am (UAE time) on Monday, with favorable weather expected.
Weather officials with the 45th Weather Squadron at the Cape Canaveral Space Station predicted a 95 percent chance of favorable weather, with cumulus clouds prevailing, pointing to clear and dry weather for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 launch.
In addition to the instant launch window on Monday, there is an alternate opportunity on Tuesday, February 28 at 10.22am (UAE time).
On Friday, AlNeyadi and his teammates (NASA mission commander Stephen Bowen, Nasa pilot Warren Hoburg and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev) successfully completed a countdown rehearsal to simulate what would happen on launch day.
AlNeyadi’s family, including his father, children, cousins and friends, have been at the launch site since Friday, while the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center tweeted photos and videos of its wishes on Saturday. “The entire UAE is ready to launch the longest Arab space mission in history. All hearts are with astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi who will fly the mission,” the tweet said.
The mission will make the UAE the 11th country in the world to send astronauts on long-duration space missions.