SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on March 2. The mission had initially been scheduled for February 27 but was delayed due to a ground system issue that halted the countdown clock just two minutes before liftoff.
The issue that caused the stoppage of the countdown clock before the Crew-6 mission launch was due to a clogged filter in the TEA-TEB system. The launch team was able to replace the filter successfully.
This time, everything went according to plan, and the Dragon capsule Endeavor left the launch pad at 12:34 am ET (0534 UTC) and headed to orbit. The launch lit up the skies as it was visible to many people in the surrounding area.
The Crew-6 mission team consists of Commander Stephen G. Bowen, pilot Warren Hoburg, mission specialist Sultan Alneyadi, and mission specialist Andrew Fedyaev. The mission marks SpaceX’s third crewed flight for NASA and the fourth overall crewed mission.
After the launch, the Falcon9 first stage successfully landed on the “Just Read The Instruction” drone ship, marking the 101st time SpaceX has recovered a booster. The booster will be refurbished and reused on future missions, as SpaceX continues its efforts to make space travel more affordable and sustainable.
The Endeavor capsule will dock at the space station at approximately 1:17 a.m. EST on Friday, March 3. Live coverage on NASA TV will resume at 11:30 p.m. EST.
