Updates: NASA and SpaceX launch Crew-6 astronauts from Florida to ISS

Emre Kelly and Craig Bailey, Florida Today
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Update: Liftoff of Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon! The Crew-6 mission successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center at 12:34 a.m. EST Thursday, March 2, with a team of three astronauts and one cosmonaut. The crew is slated to dock with the International Space Station for a six-month science stay at 1:17 a.m. EST Friday.

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Watch live as NASA and SpaceX target 12:34 a.m. EST Thursday, March 2, for the launch of the Crew-6 mission from Florida's Kennedy Space Center with a team of three astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut.

NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, the United Arab Emirates' Sultan Alneyadi, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev will launch in a Crew Dragon capsule from pad 39A for a six-month mission to the International Space Station. This will mark the first time an astronaut from the UAE will fly in Crew Dragon and the second time for a Russian cosmonaut.

If everything goes according to plan, Dragon will arrive at the ISS just over 24 hours after liftoff at 1:17 a.m. EST Friday, March 3.

Follow live updates and ask questions below:

Crew in capsule at pad 39A

The crew of three astronauts and one cosmonaut have arrived at pad 39A and are situated in the Crew Dragon capsule, which is named Endeavour. The milestones tonight are:

  • 10:39 p.m. EST: Dragon hatch closure

  • 11:52 p.m.: Crew access arm retracted away from capsule

  • 11:56 p.m.: Launch escape system armed

  • 11:59 p.m.: If "go," propellant starts loading into Falcon 9 rocket

  • 12:27 a.m. Thursday: Merlin engine chill underway

  • 12:32 a.m.: Propellant loading complete, Crew Dragon on internal power

  • 12:34:14 a.m.: Liftoff of Falcon 9

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Updates: NASA and SpaceX launch Crew-6 astronauts from Florida to ISS