Members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 from right to left, NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps, mission specialist; Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, mission specialist; participate in the Crew Equipment Interface Test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, January 12, 2024. Credit: SpaceX
NASA and SpaceX have postponed the Crew-8 mission launch to no earlier than March 1.
NASA and SpaceX teams adjusted the launch date for the Crew-8 mission to no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST Friday, March 1. The shift follows the successful launch early Thursday morning of the Intuitive Machines IM-1 lander from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a robotic mission to land on the Moon.
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin will lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A to perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities aboard the space station. This is the eighth crew rotational mission with SpaceX to station, and the ninth human spaceflight as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Official SpaceX Crew-8 portrait with Roscosmos cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Aleksandr Grebenkin, and Pilot Michael Barratt, Commander Matthew Dominick, and Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps, all three NASA astronauts. Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Mission
NASA’s Crew-8 mission, a pivotal chapter in the ongoing collaboration between NASA and SpaceX, marks a significant advancement in space exploration under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. This mission is distinguished by its international crew composition, featuring NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, alongside Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. These spacefarers are tasked with conducting a range of activities aboard the International Space Station (ISS), from scientific research to technology demonstrations and station maintenance, furthering humanity’s presence in space and our understanding of life beyond Earth.
Crew-8 continues the legacy of international cooperation and technological innovation, underscoring the mission’s importance in the broader context of human spaceflight and exploration. As the eighth crew rotation mission facilitated by SpaceX for NASA, it not only highlights the successful partnership between the public and private sectors but also paves the way for future endeavors in the endless expanse of space.
Why is it called Crew-8 when there’s only four people?