The initial scheduled date for the first mission designed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station for a routine crew exchange is currently November 14th. The space agency released this revised launch date this week, following a postponement from a previously anticipated timeframe within October. This marks the inaugural flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft for an operational crew rotation at the ISS, following the successful completion of testing and NASA certification achieved during its pioneering Demo-2 mission earlier in the year.

This upcoming launch will deliver three astronauts from NASA – Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, and Mike Hopkins – alongside JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi from Japan, to the ISS. There, they will integrate with the existing team and perform standard station activities, encompassing maintenance, system enhancements, and the execution of scientific studies in collaboration with ground-based researchers.

Upon their arrival, they will connect with the current ISS inhabitants, consisting of Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins. With the complete team in place, the station will temporarily house seven crew members, an increase from the typical six. This expanded crew size will allow for a greater focus on scientific research and experimentation, beyond the essential tasks required for the station’s ongoing functionality.

The Crew-1 mission is planned for liftoff from Cape Canaveral utilizing a Falcon 9 rocket, with a targeted launch time of 7:49 PM EST. While this timing is subject to potential adjustments, it represents the current planned schedule.