NASA and SpaceX Set to Launch Historic Mission to ISS with Astronauts from Three Countries Aboard

NASA and SpaceX are set to launch a historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS) early Monday morning. The mission will be the first of three planned flights to the ISS this month and will be the first time an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be joining the crew.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, will take off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 1:45 a.m. ET on Monday. The capsule will detach from the rocket after launch and take about one day to maneuver through orbit before docking with the ISS at 2:38 a.m. ET Tuesday.

The four-man crew consists of two NASA astronauts, one Russian cosmonaut, and the first-ever UAE astronaut. This mission marks the first time that astronauts from all three countries will be working together in space.

The mission is part of the public-private partnership between NASA and SpaceX to keep the ISS fully staffed and to return astronaut launches to US soil. The mission is also part of the UAE’s ambitious space program, which seeks to send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021.

The mission is expected to be a success, and will be a major milestone for international cooperation in space exploration. It will also be a major step forward in the UAE’s space program, and will be a source of pride for the country.