The base, called Mars Dune Alpha, is designed to simulate the challenges that will be faced by the first people on the actual planet
Crew-6 members, including UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, spent Saturday undergoing some routine medical checks and final briefings.
According to Zeb Scoville, deputy chief flight director, the crew will wake up at 9.30am on their last day on Earth (Sunday) before they jet off to the International Space Station for six months. Nasa astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, UAE astronaut AlNeyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev will get to spend some time with their family members and loved ones on the day.
AlNeyadi’s family, including his father, children, cousins and friends, are at the launch site since Friday.
“They will enjoy a good lunch of butter lemon chicken before getting a little bit of rest and then waking up and getting ready to go into space,” Scoville said, while addressing a prelaunch news teleconference for the Crew-6 mission.
The Launch Readiness Review for Nasa’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the ISS is now complete, with the mission being given a ‘Go’ for launch at 1.45am EST (10.45am UAE time) on Monday, February 27.
Their spacecraft will dock with the ISS about 25 hours after. Members of Crew-5 will welcome Crew-6 onboard.
“It will be full house on the ISS with 11 crew members onboard,” said Scoville. “All in all, all crew members on Earth and on the space station are looking forward to a great mission.”
Al Neyadi and his is crew mates successfully completed the countdown dress rehearsal to simulate what will happen on launch day.
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