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NASA pushes Crew-6 launch to early Monday as astronauts arrive on Space Coast

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Updated  February 21, 2023 8:01pm EST
Air and Space
FOX 35 Orlando

Crew-6 team astronauts arrive in Florida for Sunday's takeoff

The Crew-6 team landed safely on the Space Coast Tuesday afternoon, gearing up for their six-month mission to the ISS.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Crew-6 team landed safely on the Space Coast Tuesday afternoon, gearing up for their six-month mission to the International Space Station.

All four team members made the journey from Texas to Florida which is their last stop before blasting off from Launchpad 39A on Monday, Feb.27 at 1:45 a.m.  NASA and SpaceX were originally targeting early Sunday morning for the launch but announced the new date and time in a tweet on Monday evening.

Excitement and anticipation is now building for everyone involved.

"It's just incredibly exciting to be here," said Stephen Bowen who's a veteran of space exploration and leading a new team of astronauts on the mission.

Crew 6 is a diverse team made up of four men from three different countries. From the United States, Commander Stephen Bowen is making his fourth trip to space. He's served on three shuttle missions.

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He's heading back alongside three others on their first trip to the ISS, including U.S. pilot "Woody" Hoburg. From the United Arab Emirates, mission specialist astronaut Sultan Alneyadi is also joining. Rounding out the team is Russian mission specialist cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

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(L-R) Sultan Al Neyadi of the United Arab Emirates, NASA astronauts Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Warren Hoburg, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, pose for a photo after arriving at the Kennedy Space Center on February 21, 2023 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

"We are ready to fly. We are ready to go," Fedyaev said. "We just have to do it now."

While their backgrounds and languages may be different, they’re a team who are all focused on a successful six months aboard the International Space Station.

"I think we are ready physically, mentally and technically," Alneyadi exclaimed. "We can’t wait to launch to space and conduct the mission."

In their mission to explore space, they'll conduct hundreds of science experiments and work to bring the world closer as they go out of this world and explore a new atmosphere.

"We know we have a lot of work ahead of us on the ISS, and we are excited and ready to get to work," Hoburg concluded.

This week, final safety and crew preparations are happening to make sure the launch is a successful one.