Crew-8 mission to focus on 200 science experiments, NASA says

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – The countdown is on. NASA’s Crew-8 is one step closer to liftoff from Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center Friday.

“Well we are here for Crew-8 which is now the ninth launch of crew,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

On Wednesday, NASA administrators hosted a panel to discuss the preparation and what is expected for Friday’s scheduled launch of three astronauts and one cosmonaut to the International Space Station.

“The four crew members that are going to go up on Crew-8, (Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin), exemplify that human spirit and that international spirit,” said Jim Free, NASA associate administrator.

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On Tuesday, SpaceX released photos of the three astronauts and one cosmonaut taking part in a full launch-day rehearsal.

Nelson said the crew will focus on 200 science experiments and conduct research for motion sickness and how the human body moves in space.

“There are so many moving parts and all of the work that they do to make sure that our science gets done so that we get the answer we need,” said Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

As Black History Month comes to a close and Women’s History Month is set to begin in March, one of the questions asked to panelists was about the importance of diversity in space.

“Diversity, in general, gives us so much depth to the science that we’re studying, when you have different walks of life, different perspectives, different experiences, you come to the table with a different way to solving the problem, you come to the table with a new idea or a different idea,” Buchli said.

Liftoff is set for 12:04 a.m. Friday, with a backup opportunity available the same day at 11:41 p.m.

News 6 will stream the launch live when it happens.

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