The Falcon 9 launch system carried the Crew Dragon vehicle into a planned ascent from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. Viewers could watch the event live on NASA’s official streaming page, a common practice for missions involving crewed flights and international partnerships that draw public interest and curiosity about human spaceflight.
Timing details placed the lift-off at 8:34 local time in Moscow, marking a mission that stands as Crew Dragon’s sixth crewed flight to the International Space Station under a continuing contract with NASA. This collaboration underscores the ongoing role of private industry in supporting the U.S. human spaceflight program and expanding on-orbit laboratory capabilities that benefit researchers around the world.
Onboard the Crew-6 spacecraft are a diverse team of astronauts. Two Americans fill the roles of commander and pilot, while a veteran UAE astronaut joins as another flight member. Rounding out the crew is a Russian cosmonaut, reflecting the international character of ISS operations and the long-standing spirit of cooperation that has defined human space exploration for decades. The mission profile emphasizes teamwork, precision, and the shared objective of maintaining a continuous human presence on the space station to enable experiments across life sciences, materials science, and Earth observation.
Docking with the International Space Station is scheduled for early morning on March 3 at 09:17 Moscow time, a milestone that will be scrutinized by mission control hands and spaceflight analysts alike. Successful berthing will integrate Crew Dragon into the ISS’s docking bays, enabling crew transfer, cargo exchange, and hands-on collaboration with station residents. The docking sequence also serves as a critical test of the vehicle’s guidance, navigation, and automated systems, as well as the crew’s ability to operate in a microgravity environment under the watch of ground teams across the globe.
The earlier launch window on February 27 at 09:45 local time was postponed due to a technical issue identified during pre-launch checks. National space agencies and commercial partners confirmed that a clogged filter affecting the engine system contributed to the decision to pause. In response, SpaceX technicians performed a ground-level replacement of the filter within the fluid supply system that powers the igniters, reducing the risk of an in-flight anomaly. With the remedial work completed, the team rescheduled the liftoff for March 2 and moved forward with the mission plan, reflecting the meticulous risk management that characterizes modern crewed spaceflight and the overarching aim to safeguard the crew and the mission objectives as they unfold. The delay also highlighted the collaborative nature of such programs, where manufacturers, contractors, and space agencies coordinate to ensure every subsystem meets stringent safety and reliability standards before launch resumed. NASA officials and SpaceX representatives reaffirmed their shared commitment to a successful mission, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, thorough testing, and diligent oversight in keeping human spaceflight progressing toward larger goals of exploration and scientific discovery.