The crew has finished executing communication checks with the launch team, and their seats have been rotated into position for launch.
For additional live launch coverage of the Crew-8 mission, watch now on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, or the agency’s website, and follow along on the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, X, and Facebook.
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Jason Costa
The Crew-8 crew members now are boarding SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.
Before entering their spacecraft, all four crewmates signed the inside of the White Room, an area at the end of the crew access arm that provides access to the spacecraft. The term “White Room” dates to the Gemini program. To honor tradition, the room is still painted white today.
As the crew enters Dragon, their seats are configured in an upright position. Once the crew is securely inside, the seats will be rotated into a reclined position for launch, just before teams close Dragon’s side hatch, coming up near the end of the hour.
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Jason Costa
Rae Anderson never set out to have a career with NASA, but the pursuit of opportunities around her interest in computer science led the Union City, Tennessee native to the agency that explores the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all.
In turn, Anderson’s desire to expand her knowledge helped her become the first employee at NASA’s Stennis Space Center – and one of five civil servants across NASA – to earn the highest distinction in the Safety and Mission Assurance Technical Excellence Program in the discipline of Software Assurance.
“I want to be good at my job, so early in my career, I set a goal of reaching this certification,” Anderson said.
The program’s level four certification demonstrates Anderson’s dedication to growing her knowledge and skills to become an effective contributor to the agency’s mission. As the subject matter expert for software assurance, Anderson serves as a technical lead for a team in the NASA Stennis Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate that supports the center’s work with propulsion testing and autonomous systems.
rae anderson
NASA Stennis SME for Software Assurance
Whether it is propulsion testing for NASA’s Artemis mission or autonomous systems work on pace for the first-ever in-flight autonomous systems mission, the work at NASA Stennis relies on software to carry out complex tasks. Anderson’s team reviews software management plans to ensure all requirements are met to conduct the work safely. She helps lead the effort to determine possible hazards and, if any are present, to put controls and mitigations in place to lessen the risk.
“It’s important to ensure any potential issues are mitigated,” Anderson said. “It is not a guarantee, but it gives a better feeling that all have done what they are supposed to do as far as following the process and that the software is technically sound to move forward. With software, there’s always going to be bugs because there is so much of it. We are there as the checks and balances of engineering as a project moves forward.”
Before moving forward and earning a computer science degree from the University of Tennessee-Martin, Anderson grew up 20 minutes from the Tennessee-Kentucky border, which meant she did not live near a NASA center. When she thought about NASA and space, astronauts and the solar system came to mind.
Since Anderson’s career in software brought her to live in Slidell, Louisiana, and ultimately begin work at NASA Stennis 16 years ago, Anderson has discovered that NASA is much more. She has found NASA to be a place that combines her knowledge of software with a diverse and highly skilled workforce, coming together for the benefit of humanity.
“Along the way, I have been a part of a team at NASA Stennis that has good people who are going to do what they need to do to accomplish goals, whatever it takes to accomplish it and to do it safely,” Anderson said.
For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:
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LaToya Dean
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting 10:53 p.m. EST Sunday, March 3, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch attempt March 2 was postponed due to unfavorable conditions in the flight path of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
NASA will provide coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m., March 3, of the upcoming launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station.
The Crew-8 launch will carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the orbital laboratory. The targeted docking time is about 3 a.m. on Tuesday, March 5.
NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Sunday, March 3:
6:45 p.m. – Launch coverage begins
10:53 p.m. – Launch
Following conclusion of launch and ascent coverage, NASA coverage will continue with audio only, with full coverage resuming at the start of the rendezvous and docking broadcast.
NASA Television will resume continuous mission coverage prior to docking and continue through hatch open and the welcome ceremony. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:
12:30 a.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch news conference on NASA TV
Tuesday, March 5:
1 a.m. – NASA TV arrival coverage begins
3 a.m. – Targeted docking to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module
Hatch opening will be approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes after docking followed by welcome remarks aboard station. All times are estimates and could be adjusted based on operations after launch. Follow the space station blog for the most up-to-date operations information.
More details about the Crew-8 mission can be found by following the Crew-8 blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.
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Jason Costa
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin, are in the suit room in the astronaut crew quarters inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building.
A team of SpaceX suit technicians will help them as they put on their custom-fitted spacesuits and check for leaks. Designed for safety and functionality, the spacesuits supply pressurization, protecting the crew from potential depressurization, and a port located on the thigh connects to life support systems, including air and power. Also included in the suits are touchscreen-compatible gloves and a flame-resistant outer layer.
Watch now on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website, where NASA is providing live coverage of key milestones leading up to launch and through ascent following liftoff.
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Jason Costa
