Authorities SpaceX Crew-8 picture with Roscosmos cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Aleksandr Grebenkin, and Pilot Michael Barratt, Commander Matthew Dominick, and Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps, all 3 NASA astronauts. Credit: NASA/Bill StaffordNASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Thursday, February 22, for the launch of the agencys Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station. Crew-8 hardware and ground systems processing continues for the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket as operations groups recently completed critical team training in preparation for launch.NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and objective expert Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut objective expert Alexander Grebenkin will take a trip to the orbiting lab aboard Crew-8 to start a stay of about six months that will include research study and functional tasks.Dragon Spacecraft: Preparation for Fifth FlightCrew-8 will fly to the space station aboard the Dragon spacecraft, called Endeavour, currently undergoing refurbishment for its 5th flight. The Dragon spacecraft formerly supported NASAs Crew-6, demo-2, and crew-2, as well as Axiom Spaces Axiom Mission 1 flights to and from the orbiting laboratory. As part of the repair process, teams have actually installed new elements such as the heatshield, parachutes, pod panels, Draco engines, and nosecone.The official insignia of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission. Dragon Crew-8, made up of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Grebenkin, is all set to stand the watch on its objective to maintain a continuous human research study presence in low-Earth orbit represented by the never-ending path of a Latin character 8 with the dragon bowing with respect to the destination, the International Space Station. Credit: NASASpaceX recently completed Dragons propulsion system checkouts at the businesss processing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Groups quickly will stack Dragon on its trunk ahead of transferring the spacecraft to SpaceXs hangar at Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida for combination with the rocket.Falcon 9: Preparing for Maiden Flight With Crew-8Meanwhile, groups also are preparing the Falcon 9 booster that will be making its first flight on Crew-8. The booster recently finished stage screening and will undergo final assembly in the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A ahead of the Dragon and Falcon 9 mate. As soon as all rocket and spacecraft system checkouts are complete, the incorporated stack will be rolled to the pad and raised to vertical for a static fire test prior to launch.As part of the firms Commercial Crew Program, Crew-8 is the ninth human spaceflight mission supported by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the eighth crew rotation mission to the space station because 2020 for NASA.