SpaceX Crew-3 mission: Four astronauts undergo final 'Endurance' training

The four astronauts scheduled for an upcoming trip to the International Space Station (ISS) underwent a test run in one of the final events in Cape Canaveral on October 13. Scheduled for launch later this month, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft named ‘Endurance’ will take off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The launch will be a rotational one that will replace the Crew-2 astronauts aboard the ISS with this new batch of four visitors. 

Astronauts undergo testing to familiarise themselves with the spacecraft

All four Crew-3 members underwent the latest test to get familiar with the Endurance spacecraft and the hardware the members will carry with them for the flight. Apart from this, SpaceX also conducted checks regarding leakage in space suits, if any, and adjusted the spacecraft into launch position, reported Spaceflight Now. One of the crew members, Kayla Barron, was reported saying that her team has completed all the necessary primary stage training. Besides, an Indian-American astronaut and a US Air Force colonel Raja Chari, who will be leading the Crew-3 mission, said that the training they will receive in the forthcoming weeks would be “catch-all” or “top off” training, as per Spaceflight Now. 

The spacecraft Crew-3 members will be boarding a completely new Dragon spacecraft designed by SpaceX that will also sport a few modifications. With a few software upgrades to protect the communications system from radiation, the Dragon has been equipped with new cleaning techniques and is expected to perform better during re-entry into Earth. In addition, SpaceX engineers have also upgraded the docking procedures and mechanisms, and the toilet aboard the capsule after astronauts from the recently concluded Inspiration4 mission complained of an issue with the waste management system, as per Spaceflight Now.

Other than Chari and Barron, the crew members are European Space Agency’s (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer and NASA’s Tom Mashburn. Three of the members, except for Mashburn, will be visiting space for the first time, whereas it will be the third flight for the latter, according to Spaceflight Now. The Dragon spacecraft name ‘Endurance’ will take off on October 30 at an estimated time of 12:13 pm (IST) on a Falcon 9 rocket.

Image: Twitter/@SpaceX