Meet the astronauts going on the 2nd crewed NASA, SpaceX mission

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Photo credit: SpaceX

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - NASA and SpaceX are targeting November 14th for the launch of the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station.

After a one-day delay, liftoff is now scheduled for 7:27 p.m. from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, November 15th.

Countdown to SpaceX crewed mission launch

The launch is scheduled for Sunday evening, if weather permits.

The launch was scheduled for October 31st but was delayed to allow time for SpaceX to resolve an issue with Falcon 9 rocket engines that scrubbed a recent launch attempt with a GPS navigation satellite, according to SpaceFlightNow.com. It was then pushed from its November 14th launch date because of unfavorable weather conditions.

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NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission will launch NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission specialist Soichi Noguchi, to the International Space Station (ISS).

Upon arrival, the astronauts will join the Expedition 64 crew of Commander Sergey Ryzhikov, and Flight Engineers Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins. This will increase the regular crew size of the space station’s expedition missions from six to seven astronauts, adding to the amount of crew time available for research.

The launch will be the first time an international crew will fly aboard a NASA-certified, commercially-owned-and-operated American rocket and spacecraft from American soil.

Discover more about the crew going on the mission below:

MICHAEL HOPKINS

Michael Hopkins, a NASA astronaut, will serve as the Crew Dragon commander for the Crew-1 mission. This will be his second long-duration mission aboard the ISS.

Hopkins was selected by NASA to be an astronaut in 2009. NASA said that he was previously a member of the Expedition 37/38 crew and has logged 166 days in space. During his time at the ISS, he completed two spacewalks totaling 12 hours and 58 minutes.

He was reportedly born in Lebanon, Missouri, and grew up on a farm outside Richland, Missouri. He has a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Stanford University.

He is said to be married with two children.

Photo by NASA

VICTOR GLOVER

Another NASA astronaut, Victor Glover, will serve as the pilot for the mission. This will be his first mission in space.

Glover was chosen by NASA to be an astronaut in 2013. He completed training for the role, including scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in International Space Station systems, spacewalks, robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training. However, he has not traveled into space before.

Glover does reportedly have over 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft, over 400 carrier arrested landings, and 24 combat missions, though. He is a Naval Aviator and was a test pilot in the F/A‐18 Hornet, Super Hornet and EA‐18G Growler.

He is said to have a Bachelor of Science in General Engineering, a Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering and a Master of Military Operational Art and Science.

NASA said that he is married and has four children. He was born in Pomona, California.

Photo by NASA

SHANNON WALKER

Shannon Walker, also with NASA, will be the mission specialist for the Crew-1 mission. This will be her second long-duration mission aboard the ISS.

NASA said that they selected Walker to be an astronaut in 2004. In 2010, she served as Flight Engineer for Expedition 24/25, a long-duration mission aboard the ISS that lasted 163 days. Prior to that, she also served as crew support for the Expedition 14 crew and as a Spacecraft Communicator (CAPCOM) in the Mission Control Center in Houston, becoming the primary communication link between the crew at the ISS and the ground support team.

Walker reportedly has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics, a Master of Science, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Space Physics. She previously worked with the Russian Space Agency and its ISS contractors before becoming the Acting Manager of the On Orbit Engineering Office in Houston.

She is said to be married to another astronaut, Andy Thomas.

Photo by NASA

SOICHI NOGUCHI

Soichi Noguchi, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), will go on the mission also as a mission specialist. He has completed several missions aboard the ISS in a variety of roles, logging a total of 177 days, 3 hours, and 5 minutes in space.

JAXA said that they selected Noguchi to be an astronaut in 1996, when the agency was still called the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). He trained in multiple countries, including in America at NASA's Johnson Space Center and in Russia at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

Outside of his work in space, Noguchi reportedly was the Chief of JAXA Astronaut Group from August 2012 to April 2016. He also was elected president of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), where he served until September 2016.

He is said to have a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering, master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy in Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies.