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All eyes on weather for early Sunday crewed launch as astronauts makes final preparations

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon are on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center ahead of a scheduled Sunday morning launch to the International Space Station.

Four astronauts will spend the next six months conducting science experiments and maintenance on the orbiting laboratory.

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On Friday night, SpaceX and NASA teams have their launch readiness review, and officials are keeping a very close eye on the weather.

READ: NASA announces coverage plan for week leading up to Crew-3 launch

European Space Agency astronaut Mattias Maurer will join NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, Raja Chari and Kayla Barron.

On Thursday night, the Crew-3 astronauts completed a countdown dress rehearsal ahead of Sunday’s 2:21 a.m. launch.

There will be a launch readiness review Friday at 8 p.m., and around 1 a.m. the crew will have its final weather briefing to determine if they’re ready to move into the countdown.

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The launch weather for the mission looks great, but it’s the weather along the possible abort sites that’s marginal.

Crew-3 is SpaceX’s third operational mission to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew program, but it will be the first flight to space for astronauts Chari, Barron and Maurer.

READ: SpaceX on track for weekend Crew-3 launch following successful static fire test

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.