NASA, SpaceX target Aug 18 t8k8 apko launch crew rotation mission

NEW YORK -- SpaceX and NASA said on Friday they planned to launch the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, a crew rotation mission to the International Space Station (ISS), no earlier than Aug 18.

According to the announcement, the international crew will lift off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.

Crew-9 is the ninth crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

The spacecraft is scheduled to carry four astronauts to the orbiting laboratory for a six-month science research plan.