This week, the space launch schedule is packed with four exciting flights, including the launch of Crew-8 to the International Space Station (ISS) from Florida, the Starlink 6-41 from Cape Canaveral, Transporter 10 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, and the debut of a new small satellite launcher from Japan.

Crew-8, set to launch on March 3, will carry three NASA astronauts and one Roscosmos cosmonaut to the ISS for a six-month mission. The crew consists of astronauts Alexander Grebenkin, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeannette Epps, and will be launched aboard Falcon 9 B1083-1, marking its fifth flight. The launch is scheduled for 10:53 PM EST on March 3 from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The new month of March kicks off with this crewed spaceflight, the third of the year, as the Endeavour will take approximately eight minutes to reach its orbit on a northeast trajectory inclined at 51.6 degrees to the Equator, the same inclination the ISS uses. The 45th Space Wing has indicated a positive launch forecast, with a 90 percent chance of a successful launch from the Kennedy Space Center.

Following the launch, the Dragon will conduct maneuvers to rendezvous with the ISS and is scheduled to dock to the Station’s Harmony module’s forward port on Tuesday, March 5 at 3:00 AM EST.

Alongside Crew-8, the Starlink 6-41 and Transporter 10 flights are also set to take place on March 4, followed by the debut of the new KAIROS small satellite launcher from Japan on March 8.

The packed launch schedule promises an exciting start to the month of March, with multiple missions set to further humanity’s exploration of space and contribute to ongoing research and operations aboard the ISS.