"NASA Emphasizes Safety for SpaceX Crew-8 Astronaut Launch"

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the importance of safety as the agency's Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is set for launch, with liftoff scheduled for Friday. The mission will send three NASA astronauts and one Roscosmos cosmonaut to the ISS atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Safety remains the top priority, with mission managers closely monitoring weather systems off the Florida coast that could potentially cause a launch delay. This mission marks the fifth flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour, and discussions are ongoing about possibly extending its rated number of flights from five to 15.