The launch date is set for 07:45 this morning Dutch time. Then the rocket with the four astronauts had to take off from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Two Americans, a Russian and an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, were to depart for the International Space Station, more than 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

They are on board

One of the crew members is Sultan Al Neyadi (41) from the United Arab Emirates. This country wants to portray itself as traveling through space.

In 2019, another astronaut from the UAE went to the International Space Station for about a week. Since last year, a satellite from the country has been orbiting Mars, and later this year, an unmanned rover is supposed to reach the moon.

Another crew member is 37-year-old American Warren Hoburgh. He is being trained to go to the moon in a few years. He is one of the astronauts in the so-called Artemis programme.

The other two who will go to the International Space Station on Monday are the American Stephen Bowen (59) and the Russian Andrei Fedgaev (42).

current population

There are now three residents from the United States, three from Russia and one Japanese on the International Space Station. Four of them should return to Earth next month. A replacement transport for the other three ships arrived on Sunday, a new ship with which they can return in September.

The spaceship in which they were supposed to leave was destroyed by the impact of space debris. That vehicle will go to Earth next month without people on board.