SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule will take four astronauts to the International Space Station for six months before returning them to Earth.

"It's historic because even things like the certification of the space flight had to be done by the FAA this time instead of NASA because it's commercial," NASA Astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson told Cheddar on Thursday.

The launch, made possible through a private-public partnership, is scheduled for 7:49 p.m. ET on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The launch will be simulcast on Discovery and the Science Channel where Whitson and other astronauts will help viewers understand the space flight experience better as they watch the Falcon 9 rocket pierce through the atmosphere.

"I think the folks will find it interesting," Whitson said. "When you go from zero to 17,500 miles-an-hour in nine minutes, it's a pretty good ride."

Whitson says getting the private sector involved in space travel and advancement could help with the development of new technologies and medicines. She even thinks a lunar space station could be in the cards in the future.

"It has the potential to open up commercial markets in space," Whitson said. "I've done enough research onboard the space station that I really feel it's going to be an important tool for us to advance technologies here on the ground as well."

The retired astronaut holds the records for most time spent in space by any American (665 days), as well as being the first woman to command the International Space Station twice (2008 and 2013).

"You've got to challenge yourself to live outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to do things that are not easy," Whitson said. "You will find that you can achieve so much more than you even dreamed about."

Share:
More In Science
Our Biological Connections With Plants; Mind-Controlled Bionic Hand
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Brightseed Co-Founder breaks down what plant bioactives are, and how they're using the latest technology to study human's biological connections with plants; Esper Bionics CEO breaks down how they re creating a mind-controlled bionic hand that guest smarter the more you use it; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Capturing A Black Hole In Our Milky Way.'
NOAA Predicts Busier-Than-Usual Hurricane Season
Hurricane climatologist Jill Trepanier joined Cheddar News to discuss NOAA's announced prediction for an above-normal hurricane season and what it might mean for people in the United States. "I think it's important that people who maybe haven't been used to having extreme weather events related to say tropical cycles and tropical systems, like thinking New Jersey, Northeastern seaboard, that area may get more action than they're used to in the past," she said.
Miga Health Raises $12 Million to Combat Heart Disease
Dr. Jarrad Aguirre, Co-Founder and CEO of Miga Health, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says his company is looking to establish the future of heart health and points to how 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable.
Cooling the Earth; How Global Warming will Impact Real Estate
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, David Keith, Professor of Applied Physics at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and founder of Carbon Engineering outlines the viability of solar geoengineering as a solution to help reverse the effects of global warming; Lena Geraghty, Sustainability & Urban Innovation Director at National League of Cities, discusses which U.S. cities are safest from global warming and how the real estate market will be impacted from the effects of climate change; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Changing Ocean Asia.'
Artificially Cooling the Planet
David Keith, Professor of Applied Physics at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and founder of Carbon Engineering joins Cheddar Reveals to outline the viability of solar geoengineering as a solution to help reverse the effects of global warming.
Global Warming's Effect on the Real Estate Market
Lena Geraghty, Sustainability & Urban Innovation Director at National League of Cities, joins Cheddar News to discuss which U.S. cities are safest from global warming and how the real estate market will be impacted from the effects of climate change.
What Spending 665 Days in Space Feels Like
Peggy Whitson, Director of Human Space Flight, Axiom Space, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss Axiom's involvement in the first fully-private mission to the ISS, and her experience spending 665 days in space.
Living in Outer Space; A New-Age Twist on Millenia-Old Remedies
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates, Peggy Whitson, Director of Human Space Flight, Axiom Space, breaks down Axiom's involvement in the first fully-private mission to the ISS, and her experience spending 665 days in space; William Li and Danielle Chang, co-founders of The Hao Life, discuss how they're shaking up the $71 billion supplement industry by putting a modern spin on traditional natural Chinese remedies; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Sagrada Familia: Gaudi's Challenge.'
Load More