NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 Mission successfully launches for Int'l Space Station

March 1 (UPI) -- Following a three-day delay, the Crew-6 Mission successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Thursday with a final destination of the International Space Station.

NASA's mission launched as scheduled at 12:34 a.m. EST from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

As the four-man crew aboard the Dragon Endeavor spacecraft soared toward orbit, Falcon 9's first-stage booster separated and returned to Earth about 9 minutes following the launch, making a successful landing upon the autonomous drone ship Just Read the Instructions located a couple hundred miles off the Florida coast.

Minutes later, Crew-6 separated from Falcon 9's second-stage booster as they entered orbit on their journey toward the international space laboratory.

"As a rookie flyer that was one heck of a ride. Thank you," pilot Warren "Woody" Hoburg told mission control after Dragon Endeavor separated from the rocket.

On Wednesday afternoon, NASA said the Crew-6 launch was a "go" following a series of prelaunch tests of the Dragon capsule and the rocket, plus a favorable weather report.

Monday's planned launch was postponed at the last minute due to an issue with the Falcon 9 ignition system. NASA's launch window to the International Space Station relies partly on the station's orbit around the Earth. In a blog post, the agency said there was a 95% chance of favorable conditions.

Crew-6 will relieve Crew-5 of its duties in orbit when it arrives at the station. Crew-5 is to return to Earth in the coming week.

NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, mission commander, and Hoburg are joined on the journey to the orbital space laboratory by United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

They are to arrive at the space station about 25 hours after launch with an estimated arrival of 1:17 a.m. Friday.

Once aboard the space station, the crew will perform maintenance, research activities and provide technology demonstrations, according to NASA.