Space Station

NASA astronaut Kayla Barron was one of the first women to serve as a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. Now she’s ready to apply her experience under the waves to a flight above the atmosphere on the International Space Station.

SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center early Thursday, checking off another box on the pre-flight checklist before liftoff Sunday with a four-person crew heading for the International Space Station. But a weather forecast shows a high risk that winds or waves int the Atlantic Ocean could force a launch delay.

Matthias Maurer’s last name in German means brick layer. Naturally, Maurer says, that means he has been assigned to perform an experiment with concrete during his six-month stint on the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX managers have given a ‘go’ for the launch of four astronauts aboard a Crew Dragon to the space station at 9:03 p.m. EST Wednesday (0203 GMT Thursday).