Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi and his American peers Tuesday expressed their readiness and excitement to fly aboard a spacecraft developed by U.S. aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, currently scheduled for liftoff Oct. 31.
"We are ready to fly," Noguchi told a joint news conference with the crew ahead of what would be the second manned mission for SpaceX's Crew Dragon, while pointing out the diversity of the team members with various experiences and backgrounds as their strength.
The upcoming mission will mark the first in a series of regular, rotational flights to the International Space Station by SpaceX's new crew transportation system following its certification by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.