SpaceX, NASA target Nov. 14 for Crew-1 launch
SpaceX's Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station is now scheduled to launch on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:49 p.m. EST (0049 GMT on Nov. 15), NASA announced Monday (Oct. 26).
Originally scheduled to launch Aug. 30, Crew-1 has faced numerous delays in getting off the ground. NASA first pushed the mission to late September, then to Oct. 23, then to Oct. 31 and finally to early to mid-November, citing logistical and technical issues. The newly announced target date firms up that latter timeline.
NASA also announced that it will hold a news conference on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) "to discuss the upcoming launch, including results from recent testing of the Falcon 9 Merlin engines following unexpected data SpaceX noted during a recent non-NASA launch," the agency said in a statement. You can watch it live here on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV, or directly via the agency's website.
Crew-1 astronauts arrive at launch site
The four-astronaut crew of SpaceX's Crew-1 mission for NASA have arrived at their Kennedy Space Center launch site for their planned Nov. 14 launch to the International Space Station.
NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi touched down at the Shuttle landing Facility at KSC to prepare for their upcoming launch from the Cape Canaveral, Florida spaceport. Liftoff is set for 7:49 p.m. EST (2249 GMT) on Saturday.
Hopkins will command the Crew-1 mission, which will launch to the station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket. The Crew-1 astronauts have named their spacecraft Resilience for the flight.
"On behalf of the crew of Resilience, on behalf of our families, we want to say a big ‘thank you’ to all of the people at SpaceX, at NASA, and in the (Department of Defense) who have been working tirelessly to get us to this point. It's really been an incredible effort by an incredible group of people," Hopkins said in a statement. "As for the crew: we’re ready."
On Monday (Nov. 9), NASA and SpaceX mission managers will hold a Flight Readiness Review meeting at the Kennedy Space Center to ensure all is ready for the upcoming flight. NASA will hold a press conference one hour after the meeting concludes to update the public on the launch.
You can also join NASA's Virtual Crew Media Engagement webcast at 1:15 p.m. EST (1815 GMT) on Monday via NASA TV. You can watch that live online here and via NASA.gov/live and NASA's YouTube channel.
NASA, SpaceX review Crew-1 flight readiness
NASA and SpaceX mission managers are holding a day-long Flight Readiness Review today (Nov. 9) to decide of SpaceX's next Crew Dragon to carry astronauts is ready to fly.
The review is going on at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is gearing up to launch the Crew-1 mission to the space station for NASA. "The review focuses on the preparedness of SpaceX’s crew transportation system, the International Space Station, and its international partners to support the flight, and the certification of flight readiness," NASA officials said in a statement.
NASA's human spaceflight chief Kathy Lueders is leading today's meeting. SpaceX's vice president for build and flight reliability Hans Koenigsmann is the top SpaceX representative.
NASA will hold a press conference later today to discuss the results of today's Flight Readiness Review. That event should begin one hour after the meeting's conclusion.
The Crew-1 astronauts, meanwhile, will answer questions from the media at 1:15 p.m. EST (1815 GMT). You can watch that live here.
SpaceX Crew Dragon on the Launch Pad
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft poised to launch four astronauts NASA's Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station this week has reached its launch pad.
The Crew-1 spacecraft and its Falcon 9 rocket (also built by SpaceX) moved to NASA's historic Launch Pad 39A on Monday night (Nov. 9) and are now in launch position for a planned static fire engine test expected for later today.
Meanwhile, NASA and SpaceX officials have completed their review of the Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket for this launch and will hold a press conference at 3:30 p.m. EST (1930 GMT) to discuss their plans. You can watch that live on Space.com, courtesy of NASA.
With Falcon 9 static fire complete, Crew-1 astronauts prepare for launch
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will launch the Crew-1 mission conducted a static fire test yesterday (Nov. 11). During the test, the rocket briefly fired its engines while tied down, as a measure to ensure that the vehicle will perform properly during the launch on Saturday (Nov. 14).
With that milestone completed, the four astronauts on the Crew-1 mission are spending today (Nov. 12) conducting a dress rehearsal for launch. The crew and the NASA and SpaceX personnel supporting the mission will go through each step of the launch process — minus blast-off itself — to make sure the big day goes smoothly.
T-1 Day to Launch: Elon Musk tests positive for COVID-19
With SpaceX and NASA now one day away from launching four astronauts to the International Space Station on the Crew-1 mission, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter that he has received two positive tests for COVID-19 and two negative ones in a recent screening.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said today that he does not currently expect Musk's news to affect the Crew-1 launch on Saturday (Nov. 14). It is unclear if Musk is in Florida for the launch or at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
"We're looking for SpaceX to do any contact tracing that is appropriate," Bridenstine told reporters in a briefing today at NASA's countdown clock at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Something extremely bogus is going on. Was tested for covid four times today. Two tests came back negative, two came back positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. Rapid antigen test from BD.November 13, 2020
SpaceX's Crew-1 mission is set to launch four astronauts to the space station at 7:49 p.m. EST (0049 Nov. 15 GMT) from Pad 39A at KSC. It is the first operational crew mission for NASA by SpaceX after the company's historic first crewed test flight, Demo-2, this summer. There is a 70% chance of good launch weather for the mission.
The Crew-1 mission will launch NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soicho Noguchi on a six-month mission to the station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
On Thursday, the Crew-1 astronauts conducted a dress rehearsal of their launch. They donned their sleek SpaceX-issue spacesuits and rode out to Pad 39A in a caravan of white Tesla vehicles. They also entered their Crew Dragon spacecraft (which the astronauts have dubbed "Resilience") to practice launch operations.
Later today, NASA and SpaceX will hold a Launch Readiness Review meeting to make one last check that the Crew-1 mission is ready to fly. A NASA press conference will follow once that meeting is complete. NASA has not yet released a time for the briefing, but it will be webcast live and you can watch it here at start time.
Set to speak in that briefing are:
Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
Kirt Costello, chief scientist, International Space Station Program, Johnson
Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron
LAUNCH DELAY: Liftoff now set for Sunday, Nov. 15
SpaceX has postponed the Crew-1 astronaut launch for NASA until no earlier than Sunday, Nov. 15, due to unacceptable onshore winds and impacts to Falcon 9 rocket recovery operations at landing.
Liftoff is now set for no earlier than Sunday, Nov. 15 at 7:27 p.m. EST (0027 GMT).
One Day to Launch
NASA and SpaceX are one day away from launching the Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station and the four-astronaut team is ready to fly.
Read our full Crew-1 overview here to for a brief introduction to mission commander Mike Hopkins and crewmates Victor Glover, Shannon Walker (all of NASA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi.
Join us on Sunday at 3:15 p.m. EST (1915 GMT) for complete coverage for SpaceX's countdown and launch of the Crew-1 Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon mission.
Launch Day Begins!
It's launch day for SpaceX's Crew-1 astronaut launch for NASA and the four astronauts to ride the Crew Dragon Resilience to the International Space Station are ready for their flight. A SpaceX Falcon rocket will launch the mission at 7:27 p.m. EDT (0027 Nov. 16 GMT) from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The weather forecast currently offers a 50% chance of good conditions at launch.
You'll be able to watch the launch live on this page beginning at 3:15 p.m. EDT (1919 GMT). Crew-1 is commanded by NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, with fellow NASA astronaut Victor Glover as pilot. NASA astronaut Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi round out the crew.
Today's mission is SpaceX's first operational crew flight for NASA under the space agency's Commercial Crew Program and follows SpaceX's successful crewed test flight, Demo-2, which launched two astronauts to the station in May.
Space.com contributor Robert Pearlman, editor of collectSPACE, has a rundown of the many firsts the Crew-1 mission is setting on this flight.
Here's the schedule for the Crew-1 astronauts today:
Time (EST): Event
6:57:15 AM: Crew Wake
1:57:15 PM: CE Launch Readiness Briefing
2:27:15 PM: Launch Shift On Console
2:27:16 PM: Dragon IMU align and Configure for launch
2:57:15 PM: Dragon prop pressurization
3:12:15 PM: Crew weather brief
3:22:15 PM: Crew handoff
3:27:15 PM: Suit donning and checkout
4:05:15 PM: Crew walk out from Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building
4:12:15 PM: Crew Transportation to Launch Complex 39A
4:32:15 PM: Crew arrives at pad
4:52:15 PM: Crew ingress
5:07:15 PM: Communication check
5:12:15 PM: Verify ready for seat rotation
5:13:15 PM: Suit leak checks
5:32:15 PM: Hatch close
6:17:15 PM: ISS state upload to Dragon
6:42:15 PM: SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
6:45:15 PM: Crew access arm retracts
6:49:15 PM: Dragon launch escape system is armed
6:52:15 PM: RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins/1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
7:11:15 PM: 2nd stage LOX loading begins
7:20:15 PM: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
7:22:15 PM: Dragon transitions to internal power
7:26:15 PM: Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
7:26:30 PM: SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
7:27:12 PM: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
7:27:15 PM: Liftoff
7:29:13 PM: Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
7:29:52 PM: 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
7:29:55 PM: 1st and 2nd stages separate
7:30:03 PM: 2nd stage engine starts
7:34:44 PM: 1st stage entry burn
7:36:05 PM: 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
7:36:44 PM: 1st stage landing
7:39:18 PM: Crew Dragon separates from 2nd stage
7:40:03 PM: Dragon nosecone open sequence begins