How to watch SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut docking live online tonight for free

A new SpaceX crewed mission is in flight.

Crew-6 launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday (March 2) at 12:45 a.m. EST (0545 GMT) and are set for a docking with coverage starting tonight as well. You can watch it live here beginning Thursday, March 2 at 11:30 p.m. EST (0430 GMT Friday, March 3).

The four astronauts are riding to the orbital lab aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Onboard is the first United Arab Emirates astronaut to perform a long-duration mission (Sultan Al-Neyadi), NASA astronauts Warren "Woody" Hoburg and Stephen Bowen and Andrey Fedyaev of Russian space agency Roscosmos.

The first attempt to launch Crew-6 was scrubbed with less than 2.5 minutes left in the countdown on Feb. 27 due to a ground-system issue with the ignition fluid that helps light the Falcon 9 rocket's first-stage engines. NASA and SpaceX selected March 2 for the launch as weather conditions for Tuesday (Feb. 28) were unfavorable. They confirmed they had addressed the underlying issue Wednesday (March 1.)

Here's how you can follow the latest news for the mission online or sign up for a virtual launch experience accessible from anywhere in the world with good Internet.

Related: Live updates about SpaceX's Crew-6 mission for NASA
More: Meet the SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts

Feb. 17 onwards: NASA Crew-6 virtual activities

Feb. 17 and following: Registration is open now for NASA Crew-6 virtual activities. "The virtual guest program for this launch includes curated launch resources, timely mission updates, and a virtual guest passport stamp following a successful launch," NASA says. You can get more details here

Wednesday, March 1: Launch coverage begins

Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, NASA astronaut Warren “Woody" Hoburg, second from left, NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, second from right, and UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, right, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-6 mission launch, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Thursday, March 2: Docking coverage begins

11:30 p.m. EST (0430 GMT): NASA coverage will begin with the docking, hatch opening and welcome ceremony. Coverage is available here at Space.com, via the agency's website, along with NASA social media channels like YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedInTwitchDaily Motion and NASA's App

Friday, March 3

1:11 a.m. EST (0611 GMT): Docking with the ISS occurs. 

3:27 a.m. EST (0827 GMT): Hatch opening with the ISS occurs.

3:40 a.m. EST (0840 GMT): The welcome ceremony at the ISS begins.

This story was updated at 9 a.m. EST Feb. 21 with new details about the NASA events. This story was updated again at 9:20 a.m. EST Feb. 22 reflecting the announced delay to the Crew-6 launch and associated events. Another update at 12:47 p.m. EST Feb. 23 included new information about docking timing and events. Another update at 10:15 p.m. EST Feb. 27 included new scheduling of the launch and other events as well as information about the problem that stopped launch during an attempt earlier that day. An update at 8:08 a.m. EST March 1 confirmed a new launch attempt on March 2 as well as post-docking event timings. This story was updated again at 8:12 a.m. EST March 2 post-launch to focus on docking activities. 

Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a book about space medicine. Follow her on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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Elizabeth Howell
Staff Writer, Spaceflight

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace