Demo-1: SpaceX Falcon 9 is Vertical at Launch Complex 39A

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen after being raised into a vertical position on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Demo-1 mission, Feb. 28, 2019, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen after being raised into a vertical position on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Demo-1 mission, Feb. 28, 2019, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is vertical and set for a 2:49 a.m. EST Saturday launch to the International Space Station on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be the first time in history a commercially-built and operated American crew spacecraft and rocket launches from American soil.

The Demo-1 mission, SpaceX’s inaugural flight with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, will provide the teams an end-to-end flight test to ensure the spacecraft and systems operate as designed before launching with astronauts.

Launch coverage on NASA TV and the launch blog will begin at 2 a.m., March 2, followed at 4 a.m. by a post-launch news conference with representatives from NASA and SpaceX. The launch and post-launch news conference also will air on NASA TV.

U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing meteorologists continue to forecast an 80 percent chance of favorable weather at liftoff.