SpaceX Crew-1 – Page 5 – Commercial Crew Program

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1: Weather 50% favorable for launch Sunday

NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, left, Victor Glover, second from left, Mike Hopkins, second form right, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, right, pose for a picture after placing a Crew-1 mission sticker above the doorway to crew quarters at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Glover, Noguchi, Walker, and Hopkins are scheduled to launch at 7:27 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 15, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Following the launch readiness review Friday, NASA and SpaceX teams continue to target a launch Sunday, Nov. 15 at 7:27 p.m. EST of NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on the Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station.

A lift off Sunday would set the Crew Dragon on track to arrive to the orbiting laboratory on Monday, Nov. 16 at 11 p.m. NASA TV will provide more than 30 hours of continuous coverage beginning at 3:15 p.m. Sunday through the hatch opening and welcoming ceremony in the early hours of Tuesday, Nov. 17.

The U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 50% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for lift off of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission based on Falcon 9 Crew Dragon launch weather criteria. Teams will monitor weather conditions both for the launch area and downrange. The primary weather concerns for launch will be cumulus clouds and associated precipitation, along with electric fields from any more robust showers.

FORECAST DETAILS

Clouds                      Coverage           Bases (feet)             Tops (feet)

Cumulus                    Broken              3,000                         14,000

Weather/Visibility: Scattered showers/7 miles

Temperature:  77 degrees

Follow along with launch activities and get more information about the mission at: http://www.nasa.gov/crew-1. Learn more about commercial crew and space station activities by following @Commercial_Crew, @space_station, and @ISS_Research on Twitter as well as the Commercial Crew Facebook, ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Follow Along for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 Launch Day Coverage!

Crew-1 astonauts — From left, Crew-1 astronauts Soichi Noguchi, Michael Hopkins, Shannon walker and Victor Glover pose for a photo in front of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Resilience by the crew, inside the SpaceX hangar at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on Nov. 8, 2020. Photo credit: SpaceX

Tune in to NASA Television or the agency’s website Sunday, Nov. 15, starting at 3:15 p.m. EST, for a live broadcast featuring continuous comprehensive launch day coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. From astronaut walkout, to launch, to the postlaunch news conference — NASA has you covered.

NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, named Resilience by the crew, on top of the company’s Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff is targeted for Sunday, Nov. 15, at 7:27 p.m. EST, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.

A postlaunch news conference will be broadcast live (on NASA TV and the agency’s website) at the Florida spaceport Sunday, Nov. 15, at approximately 9 p.m. EST. Participants are:

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
SpaceX representative

Also, follow along right here on the blog for continued updates throughout the day, starting Sunday afternoon, right through the postlaunch news conference.

Launch Readiness Review Complete, Prelaunch News Conference at 6 p.m. EST

Crew-1 rocket and spacecraft on pad — The launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission is now targeted for Sunday, Nov. 15, at 7:27 p.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Teams completed the final major review today for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission that will launch from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station. At the conclusion of the review, NASA and SpaceX agreed to target launch for 7:27 p.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 15, due to onshore winds and first stage booster recovery readiness. NASA TV coverage will begin at 3:15 p.m. The Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station at about 11 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16.

Coming up at 6 p.m. is a prelaunch news conference, live on NASA Television and the agency’s website. Participants are:

Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson Space Center
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

NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will head to the International Space Station for a six-month science mission in the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which will launch on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A. Crew-1 is the first crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the space station following the spacecraft system’s official human rating certification.

Follow along with launch activities and get more information about the mission at: http://www.nasa.gov/crew-1. Learn more about commercial crew and space station activities by following: @Commercial_Crew, @space_station, and @ISS_Research on Twitter as well as the Commercial Crew Facebook, ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

View Today’s Live Broadcasts of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 Prelaunch Events

Crew-1 rocket on pad — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is seen on the launch pad at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on Tuesday, Nov. 10, after being rolled out overnight. NASA/Joel Kowsky

Tune in to NASA Television or the agency’s website today for live broadcasts of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission prelaunch events at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker of NASA, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:49 p.m. EST, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

Beginning at 10 a.m. today, watch a briefing with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine at Kennedy’s historic countdown clock. Participants are:

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
Steve Dickson, administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana
Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams

Later today, key managers and officials from NASA and SpaceX will convene for the Launch Readiness Review — the final planned review before the Crew-1 mission begins. A live prelaunch news conference (on NASA TV and the agency’s website) will follow, approximately one hour after the review ends, with the following participants:

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

The U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for liftoff of Crew-1 based on Falcon 9 Crew Dragon launch weather criteria. The primary weather concerns for the launch area are cumulus clouds and flight through precipitation.

Teams also will monitor weather conditions both for the launch area and downrange.

FORECAST DETAILS

Clouds                      Coverage           Bases (feet)             Tops (feet)
Cumulus              Scattered              3,000                         8,000

Weather/Visibility: Isolated showers/7 miles
Temperature:  78 degrees

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 Astronauts Rehearse for Launch Day

Crew-1 dress rehearsal — From left, NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, and Mike Hopkins, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi, participate in a dress rehearsal on Thursday, Nov. 12, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in advance of Saturday’s launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Today at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) participated in a countdown dress rehearsal of launch day events. The crewmates are preparing to launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket and fly to the International Space Station for a six-month science mission.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts began their day in the Astronaut Crew Quarters inside Kennedy’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building. They put on their black-and-white SpaceX spacesuits, took the elevator down to the ground level and exited through a pair of double doors, where their transport vehicles — Tesla Model X cars — waited. With smiles and waves, they climbed in for the 20-minute ride to Launch Complex 39A.

The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft have been in place on the launch pad since Monday evening, Nov. 9. Crew Dragon Commander Hopkins, Pilot Glover, and Mission Specialists Walker and Noguchi entered the Crew Dragon by way of the pad’s Crew Access Arm and checked their communications systems before the hatch was closed. The rehearsal concluded with the go/no-go poll for Falcon 9 propellant loading, which normally occurs 45 minutes before launch.

Crew-1 is the first crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the space station following the spacecraft system’s official human rating certification. Liftoff is slated for Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:49 p.m. EST.

SpaceX Crew-1: Weather 70% Favorable, Crew Dry Dress Rehearsal Today

Today at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker of NASA, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will participate in a countdown dress rehearsal of the launch day events for the first crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the International Space Station.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission is targeting launch at 7:49 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. The four crew members will arrive at the space station for docking a short time later at 4:20 a.m. on Sunday morning to join Expedition 64 for a six-month science mission.

The U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron now predicts a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for lift off of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission based on Falcon 9 Crew Dragon launch weather criteria. The primary weather concerns for the launch area will be cumulus clouds and flight through precipitation associated with Tropical Storm Eta.

Teams also will monitor weather conditions both for the launch area and downrange.

FORECAST DETAILS:

Clouds                       Coverage            Bases (feet)             Tops (feet)

Cumulus              Broken         3,000                         8,000

Weather/Visibility: Isolated showers/7 miles

Temperature: 78 degrees

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1: Weather 60% Favorable for Saturday Launch

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A after being rolled out as preparations continue for the Crew-1 mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

NASA and SpaceX teams continue preparations for a launch Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:49 p.m. EST of NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on the Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that will launch the mission from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is vertical on the launch pad with the Crew Dragon atop, targeting a static fire test today. The Launch Readiness Review meeting now will take place Friday, with a news briefing taking place approximately one hour after the meeting concludes.

Tomorrow, the crew will participate in a countdown dress rehearsal of the launch day events for the first crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the space station.

The U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for liftoff of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission based on Falcon 9 Crew Dragon launch weather criteria. Teams will monitor weather conditions both for the launch area and downrange. The primary weather concerns for launch will be cumulus clouds associated with onshore moving showers along a weak frontal boundary as Eta merges with a mid-latitude system as it moves across North Florida and the Atlantic toward the end of this week.

FORECAST DETAILS

Clouds                      Coverage           Bases (feet)             Tops (feet)

Cumulus                    Broken              3,000                         10,000

Weather/Visibility: Isolated showers/7 miles

Temperature:  78 degrees

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 ‘Go’ to Proceed Toward Nov. 14 Launch

The Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station has concluded, and teams are proceeding toward a planned lift off at 7:49 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 14 from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA will hold a media teleconference at 3:30 p.m. EST to discuss the outcome of the review. Listen live on NASA’s website.

Participants in the teleconference are:

Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Randy Repcheck, director (acting), Operational Safety, Federal Aviation Administration

NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, along with Soichi Noguchi of JAXA, will launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, Resilience, on the first regular crew mission to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Crew Dragon Rolls Out, Station Crew Works Research and Comm Gear

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft atop is seen at its launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. — The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft atop is seen at its launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft on top rolled out to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center overnight. Meanwhile aboard the International Space Station, the Expedition 64 crew was busy setting up a variety of research and communications gear today.

Four Commercial Crew astronauts from the United States and Japan are in Florida in quarantine and getting ready for their launch to the space station. Their Dragon crew ship is standing vertical at Launch Complex 39A counting down to a Nov. 14 lift off.

Commander Michael Hopkins, Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialists Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi will blast off on Saturday at 7:49 p.m. EST. Eight hours and 30 minutes later the quartet will dock to the Harmony module’s forward-facing international docking adapter. They are scheduled for a five-and-a-half-month research mission aboard the station.

Back in space, NASA Flight Engineer Kate Rubins spent Tuesday morning setting up a specialized microscope that uses fluorescence to study biological processes in microgravity. During the afternoon, she installed wireless instrumentation gear in the Zvezda service module and handed over radiation detectors to cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.

Commander Sergey Ryzhikov checked out communications systems and biomedical sensors inside a pair of Russian Orlan spacesuits this morning with assistance from Kud-Sverchkov. The cosmonaut duo then spent the rest of the day servicing life support hardware and re-pressurizing the station’s atmosphere with air from the Progress 76 resupply ship.

Physics, Biology and Spacewalk Preps as SpaceX Crew-1 Ramps Up

Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Rubins works in Japan's Kibo laboratory module to set up a small satellite deployer. — Expedition 64 Flight Engineer Rubins works in Japan’s Kibo laboratory module to set up a small satellite deployer.

Space physics and biomedical research kicked off the work week as the Expedition 64 crew continued its spacewalk preparations. Back on Earth, four Commercial Crew astronauts are in Florida counting down to their launch to the International Space Station.

NASA Flight Engineer Kate Rubins started Monday morning checking out samples exposed to extreme temperatures inside the Electrostatic Levitation Furnace. The advanced research facility provides insights into the thermophysical properties and the synthesis of new materials.

Rubins then serviced components on the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device that helps astronauts maintain muscle strength and mass in microgravity. The two-time station resident wrapped up her science work today collecting and stowing saliva samples for the Standard Measures study. The human research experiment collects biological data from astronauts before, during and after missions to understand how humans adapt to living in space.

A spacewalk is scheduled for Nov. 18 for maintenance and science tasks outside the orbiting lab’s Russian segment. Commander Sergey Ryzhikov joined Flight Engineer Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and conducted leak checks and valve tests inside their Orlan spacesuits today. The duo then partnered up with Rubins to review tasks and procedures planned for the six-hour spacewalk.

The next crew to visit the space station arrived at the Kennedy Space Center from Houston on Sunday getting ready for a launch on Nov. 14 aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon. The quartet from the United States and Japan are planned to dock about eight-and-a-half hours later the following day to the Harmony module’s forward-facing international docking adapter.

Commander Michael Hopkins, Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialists Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi are in quarantine in Florida conducting final mission preparations. They are scheduled for a five-and-a-half-month research mission aboard the station.