Shutdown of the second stage engine occurred right on time. All is proceeding as planned.
Category: SpaceX
Second Stage Engine Continues to Burn
The second stage engine continues to burn. About 8 minutes into flight, all is well.
Crew-5 Reports Trajectory Nominal
The positive call came in from Crew-5 Commander Nicole Mann that trajectory is nominal. The first stage has started its descent.
First Stage Main Engine Cutoff, First and Second Stages Separate
The rocket has reached first stage main engine cutoff (MECO). The first and second stages have separated.
Rocket Reaches Max Q
Max Q, or the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket, has been reached.
Liftoff! Crew-5 Flight Crew Soars into the Florida Afternoon Sky
The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft roared off of Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida! Nicole Aunapu Mann, Josh Cassada, Koichi Wakata, and Anna Kikina have successfully begun their approximate 29-hour journey to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission.
Max Q will happen during the next minute.
Crew-5 in Terminal Count, Ready for Launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
The RP-1 rocket fuel load is complete.
Just a few minutes until liftoff, and all looks good for the Crew-5 launch!
Propellant and Liquid Oxygen Loading Underway
Right on schedule – at T-minus 35 minutes – RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading and first stage liquid oxygen loading has begun.
Liftoff, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is at noon EDT today.
Endurance Launch Escape System Armed
The launch escape system for the Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, is now armed. From liftoff until they reach orbit – roughly 12 minutes – the crew would be able to escape safely in the unlikely event of an anomaly.
Up next is propellant loading.
Crew Access Arm Retracted for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 Launch
The crew access arm has retracted. Coming up shortly, the Dragon launch escape system will be armed.
For continuous coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 launch to the International Space Station, stay here on blog, visit the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, or commercial crew on Facebook. There also is a continuous live broadcast on NASA Television and the agency’s website.