NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts participate in a countdown dress rehearsal at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 28, 2021, to prepare for the upcoming Crew-3 launch. The astronauts are at Launch Pad 39A with the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon behind them during the rehearsal. Photo credit: SpaceX
Tonight, Nov. 10, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, carrying NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron, as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer to the International Space Station for the third crew rotation mission under the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
Liftoff is targeted for 9:03 p.m. EST – an instantaneous launch window – and launch weather officers with the 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are predicting a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. The primary weather concerns are cumulus clouds and flight through precipitation. Teams also continue to monitor the weather conditions along in Crew Dragon’s flight path, which is expected to be favorable for launch. Live countdown coverage will begin at 4:45 p.m. on NASA Television and the agency’s website, as well as right here on the blog.
Following liftoff, the Crew-3 astronauts will have a 22-hour journey to the space station, where they will be greeted by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov – the Expedition 66 crew already on board. Crew-3 astronauts will remain at the station for a six-month science mission, living and working as part of a seven-member crew.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen at sunset on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-3 mission, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission is the third crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer are scheduled to launch no earlier than Nov. 10 at 9:03 p.m. EST, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
NASA and SpaceX have completed the Delta Launch Readiness Review for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station. The launch now is targeted no earlier than 9:03 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 10, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A prelaunch news teleconference will begin at 11:00 p.m., Nov. 9. Listen live on the agency’s website. Participants include:
Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
Holly Ridings, chief flight director, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
William Gerstenmaier, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
Weather officials with the 45th Weather Squadron are predicting an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch, with the primary concerns will be onshore moving Cumulus Clouds. Weather conditions along the ascent flight path also are predicted to be favorable.
The official crew portrait of the SpaceX Crew-3 mission with (from left) Commander Raja Chari and Pilot Thomas Mashburn, both NASA astronauts; Mission Specialist Matthias Maurer of ESA (European Space Agency); and Mission Specialist Kayla Barron of NASA. Photo credit: NASA
The Crew-3 prelaunch news teleconference now is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. EST. Listen live on the agency’s website.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-3 mission, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
NASA will provide updated coverage of the upcoming launch and docking activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission, which will carry astronauts to the International Space Station.
This mission marks the third time the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft has transported a crew rotation of astronauts to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. It will be the spacecraft’s fourth flight for the program with astronauts, including the Demo-2 test flight.
The launch now is targeted for no earlier than 9:03 p.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 10, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch follows a successful return of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission.
The Crew Dragon Endurance is scheduled to dock to the space station at 7:10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11. Launch and docking coverage will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
The Crew-3 flight will carry NASA astronauts Raja Chari, mission commander; Tom Marshburn, pilot; and Kayla Barron, mission specialist; as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer, who will serve as a mission specialist, to the space station for a six-month science mission.
The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Kennedy Press Site facilities remains closed for the protection of Kennedy employees and journalists except for limited number of media who have already been notified. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
All media participation in the following news conference will be remote.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):
Today, Tuesday, Nov. 9
9:30 p.m. – Crew-3 Prelaunch News Teleconference with the following participants:
Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
Holly Ridings, chief flight director, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
SpaceX Representative
ESA Representative
Media wishing to participate in the preview briefing by telephone must contact ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov to RSVP by 4:30 p.m. EST today, Tuesday, Nov. 9. Those following the briefing on social media may ask questions using #AskNASA.
Wednesday, Nov. 10
4:45 p.m. – NASA TV coverage begins
9:03 p.m. – Launch
NASA TV coverage continues through docking, arrival, and the welcome ceremony. In lieu of a postlaunch news conference, NASA leadership will provide comments during the broadcast.
Thursday, Nov. 11
7:10 p.m. – Docking
8:45 p.m. – Hatch Opening
9:20 p.m. – Welcoming Ceremony
NASA TV Launch Coverage
NASA TV live coverage will begin at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:
Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.
Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, FM mode, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
NASA Website Launch Coverage
Launch day coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include livestreaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at: 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on the launch blog at:
On launch day, a “clean feed” of the launch without NASA TV commentary will air on the NASA TV media channel. NASA will provide a live video feed of Launch Complex 39A approximately 48 hours prior to the planned liftoff of the Crew-3 mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted through launch.
Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually or join the Facebook event. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities, as well as a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport (for those registered via Eventbrite) following a successful launch.
Watch, Engage on Social Media
Let people know you’re following the mission on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtag #Crew3. You can also stay connected by following and tagging these accounts:
Did you know NASA has a Spanish section called NASA en Espanol? Make sure to check out NASA en Espanol on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more coverage on Crew-3.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo 321-501-8425 antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, more science, and more commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and, ultimately, to Mars.
For NASA’s launch blog and more information about the mission, visit:
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida Monday aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, completing the agency’s second long-duration commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. The mission set a record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crewed spacecraft. The international crew of four spent 199 days in orbit, surpassing the 168 days set by NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission earlier this year.
NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 10:33 p.m. EST off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. Crews aboard SpaceX recovery vessels successfully recovered the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to shore, the astronauts will fly back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“We’re happy to have Shane, Megan, Aki, and Thomas safely back on Earth after another successful, record-setting long-duration mission to the International Space Station,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “Congratulations to the teams at NASA and SpaceX who worked so hard to ensure their successful splashdown. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program continues to demonstrate safe, reliable transportation to conduct important science and maintenance on the space station.”
The Crew-2 mission launched April 23 on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Crew Dragon Endeavour docked to the Harmony module’s forward port of the space station April 24, nearly 24-hours after liftoff.
Kimbrough, McArthur, Hoshide, and Pesquet traveled 84,653,119 statute miles during their mission, stayed 198 days aboard the space station, and completed 3,194 orbits around Earth.
Throughout their mission, the Crew-2 astronauts contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities, scientific investigations, and technology demonstrations. In addition, they conducted four spacewalks and multiple public engagement events while aboard the orbiting laboratory. They studied how gaseous flames behave in microgravity, grew hatch green chiles in the station’s Plant Habitat Facility, installed free-flying robotic assistants, and even donned virtual reality goggles to test new methods of exercising in space, among many other scientific activities. The astronauts took hundreds of pictures of Earth as part of the Crew Earth Observation investigation, one of the longest-running investigations aboard the space station, which contributes to tracking of natural disasters and changes to our home planet.
Kimbrough, Hoshide, and Pesquet also completed four spacewalks to install, deploy, or otherwise prepare for installation of ISS Roll-out Solar Arrays. This brought the total number of spacewalks for Kimbrough, Hoshide, and Pesquet to nine, four, and six, respectively. The fourth spacewalk, conducted by Hoshide and Pesquet on Sept. 12, was the first in the history of the space station that did not include an American or Russian.
On July 21, all four Crew-2 astronauts boarded Endeavour for a port relocation maneuver, moving their spacecraft from the forward-facing port to the space-facing port on the station’s Harmony module.
The Crew-2 flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which has worked with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil to the space station. The splashdown of Crew-2 comes just before the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission, currently scheduled for no earlier than Wednesday, Nov. 10, on another long duration mission of approximately six months.
Endeavour will return for inspection and processing to SpaceX’s Dragon Lair in Florida, where teams will examine the spacecraft’s data and performance throughout the flight.
Following Crew-3’s launch, the next NASA and SpaceX crew rotation mission is Crew-4, currently targeted for launch in April 2022. Crew-3 astronauts are scheduled to return to Earth shortly after welcoming their Crew-4 colleagues to the orbiting laboratory.
The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This already has provided additional research time and has increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed for exploration, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew program at:
NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet splashed down safely in the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, at 10:33 p.m. EST after 199 days in space.
The return breaks the record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crewed spacecraft and completes the end of the second crew rotation mission to the International Space Station of the Crew Dragon spacecraft developed in partnership between NASA and SpaceX as a part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
Teams on the Go Navigator recovery ship, including two fast boats, now are in the process of securing Crew Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist Crew Dragon onto the main deck of Go Navigator with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew will be taken out of the spacecraft and receive medical checks before a helicopter ride to Pensacola to board a plane for Houston.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission launched April 23 on a Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked to the Harmony module’s forward port of the space station April 24, nearly a day after liftoff.
Throughout its mission, the Crew-2 astronauts contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities, scientific investigations, and technology demonstrations, in addition to four spacewalks, and multiple public engagement events while aboard the orbiting laboratory. They studied how gaseous flames behave in microgravity, grew hatch green chiles in the station’s Plant Habitat Facility, installed free-flying robotic assistants and even donned virtual reality goggles to test new methods of exercising in space, among many other scientific activities. The astronauts contributed hundreds of pictures of Earth as part of the Crew Earth Observation investigation, one of the longest-running investigations aboard the space station, which contributes to tracking of natural disasters and changes to our home planet.
Kimbrough has now spent a total of 388 days in space during three spaceflights; he conducted three spacewalks during this mission for a total of nine in his career. It was McArthur’s second spaceflight and her first to the space station, and she has logged 212 total days in space. It was Hoshide’s third spaceflight, bringing his total time in space to 340 days; he conducted one spacewalk for a total of four in his career. Pesquet conducted four spacewalks, for a total of six spacewalks during his two spaceflights totaling 395 days, the most days in space for an ESA astronaut. Hoshide and Pesquet’s spacewalk on Sept. 12 was the first in the history of the space station that did not include an American or Russian.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet on their return to Earth after a nearly six-month science mission has completed its deorbit burn as expected ahead of splashdown at about 10:33 p.m. EST in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
Four minutes before splashdown, the drogue parachutes will deploy at about 18,000 feet in altitude while Crew Dragon is moving approximately 350 miles per hour, and less than a minute later, the main parachutes deploy at about 6,000 feet in altitude while the spacecraft is moving approximately 119 miles per hour.
NASA TV coverage available online and via the NASA app will continue until the crew is recovered from the spacecraft.
Watch NASA’s live coverage as NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft are about one hour away from splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico at 10:33 p.m. EST. Weather conditions remain within the splashdown weather criteria and are “Go” at the primary targeted site off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
Here are the upcoming milestones (all times Eastern):
All times approximate:
9:33 p.m. – Crew Dragon performs claw separation. The claw is located on Crew Dragon’s trunk, connecting thermal control, power, and avionics system components located on the trunk to the capsule.
9:34 p.m. – Trunk separation
9:39 p.m. – Deorbit burn begins
9:55 p.m. – Deorbit burn complete
9:59 p.m. – Nosecone closed
10:21 p.m. – Crew Dragon maneuvers to attitude for re-entry
10:29 p.m. – Drogue parachutes deploy at about 18,000 feet in altitude while Crew Dragon is moving approximately 350 miles per hour.
10:29 a.m. – Main parachutes deploy at about 6,000 feet in altitude while Crew Dragon is moving approximately 119 miles per hour.
Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Pilot Megan McArthur monitor data inside Crew Dragon during their return to Earth on Nov. 8, 2021. Photo credit: NASA
Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough and Pilot Megan McArthur monitor data as Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet captures photos of the International Space Station during the first ever “fly around” of the complex from inside a commercial Crew Dragon. Joined by Mission Specialist Aki Hoshide aboard spacecraft Endeavour after its undocking Monday afternoon, the four crew members departed the station after 197 days there and are in their final hours in space. They are scheduled to splashdown at 10:33 p.m. EST off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. Live coverage continues on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
Below is a look at the International Space Station as seen from inside Crew Dragon Endeavor.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour as it undocks from the International Space Station.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet inside undocked from the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 2:05 p.m. EST to complete a nearly six-month science mission.
Endeavour will conduct a series of burns to perform a fly around maneuver to photograph the exterior of the International Space Station. Once the maneuver is completed, additional engine burns will send the spacecraft out of the vicinity of the station and put the Crew Dragon spacecraft on an orbital track that will return the astronaut crew and its cargo safely to the path to its intended splashdown off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
Crew Dragon Endeavour will autonomously execute the departure burns to begin the flight home.
The return timeline with approximate times in EST is:
2:32 p.m. Fly around zenith to aft burn
2:54 p.m. Fly around aft to nadir burn
3:17 p.m. Fly around nadir to forward burn
3:39 p.m. Fly around forward to zenith burn
4:02 p.m. Departure burn 0
4:07 p.m. Departure burn 1
4:55 p.m. Departure burn 2
5:41 p.m. Departure burn 3
9:34 p.m. Trunk jettison
9:39 p.m. Deorbit burn begins
10:33 p.m. Crew Dragon splashdown
NASA will continue to provide live coverage until Endeavour splashes down off the coast of Florida and the Crew-2 astronauts are recovered from the Gulf of Mexico.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission launched April 23 on a Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked to the space station April 24.
