Lunch Time: What the Astronauts Ate This Afternoon

The crew’s scheduled wake-up time today was 11:47 a.m. They ate lunch at 12:15 p.m. Here is what they had:

  • Commander Mike Hopkins: NY steak, medium rare with seasoned fries and dirty rice
  • Pilot Victor Glover: Lamb chops, medium, with mashed sweet potato and a salad
  • Mission Specialist Shannon Walker: Juicy medium hamburger on a brioche bun with sweet potato fries and a salad
  • Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi: Japanese curry rice with chicken and curly fries

Crew-1 Astronauts Handed off to SpaceX

Crew-1 astronauts have received their weather briefing. The NASA team that has worked with Commander Mike Hopkins, Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialists Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi throughout their quarantine at Kennedy Space Center has handed over the astronauts to the team of SpaceX suit technicians, who will help them suit up.The SpaceX Crew-1 official crew insignia features a dragon in silhouette, a Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the numeral 1 for Crew-1.

Designed for safety and functionality, SpaceX spacesuits also provide modern comfort and style. The spacesuit provides pressurization, protecting from potential depressurization. A port on the suit’s thigh connects to life support systems, including air and power.

The suits also include touchscreen-compatible gloves and a flame-resistant outer layer. The helmet is custom manufactured using 3D printing technology and includes integrated valves, mechanisms for visor retraction and locking, and microphones.

The four astronauts dedicated the official Crew-1 mission patch to their families.

A Look at Today’s Key Milestones for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 Mission

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft stand on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft stand on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A during final preparations for launch on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. Liftoff is scheduled for 7:27 p.m. EST.

Below are some key milestones for today’s Crew-1 mission. Launch is targeted for 7:27 p.m. EST.

  • 3:12 p.m. Crew weather brief
  • 3:22 p.m. Crew handoff
  • 3:27 p.m. Suit donning and checkouts
  • 4:05 p.m. Crew walkout from Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building
  • 4:12 p.m. Crew transportation to Launch Complex 39A
  • 4:32 p.m. Crew arrives at pad
  • 4:52 p.m. Crew ingress
  • 5:07 p.m. Communication check
  • 5:12 p.m. Verify ready for seat rotation
  • 5:13 p.m. Suit leak checks
  • 5:32 p.m. Hatch close
  • 6:42 p.m. SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
  • 6:45 p.m. Crew access arm retracts
  • 6:49 p.m. Dragon spacecraft launch escape system is armed
  • 6:52 p.m. RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins; first stage liquid oxygen loading begins
  • 7:11 p.m. Second stage liquid oxygen loading begins
  • 7:20 p.m. Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
  • 7:22 p.m. Dragon transitions to internal power
  • 7:26 p.m. Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks;
    propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
  • 7:26 p.m. SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
  • 7:27:12 p.m. Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
  • 7:27:15 p.m. Liftoff!
  • 7:28 p.m. Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
  • 7:29:52 p.m. First stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
  • 7:29 p.m. First and second stages separate
  • 7:30 p.m. Second stage engine starts
  • 7:34 p.m. First stage entry burn
  • 7:36:05 p.m. Second stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
  • 7:36:14 p.m. First stage entry burn
  • 7:36:44 p.m. First stage landing
  • 7:39 p.m. Crew Dragon separates from second stage
  • 7:40 p.m. Dragon nosecone open sequence begins

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 Mission Coverage Starts Now!

Crew-1 rocket and spacecraft on the pad
NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will fly to the International Space Station  for a six-month science mission. Launch is slated for 7:27 p.m. EST today from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission — 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.

Here at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped by the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft — named Resilience by the crew — awaits liftoff later today. NASA astronauts Michael HopkinsVictor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), will fly to the International Space Station for a six-month science mission. Launch is slated for 7:27 p.m. EST from Kennedy’s historic Launch Complex 39A.

The countdown is proceeding according to schedule. At the Florida spaceport’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, the astronauts have eaten and will undergo medical checks and get a weather briefing before suiting up.

Stay with us as the countdown continues. We’ll keep you updated on the key milestones throughout this historic mission. Starting at 3:15 p.m. EST, on NASA Television and the agency’s website, there will be continuous live coverage of important Crew-1 activities.

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 HopkinsVictor 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 FacebookISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

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

Crew-1 rocket on pad
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission is targeting launch at 7:49 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

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 Certifies First Commercial Human Spaceflight System

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Resilience
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Resilience for NASA SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission are seen inside the SpaceX Hangar at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 9, 2020, before rollout to Launch Pad 39A. Photo credit: SpaceX

Today, NASA completed the signing of the Human Rating Certification Plan for SpaceX’s crew transportation system ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is targeted for 7:49 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 14, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Crew Dragon, including the Falcon 9 rocket and associated ground systems, is the first new crew spacecraft to be NASA-certified for regular flights with astronauts since the space shuttle nearly 40 years ago. Several critical events paved the way for today’s landmark announcement, including ground tests, simulations, uncrewed flight tests, and a successful test flight with astronauts aboard. Read the full news story here.

NASA astronauts Michael HopkinsVictor Glover, and Shannon Walker, along with Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), will launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, Resilience, on the first regular crew mission to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Crew-1 Flight Readiness Review Discussions Continue; Media Teleconference to Follow

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

With the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule for the Crew-1 mission now at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, NASA and SpaceX teams participating both on site and virtually are continuing the agency’s Crew-1 Flight Readiness Review discussions that began Monday.

The two-day meeting is expected to end this afternoon, and approximately one hour after the review ends, the agency will hold a media teleconference with the following participants:

Crew-1 Flight Readiness Review
NASA and SpaceX leadership participate in a Flight Readiness Review at Kennedy on Nov. 9, 2020, for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
  • Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
  • Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
  • Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
  • Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
  • Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
  • Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA
  • Randy Repcheck, director (acting), Operational Safety, Federal Aviation Administration

NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, along with Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), will launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft on the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:49 EST, from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.

Crew-1 astronauts will join the Expedition 64 crew of Commander Sergey Ryzhikov, and Flight Engineers Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and NASA astronaut Kate Rubins. The arrival of Crew-1 will increase the regular crew size of the space station’s expedition missions from six to seven astronauts, adding to the amount of crew time available for research.