NASA, SpaceX Proceeding to Crew-5 Launch

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon Endurance spacecraft atop
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon Endurance spacecraft atop, is vertical at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 1, 2022, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 launch, targeted for noon EDT on Oct. 5, 2022. Photo credit: SpaceX

Note: This blog was changed to update the name of the SpaceX representative in the post-launch news conference.

NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station.

Crew-5 launch remains targeted for noon EDT Wednesday, Oct. 5, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, is scheduled to dock to the space station at 4:57 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6.

Throughout the day, mission teams reviewed the status of the Falcon 9 recovery ship, called Just Read the Instructions, which is ready to support booster recovery. SpaceX teams also successfully replaced a thrust vector control actuator on one of nine Merlin first stage engines and fixed a small leak in the portable fire extinguisher system inside Dragon. Both changes were found in the process of final prelaunch verification checkouts and ensure we have the best systems in place to support a crew launch.

Weather officials with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron continue to predict a greater than 90% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for liftoff of the Crew-5 mission based on Falcon 9 Crew Dragon launch weather criteria. The primary weather concerns for the launch area are the cumulus cloud and flight through precipitation rules. Teams also will monitor weather conditions both for the launch area and downrange for the flight of Dragon, which remain a watch item due to high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ian along the mid-Atlantic coast.

Crew-5 prelaunch, launch, and docking will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Follow along at:

www.nasa.gov/live 

The Crew-5 flight will carry NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina to the space station for a science expedition mission. The astronauts will fly on the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft and will launch on a new Falcon 9 booster.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, Oct. 5

8:30 a.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins. NASA Television will have continuous mission coverage to docking and coverage of hatch open and the welcome ceremony.

1:30 p.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch News Conference on NASA TV

        • 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
        • Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
        • Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
        • Sergei Krikalev, executive director, Human Space Flight Programs, Roscosmos

Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Thursday, Oct. 6

4:57 p.m. – Docking to the International Space Station

6:42 p.m. – Hatch Opening

8:15 p.m. – Welcome Ceremony

Follow along with launch activities on the commercial crew blog. 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.