Weather conditions near multiple splashdown zones off the coast of Florida remain unfavorable for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 from the International Space Station. Mission managers continue to monitor conditions as weather is expected to remain unfavorable for several days. The next weather briefing is planned for 11 a.m. EDT, on Friday, Oct. 18. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 3:05 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 20, for undocking from the space station.
Tag: Endeavour
NASA, SpaceX Continue Evaluating Weather for Crew-8 Return
Mission managers continue to monitor weather conditions near the splashdown zones off the Florida coast ahead of returning NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. Current forecasts indicate unfavorable conditions over the next several days. The next weather briefing is planned for 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 16. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 3:05 a.m., Friday, Oct. 18, for undocking from the space station.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Launches to International Space Station
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin are on their way to the International Space Station, following the picture-perfect launch of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, launched at 10:53 p.m. EST atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida.
“I want to personally thank the crew for their work and the sacrifice that they’ve made of their time to train and be ready for this mission,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. “Crew-8’s mission will further the understanding of how humans learn and behave in space and how their bodies respond, and it’s all critical to our lunar exploration. We need all of these to come together to understand how people and technologies and systems will behave when we go on longer duration missions.”
Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California, will monitor a series of automatic maneuvers that will guide Dragon to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The spacecraft is designed to dock autonomously, but the crew can take control and pilot manually, if necessary.
Upon arrival, the members of Crew-8 will be welcomed inside the station by the seven-member crew of Expedition 70 and conduct several days of handover activities with the departing astronauts of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission. After the handover period, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Crew-7 will undock from the space station and splash down off the coast of Florida.
“We’ll have five dock days of Crew-8/Crew-7 handover activities, after which we’ll start watching weather and look for a landing opportunity for Crew-7,” said Joel Montalbano, NASA program manager, International Space Station. “Crew-8 will stay onboard the International Space Station until mid-August, performing over 200 experiments in science and research, technology development, and commercialization of low-Earth orbit.”
The members of Crew-8 will conduct new scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. Experiments include using stem cells to create organoid models to study degenerative diseases, studying the effects of microgravity and UV radiation on plants at a cellular level, and testing whether wearing pressure cuffs on the legs could prevent fluid shifts and reduce health problems in astronauts. These are just a few of the more than 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations taking place during their mission.
At the end of their mission, Crew-8 will complete a short handover with Crew-9, and the Dragon spacecraft – with the four crew members aboard – will autonomously undock, depart the space station, and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. After splashdown off of Florida’s coast, a SpaceX recovery vessel will pick up the spacecraft and crew, who then will be helicoptered back to shore.
“What a crazy exciting time in space right now,” said Free. “And it’s all rooted in NASA’s mission of exploring the unknown in air and space, innovating for the benefit of humanity, and inspiring the world through discovery. The four individuals of Crew-8 exemplify that.”
The agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth commercial crew rotation mission for NASA.
More details about the mission can be found in the online press kit and by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, or commercial crew on Facebook.
Learn more about station activities by following @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
Dragon Endeavour Reaches Orbit, News Conference at 12:15 a.m. EST
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps along with Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin to the International Space Station has safely reached orbit, and the nosecone has opened.
A postlaunch news conference will be held at approximately 12:15 a.m. EST at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center with the following participants:
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
- Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
NASA will air the postlaunch news conference on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
Follow along with mission activities and get more information on the International Space Station blog.
Learn more about commercial crew and space station activities by following @commercial_crew, @Space_Station, @ISS_Research on X, as well as the Commercial Crew Facebook, ISS Facebook, and ISS Instagram accounts.
Separation Confirmed! Dragon Now Flying Solo
The Dragon spacecraft has separated from the Falcon 9’s second stage and is flying on its own. The spacecraft is traveling at approximately 17,500 miles per hour (28,200 kilometers per hour). In less than a minute, the Dragon nosecone open sequence will begin.
Falcon 9 Second Stage Engine Shuts Down
After about nine minutes of flight, the Falcon 9’s second stage has shut down and the Dragon spacecraft now is in orbit, where it will soon separate from Falcon 9’s upper stage and continue its journey to the International Space Station. Momentarily, the rocket’s first stage will attempt to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Falcon 9 First Stage Lands Successfully
Back on Earth, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket has completed its descent and landed at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
First Stage Main Engine Cutoff; First, Second Stages Separate
The Falcon 9 rocket has reached first stage main engine cutoff (MECO), and the first and second stages have separated. Next, the Falcon 9’s second stage engine will start.
Liftoff! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Begins Journey to International Space Station
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, lit up Florida’s night sky, as NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin, started their approximately 28-hour journey to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. Liftoff occurred at 10:53 p.m. EST.
At the time of launch, the space station is flying 260 statute miles over the southern Arabian Sea, southwest of India.
Up Next: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Liftoff
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick; Michael Barratt; and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin is now just five minutes away. Everything is proceeding according to schedule, and all is looking good for the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station.