Commercial Crew Program – Page 2 – Kennedy Space Center

Dragon Spacecraft Reaches Orbit, News Conference at 1:30 p.m. EDT

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Aunapu Mann, commander; Josh Cassada, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina has safely reached orbit, and the nosecone has been opened.

At 1:30 p.m., NASA will host a postlaunch news conference from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will be broadcast live on NASA TV and the agency’s website. Participants in the briefing will be:

- - Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
  - Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
  - Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA 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

Crew-5 will dock at the space station on Thursday, Oct. 6, at approximately 4:57 p.m. EDT. Live mission coverage begins at 3:15 a.m. EDT and continues through Dragon spacecraft docking and the welcome ceremony at the space station.

Follow along with mission activities and get more information at the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, or commercial crew on Facebook.

Separation Confirmed! Crew Dragon Endurance Leaves Behind Second Stage

The Dragon Endurance spacecraft has separated from the second stage. The spacecraft is traveling at approximately 17,500 miles per hour.

Stage 1 Successfully Lands on SpaceX Drone Ship

Crew-5 stage 1 landing on SpaceX drone ship — Stage 1 of the Falcon 9 rocket lands on the company’s drone ship on Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: NASA

Stage 1 of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket completed its descent and successfully landed on SpaceX’s drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, off the coast of Florida.

Shutdown of the Second Stage Engine

Shutdown of the second stage engine occurred right on time. All is proceeding as planned.

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 Astronauts Soar into the Florida Afternoon Sky

Crew-5 liftoff — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission lifts off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida at noon EDT on Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: NASA

NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 liftoff — Credit: NASA

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

Crew-5 mission — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 launch is set for noon EDT today, Oct. 5, from Kennedy Space Center. Credit: NASA

The RP-1 rocket fuel load is complete.

Just a few minutes until liftoff, and all looks good for the Crew-5 launch!