A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars upward after its liftoff from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Monday, Nov. 4, for the launch of the agency’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station due to ongoing operations including Crew-9 port relocation and spacecraft integration for the cargo flight.
The company’s Dragon spacecraft will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and deliver food, supplies, and science investigations to the orbiting laboratory.
NASA will provide additional updates and information on launch and docking when available.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida remains closed as Hurricane Milton moves off the coast.
The safety of everyone impacted by the storm remains our top priority as the agency begins the assessment and recovery process from the hurricane.
Once the winds subsided to a safe level, the center’s Ride Out Team and engineering teams began initial checkouts to ensure bridges are safe and useable. Later, a larger assessment team will thoroughly check the entire center.
The agency’s Europa Clipper launch team will schedule an official launch date when teams from NASA and SpaceX are able to perform their assessments, and confirm its safe to launch. Teams are working to protect launch opportunities no earlier than Sunday, Oct. 13. Clipper has launch opportunities through Wednesday, Nov. 6.
NASA will provide more information on Clipper launch opportunities as it becomes available.
NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Thursday, Oct. 10, launch attempt of the agency’s Europa Clipper mission due to anticipated hurricane conditions in the area. Hurricane Milton is expected to move from the Gulf of Mexico this week moving east to the Space Coast. High winds and heavy rain are expected in the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida’s east coast. Launch teams have secured NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft in SpaceX’s hangar at Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the severe weather, and the center began hurricane preparations Sunday.
“The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority, and all precautions will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft,” said Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA’s Launch Services Program.
On Oct. 4, workers transported NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft from the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in the hangar as part of final launch preparations ahead of its journey to Jupiter’s icy moon. While Europa Clipper’s launch period opens Oct. 10, the window provides launch opportunities until Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Once the storm passes, recovery teams will assess the safety of the spaceport before personnel return to work. Then launch teams will assess the launch processing facilities for damage from the storm.
“Once we have the ‘all-clear’ followed by facility assessment and any recovery actions, we will determine the next launch opportunity for this NASA flagship mission,” said Dunn.
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Photo credit: NASA
The SpaceX spacecraft carrying Crew-9 members NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, to the International Space Station has safely reached orbit, and the nosecone has opened.
A postlaunch news conference will be held at 3 p.m. EDT at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the following participants:
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
Dana Hutcherson, deputy program manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy
Dina Contella, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
NASA will air the postlaunch news conference on NASA+and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
A first-stage booster from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket comes in for a successful landing at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, just minutes after NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 launch from Space Launch Complex-40. Photo credit: NASA
The first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has completed its descent and landed at the company’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Next, the Dragon spacecraft will separate from the rocket’s second stage to continue its journey to the International Space Station.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has reached Max-Q, the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket. Following this, first stage main engine cutoff occurred, and the first and second stages have separated from each other.
The rocket’s first stage booster is scheduled to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Next, the Falcon 9’s second-stage engine will ignite to carry Crew-9 and the Dragon spacecraft closer to orbit.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Dragon spacecraft lifts off on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission lifted off at 1:17 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This marks the first time a human spaceflight mission launched from the pad.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are already experiencing 2 g while SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket go through a rapid succession of events.
It is expected to take 28.5 hours for the spacecraft to autonomously dock to the space station at 5:30 p.m. EDT Sunday, Sept. 29, while traveling 17,000 mph orbiting the Earth.
Coming up next, the nine Merlin engines on Falcon 9’s first stage will burn through one million pounds of propellant during the next three minutes.
Propellant loading is underway for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ahead of lift off to the International Space Station for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Photo credit: NASA
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fueling is underway with rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and first-stage liquid oxygen. About 16 minutes before liftoff, liquid oxygen fueling will begin for the second stage.
Liftoff is the next big milestone! Launch weather officers with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch.
Liftoff remains scheduled for 1:17 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The crew access arm retracts from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Photo credit: NASA
The launch director just gave a “go” for the crew access arm to retract away from SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket.
A few minutes later, Dragon’s launch escape system will be armed to allow the Crew-9 crew members to escape safely in the unlikely event of an anomaly from the moment the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off until the Dragon spacecraft reaches orbit.
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket is vertical at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for NASA’s Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Photo credit: NASA
The SpaceX closeout team has left the crew access arm, which will soon retract from the Dragon spacecraft. Launch, set for 1:17 p.m. EDT, is now less than an hour away.
Launch weather officers with the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron are watching lightning, rain, and wind in the area, but launch currently remains a “go” for liftoff from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
It will take 28.5 hours for NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, to reach the International Space Station and dock to the Harmony module’s forward port. Once there, they’ll be greeted by nine members of the Expedition 72 crew. There will be a brief handover period before NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 members, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin return to Earth. The four-person crew has been at the orbiting laboratory since March 5, when they docked to the orbital outpost aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.
The space station will be traveling over northeast Bulgaria during liftoff.
