The following is attributed to Cheryl Warner, news chief, NASA’s Office of Communications:
“Following NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission’s safe splashdown and recovery off Florida’s coast early Friday morning, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin were taken to a local medical facility for additional evaluation. The crew exited the Dragon spacecraft onto a recovery ship for standard post-flight medical evaluations. Out of an abundance of caution, all crew members were flown to the facility together. NASA will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
he SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is seen as it splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, at 3:29 a.m. EDT, returning Crew-8 to Earth. Photo credit: NASA+
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, splashed down safely in their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, at 3:29 a.m. EDT, completing a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station.
Teams on the SpaceX recovery ship, including two fast boats, are securing Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for recovery. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist Dragon onto the main deck with the Crew-8 crew members inside. Once on the main deck, the crew will be taken out of the spacecraft and undergo medical checks before a short helicopter ride to board a plane for NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA and SpaceX will hold a media teleconference later this morning at 5 a.m. EDT to discuss the Crew-8 mission and the crew’s return to Earth. NASA will stream live coverage of the teleconference on the agency’s YouTube channel. Participants include:
Richard Jones, deputy manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Bill Spetch, operations and integration manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
William Gerstenmaier, vice president, Build & Flight Reliability, SpaceX
NASA’s live coverage continues as NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, make their return to Earth inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. Splashdown is scheduled for approximately 3:29 a.m. EDT off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. Recovery teams are taking positions in the recovery zone.
The critical deorbit burn is scheduled to start at 2:39 a.m. EDT and will last approximately eight minutes.
Live coverage of Crew-8’s return begins at 2:15 a.m. EDT on NASA+ and the agency’s website. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crew members pose for a photo inside SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA
Weather conditions near the multiple splashdown sites off Florida’s coast remain unfavorable for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. Forecasts remain marginal for an undocking on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and Wednesday, Oct. 23. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 9:05 p.m. EDT, Oct. 22, for undocking from the space station. Based on the current forecast, conditions are expected to improve as the week progresses.
Mission managers continue to monitor conditions and will meet at 9 a.m., Oct. 22, for the next weather briefing. We will provide additional updates and information on NASA+ coverage when available.
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.
SpaceX Dragon spacecraft separates from second stage 12 minutes after launch from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo: NASA
At 1:29 EDT, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft separated from the Falcon 9 rocket second stage and now is flying on its own.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, are on a 28.5-hour journey to the International Space Station. The spacecraft now is in orbit and will autonomously dock to the Harmony module’s forward port. Soon, the crew will open their visors and get out of their suits during the ride.
Once Hague and Gorbunov reach the orbiting laboratory, they will be greeted by nine members of the Expedition 72 crew. There will be a brief overlap 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.
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.
