A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft stand ready for liftoff at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A for SpaceX’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 1:29 p.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA
Hello, and good afternoon from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida! A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft stand ready for liftoff at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. Today’s launch is targeted for 1:29 p.m. EDT, just a little under 30 minutes away, and live countdown coverage has begun. Watch now on NASA TV or the agency’s website.
The second flight for SpaceX under NASA’s second Commercial Resupply Services Contract, and the company’s 22nd overall cargo resupply mission, this mission will deliver more than 7,300 pounds of science experiments and research, crew supplies, and hardware to the International Space Station.
Here’s a look at some of today’s countdown and ascent milestones. All times are approximate:
COUNTDOWN
Hr/Min/Sec Event
– 00:38:00 SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
– 00:35:00 RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins
– 00:35:00 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
– 00:16:00 2nd stage LOX loading begins
– 00:07:00 Falcon 9 begins pre-launch engine chill
– 00:05:00 Dragon transitions to internal power
– 00:01:00 Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks
– 00:01:00 Propellant tanks pressurize for flight
– 00:00:45 SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
– 00:00:03 Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
– 00:00:00 Falcon 9 liftoff
LAUNCH, LANDING, AND DRAGON DEPLOYMENT
Hr/Min/Sec Event
00:01:12 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:26 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:30 1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:37 2nd stage engine starts
00:02:43 1st stage boostback burn begins
00:05:52 1st stage entry burn begins
00:07:41 1st stage landing
00:08:39 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO)
00:11:52 Dragon separates from 2nd stage
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft stand ready for liftoff at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A for SpaceX’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for 1:29 p.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA
NASA and SpaceX are targeting 1:29 p.m. EDT today, June 3, for SpaceX’s 22nd cargo resupply launch to the International Space Station. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket and uncrewed Dragon spacecraft will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron continue to predict a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for today’s launch, with the cumulus cloud rule and flight through precipitation serving as the primary weather concerns.
Dragon will deliver critical science and research investigations, crew supplies, and hardware to the space station. Upon Dragon’s arrival – slated for Saturday, June 5 – NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur will monitor operations while the spacecraft autonomously docks to the orbiting laboratory’s Harmony module.
Beginning at 1 p.m., join us here on the blog for live coverage, and follow along on NASA TV or the agency’s website for the live launch broadcast.
A prelaunch news conference for SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station is held on June 2, 2021 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left are Joel Montalbano, manager for International Space Station Program; Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist for International Space Station Program; and Sarah Walker, director, Dragon mission management at SpaceX. The Dragon capsule atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at 1:29 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 3. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped with the company’s upgraded Dragon spacecraft, stands ready for launch at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida. Following a prelaunch news conference held at Kennedy, NASA and SpaceX remain on track for the company’s 22nd cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station.
“Just a couple of months ago, the Crew-2 crew got on board, and now they’re waiting to receive all this science and do it, so it’s really exciting for us at SpaceX,” said Sarah Walker, director of Dragon Mission Management at SpaceX. “Thanks to NASA for your ongoing partnership; this is an exciting mission, and tomorrow is just one more example of a long history that we’re thankful for.”
Liftoff is slated to occur at 1:29 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 3, and weather officials continue to predict a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. The primary weather concerns for liftoff are the cumulus cloud rule and flight through precipitation.
“It’s Florida, it’s summertime, and that means showers and storms; the main issue would be a few of those showers that come off of the coast and head toward our launch facility,” said Mark Burger, launch weather officer with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron. “However, given that there’s quite a lot of real estate between each one of those showers, I do think there’s still a better-than-average chance that we’ll be able to thread the needle and get in a good launch opportunity for tomorrow.”
Dragon will deliver more than 7,300 pounds of science and research investigations, supplies, and hardware to the orbiting laboratory and its crew. A few of the investigations arriving in Dragon’s pressurized capsule include an experiment that could help develop better pharmaceuticals and therapies for treating kidney disease on Earth, a study of cotton root systems that could identify plant varieties that require less water and pesticides, and an experiment using bobtail squid as a model to examine the effects of spaceflight on interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts.
The first two of six new solar arrays for the International Space Station have been loaded into Dragon’s unpressurized spacecraft trunk. SpaceX will deliver them to the orbiting laboratory during its next cargo resupply mission, targeted for June 3 at 1:29 p.m. Photo credit: SpaceX
Also included in that delivery are the first two of six new roll-out solar arrays, which will be installed during spacewalks later this month to upgrade the station’s power capabilities.
“With seven crew members on board, the team is really just knocking it out of the park,” said Joel Montalbano, program manager for NASA’s International Space Station Program Office. “The utilization and research that they’re able to do on board, the commercialization efforts, the technology developed for our lunar program – it’s really a pleasure to watch these guys. They’re excited for the mission, and they’re excited to see these two new solar arrays on board.”
About 12 minutes after launch, Dragon will separate from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, starting its solo journey to the space station. The uncrewed spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the station on Saturday, June 5. Upon its arrival, Dragon will autonomously dock to the space station’s Harmony module, with Expedition 65 Flight Engineers Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA monitoring operations.
After spending about one month attached to the station, Dragon will autonomously undock to begin its journey home. Upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will splash down in the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern coast of Florida, bringing with it experiment samples and return cargo.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that will fly on the company’s 22nd commercial resupply services to the International Space Station is now ready for its journey to space. On June 1, SpaceX rolled its Falcon 9 rocket with Dragon attached to Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:29 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 3. Photo credit: SpaceX
Beginning at 11 a.m. EDT today, June 2, tune in to NASA TV or the agency’s website for the What’s on Board science briefing, highlighting some of the payloads flying on SpaceX’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Following this, at 1:30 p.m., there will be a prelaunch news conference from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Participants include:
Joel Montalbano, program manager, International Space Station Program Office
Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist, International Space Station Program Office
Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management at SpaceX
Mark Burger, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A tomorrow, June 3, at 1:29 p.m. EDT. Weather officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s 45th Weather Squadron are predicting a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch, with the primary weather concerns revolving around the cumulus cloud rule and flight through precipitation.
This is the second SpaceX mission to deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment for NASA under the agency’s second Commercial Resupply Services contract, and it will be the first flight of this particular Dragon spacecraft. Dragon’s pressurized capsule will carry a variety of research, including critical materials that will support dozens of the more than 250 experiments that will occur during Expeditions 65 and 66.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that will fly on the company’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station is now ready for its journey to space. On Thursday, May 27, teams transported the spacecraft from SpaceX’s processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station into the hangar at nearby Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, where it was attached to the Falcon 9 rocket. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 is scheduled for 1:29 p.m. EDT on June 3, 2021. Photo credit: SpaceX
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that will fly on the company’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station is now ready for its journey to space. On Thursday, May 27, teams transported the spacecraft from SpaceX’s processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station into the hangar at nearby Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, where it was attached to the Falcon 9 rocket.
Today, June 1, the rocket – with Dragon atop – was rolled out to the launch pad, where it will be raised to a vertical position in preparation for launch. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 is scheduled for 1:29 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 3. Packed with supplies and payloads bound for the orbiting laboratory, Dragon will deliver critical materials that will directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 65 and 66.
Tune in to NASA TV or the agency’s website for live coverage of prelaunch activities, beginning tomorrow at 11 a.m.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and cargo Dragon spacecraft stand poised for launch moments before liftoff at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Dec. 6, 2020, for NASA and SpaceX’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station. The first launch for SpaceX under NASA’s CRS-2 contract, the mission blasted off the pad at 11:17 a.m. EST. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
NASA and SpaceX are targeting 1:29 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 3, for the company’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped by the uncrewed Cargo Dragon spacecraft, is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This will be the second SpaceX mission to deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment for NASA under the agency’s second Commercial Resupply Services contract. To date, SpaceX has completed 21 cargo resupply missions to and from the space station, providing more than 100,000 pounds of supplies and approximately 80,000 pounds of return mass.
Tune in to NASA TV and the agency’s website for live coverage, beginning Wednesday, June 2, with prelaunch activities.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 11:17 a.m. EST on Dec. 6, 2020, carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft on its journey to the International Space Station for NASA and SpaceX’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission. Dragon will deliver more than 6,400 pounds of science investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory. The mission marks the first launch for SpaceX under NASA’s CRS-2 contract. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett
SpaceX’s upgraded cargo Dragon spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station after launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:17 a.m. EST.
The first launch for SpaceX under NASA’s second Commercial Resupply Services contract, CRS-21 will deliver supplies, equipment, and materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur aboard the orbiting laboratory during Expeditions 64 and 65.
The Nanoracks Bishop Airlock is packed in the Dragon spacecraft’s trunk on Oct. 12, 2020, inside SpaceX’s processing facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for its ride to the International Space Station aboard the company’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission. Photo credit: SpaceX
Included in this delivery is the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock, the first commercially owned and operated airlock that, once installed, will provide a variety of capabilities to the space station, such as payload hosting, robotics testing, and satellite deployment. It also will serve as an outside toolbox for crew members conducting spacewalks.
Dragon is scheduled to arrive at the space station tomorrow, Dec. 7. At approximately 1:30 p.m. EST, the spacecraft will autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module – the first automated docking for a SpaceX cargo resupply mission. Live coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. EST on NASA TV and the agency’s website. NASA astronauts and Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover will monitor docking operations.
Cargo Dragon’s arrival at the space station will mark the first time two Dragon spacecraft will be docked to the orbiting laboratory at the same time. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Resilience, that brought the Crew-1 astronauts has been docked since its arrival on Nov. 16.
The cargo Dragon spacecraft will remain attached to the space station for about one month, after which it will return to Earth with 5,200 pounds of research and return cargo, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX’s upgraded cargo Dragon spacecraft separates from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, continuing it’s journey to the International Space Station for the company’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission on Dec. 6, 2020. Photo credit: NASA
The uncrewed cargo Dragon has separated from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, as the spacecraft continues its journey to the International Space Station to deliver critical supplies, equipment, and material to support multiple science and research experiments that will take place aboard the space station.
Dragon is slated to arrive at the orbiting laboratory around 1:30 p.m. EST tomorrow, Dec. 7. It will autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module – the first automated docking for a SpaceX cargo resupply mission – while NASA astronauts and Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover monitor docking operations.
The first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully lands on a droneship on Dec. 6, 2020, after carrying the uncrewed cargo Dragon spacecraft to orbit for SpaceX’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission. Photo credit: NASA
The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage has successfully landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. This marks the 100th successful landing of a Falcon 9 first stage, and the 35th landing on a droneship. This was the fourth flight for this particular first stage – one of those being the agency’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission that carried NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station.
Next up, Dragon will separate from the rocket’s second stage to continue its solo journey to the space station.
The nine Merlin engines in the first stage of the Falcon 9 have finished their burn, and the first stage has separated from the rocket. As the second stage continues carrying Dragon on its flight, the first stage will attempt a landing on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in about five minutes.
