SpaceX has been launching astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA and returning them to Earth since 2020. The company's current astronaut mission for NASA, Crew-9, launched on Sept. 28 and is underway. The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-8 mission for NASA will return to Earth on Oct. 14.
The Crew-9 mission launched two astronauts to the ISS on a six-month mission from SpaceX's Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and return to Earth in February 2025. The crew includes: NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexsandr Gorbunov. Returning to Earth on Crew-8 will be: NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.
See full coverage of SpaceX's Crew-9 mission at the International Space Station here.
Meet Crew-8| Meet Crew-9 | SpaceX | Crew Dragon | Falcon 9
Tariq Malik has been the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com since 2019 and has covered space news and science for over 20 years, with a focus on human spaceflight, exploration, astronomy and the night sky. He covered the space shuttle program's final 25 missions, ongoing ISS missions and commercial spaceflight.
Elizabeth Howell (Ph.D.) has been covering SpaceX missions since 2012. Her writing covers all SpaceX activities from Starship to Starlink to International Space Station missions. She also explored SpaceX's legacy in academic settings during her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Space Studies at the University of North Dakota.
Crew-8 under 'additional evaluation' at medical facility after splashdown
Hours after the SpaceX Crew-8 mission successfully splashed down off the coast of Florida at 3:29 a.m. EDT (0729 GMT) on Friday (Oct. 25), NASA says the four astronauts on board are receiving additional medical evaluations.
"NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin were taken to a local medical facility for additional evaluation," agency officials wrote in a brief e-mailed statement sent around 8:10 a.m. EDT (1210 GMT).
"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. "
The crew's landing after 235 days in space (nearly eight months) included a two-week delay at the International Space Station (ISS) for good splashdown weather, in the wake of Hurricane Milton that arrived in Florida earlier this month. The mission length was a record for the SpaceX Endeavour Crew Dragon spacecraft, but not for people in space.
While Crew-8's stay was slightly longer than the typical ISS mission of six to seven months, several astronauts have been on the orbiting complex for a year or longer. NASA has numerous countermeasures for physical and mental wellness in microgravity, including about two hours of assigned exercise for astronauts daily and weekly consultations with a physician.
The longest ISS mission was in 2023 when the three-person Soyuz MS-22/23 crew spent nearly 371 days in space, mostly on the space station. The longest-ever space mission in history was about 437 days on the Soviet-Russian Mir space station in 1994-95 by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov
SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts to depart ISS on Sunday
SpaceX's four Crew-8 astronauts on the International Space Station are now scheduled to return to Earth on Monday, Oct. 14, to end a months-long mission to the International Space Station, weather permitting.
NASA announced today, Oct. 11, that the Crew-8 astronauts are currently scheduled to undock from the ISS on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT). The crew includes NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, who have spent the last seven months aboard the station.
After undocking, the astronauts are scheduled to splashdown in one of several target zones off the coast of Florida on Monday at 3:38 p.m. EDT (1938 GMT). That schedule, however, depends on good weather at the splashdown site for recovery operations of the Crew-8 Dragon space capsule. The splashdown has already been delayed due to the weather impacts of Hurricane Milton, which battered Florida this week, NASA has said.
"Mission managers continue monitoring weather conditions in the area, as Dragon’s undocking depends on various factors, including spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. NASA will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-8 spacecraft undocking.
Crew-9 docks with ISS
SpaceX's Crew-9 astronaut mission arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today (Sept. 29), docking with the orbiting lab at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT). Read our docking story.
The two Crew-9 spaceflyers will stay aboard the ISS for about five months, coming home in February 2025 along with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who came up on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in June. Starliner suffered thruster issues on its way to the ISS, and NASA decided to bring the capsule home uncrewed earlier this month, leaving Wilmore and Williams in orbit.
Crew-9 Dragon astronauts in orbit
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Freedom has successfully reached orbit after a smooth launch from the company's SLC-40 pad t Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1517 GMT).
"That was a sweet ride," Crew-9 commander Nick Hague radioed to SpaceX launch control after the Dragon separated from its Falcon 9 rocket upper stage.
This is the fourth flight of the Dragon Freedom capsule and marked the second flight of the Falcon 9 first stage booster, which landed safely at Landing Zone 1 at the Space Force station.
The Dragon's nose cone will open to expose the docking hatch on Dragon for its arrival to the International Space Station on Sunday, Sept. 29. Docking is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT) on Sunday after a 28-hour trip.
NASA will hold a press conference on the Crew-9 launch at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT). You can watch it live here, but it can be found on the NASA+ streaming service as well.
Touchdown! Crew-9 Falcon 1 rocket lands safely
SpaceX's Crew-9 Falcon 9 rocket first stage booster has aced its touchdown at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after the company's first-ever crewed launch from Pad 40 at the same station.
The upper stage continues to perform well.
Stage separation and nominal trajectory for Crew-9
SpaceX has reported a good stage separation of the Falcon 9 rocket, with the first stage headed back to Earth as the second stage heads toward orbit. The first stage booster is making its second flight and will land at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
"Dragon, SpaceX, nominal trajectory," SpaceX radioed the crew.
"Freedom copies, nominal trajectory," Crew-9 commander Nick Hague replied.
LIFTOFF! SpaceX launches Crew-9 astronauts
Liftoff! SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon has launched its two Crew-9 astronauts toward the International Space Station for NASA, the 1st crewed launch from SLC-40 pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff occurred on time at 1:17 p.m. EDT.
Crew-9 astronauts ready for launch
SpaceX reports the Falcon 9 rocket 1st and 2nd stages are fully loaded with their RP-1 propellant as liquid oxygen loading continues now minutes away from launch at 1:17 pm ET.
Crew-9 commander Nick Hague shared some short remarks to thank the SpaceX and NASA teams for all their hard work.
"A huge thanks to our families and friends for your unwavering support," Hague said.
SpaceX is retracing the strongback device that supports the Falcon 9 ahead of launch minutes from now.
Falcon 9 rocket fueling begins for Crew-9 launch
At the T-34 minutes mark and counting, SpaceX has begun fueling the Falcon 9 rocket for today's Crew-9 astronaut launch at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1517 GMT).
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is a two-stage booster that uses liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (called RP-1) to launch into space. The fueling process will continue until just before the launch.
Crew Access Arm retracted for flight
SpaceX has retracted the Crew Access Arm of its Pad 40 launch tower clear of the Dragon capsule Freedom for today's Crew-9 launch, and SpaceX reports the weather forecast has improved to be 70% "go" for liftoff at 1:17 pm ET (1517 GMT).
Inside the Dragon capsule, Crew-9 commander Nick Hague has armed the launch escape system on the spacecraft.
1 hour to Crew-9 launch
SpaceX is now one hour and counting from the planned 1:17 pm ET (1517 GMT) launch of today's Crew-9 astronaut mission for NASA.
SpaceX is watching the weather as it nears the decision point for fueling the Falcon 9 rocket for today's launch. Currently, weather is for for launch at the target time, but SpaceX is watching the threat of thick clouds, rain along the launch profile and ground electrical field concerns.
SpaceX close-out crew departs pad
SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule close-out crew have left the launch pad in preparation for today's Crew-9 astronaut launch at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1517 GMT). As of about 12 p.m. EDT, SpaceX is about 40 minutes from a key Go-No go decision point for fueling the Falcon 9 rocket.
SpaceX and NASA continue to watch the weather for today's launch try. The rain appears to have stopped at the SLC-40 launch pad, with the sun peeking through the clouds in NASA's live video.
Dragon hatch closed for Crew-9 launch
The hatch to SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has been closed for today's Crew-9 astronaut launch as the countdown continues for a planned 1:17 pm ET (1517 GMT) liftoff.
It does appear to be raining at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Station. There is a 55% chance of good weather at launch time.
"We think there's a real shot of getting a clearing in the weather at around T-0," SpaceX's launch communicator tells the crew.
Crew-9 astronauts strapped in on Dragon
Crew-9 astronauts Nick Hague and Alexandr Gorbunov are strapped in aboard their Dragon spacecraft and are going through prelaunch spacesuit checks, including leak checks and communications checks.
While Crew-9 is SpaceX's first crewed launch from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, it's not the first flight for this Dragon capsule. The spacecraft was used to launch NASA's Crew-4 mission and two private Axiom Space missions to the ISS - Ax-2 and Ax-3 - making this its fourth flight.
This is also the second launch for the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage, which flew a Starlink mission before today.
Crew-9 astronauts arrive at launch pad
SpaceX is now about 3 hours from launch and the Crew-9 astronauts have arrived at their Space Launch Complex 40 launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
They have ascended the launch tower to reach their rocket and are in the White Room outside the Dragon hatch. They stopped to gaze at their rocket and spacecraft, and pose for some photos before taking the elevator up the tower.
SpaceX and NASA are watching the weather for today's launch. Currently, conditions are 55% "Go" due to the potential for thick clouds and rain on ascent.
Crew-9 astronauts head to SpaceX launch pad
Crew-9 astronauts Nick Hague and Alexandr Gorbunov are headed to SpaceX's newly crew-certified Space Launch Complex 40 launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida for their 1:17 p.m. EDT (1517 GMT). It should took about 25 minutes to reach the pad.
Hague is the first active U.S. Space Force astronaut to launch into space, but not the first in space. Another astronaut, Mike Hopkins, transitioned from the Air Force to the Space Force while aboard the ISS, and landed as a Space Force astronaut.
(Correction: An earlier version of this post misspelled the first Space Force astronaut's name. It is Mike Hopkins, not Hoffman.)
Crew-9 astronauts suit up for launch
NASA's livestream for today's Crew-9 astronaut launch by SpaceX is fully underway and astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov are suited up for liftoff.
The crew just played a card game with astronaut Shannon Walker and are preparing to leave NASA's Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building. A line of black Tesla cars is waiting for them for crew walk out.
It's Launch Day for Crew-9!
It is launch day for NASA's Crew-9 astronaut mission and SpaceX is poised to make a bit of company history today.
SpaceX will launch NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexandr Gorbunov to the International Space Station on a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft today, Sept. 28. Liftoff is set for 1:17 p.m. EDT (1517 GMT), but there's a twist.
For the first time, SpaceX will launch the astronaut flight from its original Florida launch pad: Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It will be the first-ever crewed launch from the pad. You can watch the Crew-9 launch live on Space.com, starting at 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT).
Since SpaceX's first astronaut launch, Demo-2 in May 2020, the company has used NASA's historic Pad 39A (of Apollo and space shuttle program fame). Now, the company has upgraded the SLC-40 pad, which has been used for uncrewed Starlink and commercial satellite launches so far by SpaceX, to increase flexibility for flights.
"I think operating off of Pad 40 gives us a lot of unique capabilities that we can take advantage of," SpaceX's vice president of build and flight reliability Bill Gerstenmaier said in a press conference Friday evening. "It also allows us to put two crew missions pretty close together, back-to-back, and see where we are if we need to do that. So I think it's it's neat to have a backup capability, or if something happens to a pad, or there's some damage to a pad, or we need to take a pad down for maintenance."
SpaceX Crew-9 on track for Sept. 28 launch
SpaceX's Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station remains on track for a launch on Saturday (Sept. 27), flying to orbit no earlier than 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 GMT). The launching area around Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is safe following the arrival of Hurricane Helene on the Floridian coast, according to NASA.
Coverage of the launch will be available on Space.com, via NASA+ (formerly NASA Television.) In the meantime, two press conferences will occur today (Sept. 26) and those will also be available via NASA+:
1:15 p.m. EDT / 1715 GMT – NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Panel: Space Station 101 with the following participants:
5 p.m. EDT / 2000 GMT —NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 prelaunch news conference with the following participants:
SpaceX Crew-9 mission delayed to Sept. 28
SpaceX and NASA have delayed the upcoming Crew-9 astronaut mission to the International Space Station due to Tropical Storm Helene strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico.
NASA and SpaceX are now aiming to launch Crew-9 on Saturday (Sept. 28) at 1:17 p.m. EDT (1717 GMT), at the earliest. Helene is currently a tropical storm, but it's expected to slam into Florida's Gulf Coast on Thursday as a Category 3 hurricane.
"Although Tropical Storm Helene is moving through the Gulf of Mexico and expected to impact the Florida panhandle, the storm system is large enough that high winds and heavy rain are expected in the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida's east coast," NASA officials said in an update this afternoon (Sept. 24).
SpaceX Crew-9 mission ready for Sept. 26 launch
NASA and SpaceX are aiming for Thursday (Sept. 26) to launch the Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station.
The mission's Crew Dragon spacecraft and its crew of two, NASA's Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, arrived at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Saturday (Sept. 21).
On Monday (Sept. 23), mission teams conducted a flight readiness review to look at the moving parts of the mission and concluded that all are "are ready to support the launch."
There's one potential hitch, however: NASA, SpaceX and the U.S. Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron are watching a tropical storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico to determine if it might warrant a delay in Crew-9's launch schedule.
Read more: Astronauts, capsule for SpaceX's Crew-9 mission arrive at Florida launch site (photos)
SpaceX Crew-9 may bring home Starliner astronauts
Boeing Starliner may not bring its first astronauts home after all.
NASA officials, absent a representative from Boeing, updated reporters today (Aug. 7) about how troubleshooting Starliner's undocking and landing may affect the next SpaceX astronaut flight to the International Space Station.
Starliner has faced a lot of difficulties since launching its first astronaut mission, most especially after 5 of its 28 reaction control thrusters (RCS) misfired during docking with the ISS on June 6. Work on the matter is ongoing, and as NASA revealed yesterday (Aug. 6), it will require the next launch to the ISS to wait.
Crew-9, SpaceX's ninth operational flight to the ISS designed for four astronauts, will now launch Sept. 24 instead of Aug. 18. That's because NASA may send only two astronauts up on Crew-9, and bring the Starliner astronauts with the two returning crew sometime around February 2025.
Read more: NASA considers sending Boeing Starliner astronauts home on SpaceX Dragon
SpaceX to send Crew-9 to space on Aug. 18 after Falcon 9 failure
NASA and SpaceX are looking to launch the Crew-9 mission around the middle of this month.
Crew-9, SpaceX's next astronaut launch to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA, is currently set for Aug. 18. The four astronauts that will be on board are commander Zena Cardman, pilot Nick Hague, mission specialist Stephanie Wilson and mission specialist Alexsandr Gorbunov, of Russia's space agency Roscosmos.
The mission still has to get final launch approval from NASA, after the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket failed on July 11 due to an oxygen leak. While the rocket has been cleared for flight and recently resumed uncrewed launches of SpaceX's Starlink satellites, NASA wants to ensure the vehicle is safe for crews ahead of the target Aug. 18 launch date.
Read more: SpaceX to resume astronaut launches on Aug. 18 with Crew-9 mission to ISS
Crew-8 astronauts enter ISS for 6-month stay
The four astronauts of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission have entered their new home for the next six months.
On Tuesday (March 5), NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin left the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft and entered the International Space Station.
Over the next six months, the four crew members will perform over 200 science experiments to learn more about how the human body is affected by the microgravity of low Earth orbit.
Read more: SpaceX's Crew-8 Dragon capsule docks at the ISS (video)
Crew-8 have successfully docked to the ISS
SpaceX's Crew-8 astronaut mission has arrived at the International Space Station.
The mission's Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday at 2:28 a.m. EST (0728 GMT). Dragon and the station were soaring above the central North Atlantic just east of New Foundland at the time.
Hatch opening will occur approximately 1 hour 45 minutes after docking.
Watch Crew-8 dock at the ISS
SpaceX's Crew-8 astronaut mission will arrive at the International Space Station early Tuesday morning (March 5), and you can watch the action live. Docking is expected to occur at 2:28 a.m. ET (0728 GMT).
The four-person Crew-8 launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday (March 3) at 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT on March 4).
Read more: Watch SpaceX's Crew-8 astronaut mission arrive at the ISS early March 5 (free livestream)
Crew-8 prepares to dock
The four Crew-8 astronauts are on their way to dock at the International Space Station.
After a spectacular nighttime liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Sunday (March 3), SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft entered Earth orbit ahead of its rendezvous with the space station.
Endeavour is scheduled to dock at the forward-facing port of the ISS's Harmony module at 3 a.m. ET (0800 GMT) on Tuesday (March 5). Hatch opening will follow at about 4:45 a.m. (0945 GMT) if the docking schedule holds, followed by a welcome ceremony aboard the station. You can watch docking here at Space.com courtesy of NASA, when the time comes.
Related: SpaceX launches Crew-8 astronaut mission to International Space Station for NASA (video)
Liftoff!
The Crew-8 mission lifted off on time tonight (March 3) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If all goes according to plan, the mission's Endeavour capsule will rendezvous with the International Space Station around 3 a.m. EST (0800 GMT) on Tuesday (March 5).
Propellant load is underway
Teams began loading propellant (kerosene) and oxidizer (liquid oxygen) into Crew-8's Falcon 9 rocket at 10:18 p.m. EST tonight (March 3; 10318 GMT on March 4), 35 minutes before the astronaut mission's planned launch.
Everything continues going smoothly, though mission teams did notice a small crack in the seal in the hatch of Crew-8's capsule, named Endeavour. This crack is not believed to be a serious problem, but analyses are still underway.
Crew Dragon Endeavour's launch escape system is armed
At around 10:15 p.m. EST tonight (March 3; 0315 GMT on March 4), mission teams retracted the crew access arm at Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A and armed the launch escape system of the Crew Dragon Endeavour, notching two big milestones ahead of the liftoff of SpaceX's Crew-8 astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT on March 4).
Hatch closure
Crew Dragon Endeavour's side hatch was sealed at 8:50 p.m. EST on March 3 (0150 GMT on March 4), another major milestone toward the Crew-8 astronaut launch to the International Space Station. Everything remains on track for liftoff at 10:53 p.m. EST tonight (0353 GMT on March 4).
Ingress
The Crew-8 astronauts have boarded their spacecraft. The quartet entered their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, called Endeavour, around 8 p.m. EST tonight (March 3; 0100 GMT on March 4). So far, everything is going smoothly ahead of Crew-8's planned launch at 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT on March 4).
At the pad
The two Teslas carrying the four Crew-8 astronauts reached Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center tonight (March 3) at 7:51 p.m. EST (0051 GMT on March 4), three hours before their planned launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Walkout!
The four Crew-8 astronauts left the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at around 7:35 p.m. EST tonight (March 3; 0035 GMT on March 4). They walked out to wave goodbye to friends and family, then got in two Teslas for the roughly 20-minute journey to KSC's Pad 39A.
Playing cards before launch
The Crew-8 astronauts played a brief card game with the deputy chief of NASA's Astronaut Office about 3.5 hours before their planned launch today (March 3). The game is a tradition, according to commentators on NASA TV: They play until the mission commander loses, so he uses up all of his bad luck before launch.
Crew-8 astronauts suiting up
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station have begun suiting up for their planned launch tonight (March 3). That liftoff is scheduled for 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT on March 4) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and it looks like Mother Nature will cooperate: There's currently a 75% chance that the weather will be good enough to allow launch.
It's Launch Day (again) for Crew-8
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-8 astronaut mission for NASA will again attempt to launch to the International Space Station today after bad weather delayed an attempt on Saturday.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is now scheduled to launch Crew-8 from NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT). There is a 75% chance of good weather for tonight's launch. You'll be able to watch live via NASA's livestream starting at 6:45 p.m. EST (2345 GMT). SpaceX's livestream on X (formerly Twitter) will begin at about 9:53 p.m. EST.5gt
SCRUB! SpaceX postpones Crew-8 launch
SpaceX flight controllers called off tonight's Crew-8 astronaut launch due to high ascent winds expected at liftoff time. SpaceX's next opportunity to launch Crew-8 is now Sunday, March 3, at 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT on March 4).
The call came as the four Crew-8 astronauts were all suited up in their SpaceX spacesuits, but they had not yet departed for the launch pad. The astronauts will now doff their suits and return to their crew quarters to rest up for their next attempt.
"Basically, it will be kind of like Groundhog Day," NASA astronaut Raja Chari said during commentary on NASA TV. "Because they didn't come all the way out to the pad, it's going to be a lot easier on the crew. They are going to have the opportunity to get a lot more rest than they would otherwise.
NASA's livestream of the Crew-8 astronaut launch will begin at 6:45 p.m. EST (2345 GMT). You can watch live on this page.
Crew-8 launch webcast begin, 4 hours to launch
SpaceX is just under 4 hours away from the launch of its Crew-8 astronaut mission for a NASA and everything appears on track for an 11:16 p.m. EST (0416 GMT) launch tonight. You can watch the launch live on this page.
The four Crew-8 astronauts - NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin - have suited up in their SpaceX spacesuits and are completing final leak checks. Once complete, they'll head out of NASA's Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building and take Tesla electric cars to their Pad 39A launch pad.
The astronauts will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon Endeavour, a Dragon capsule that is making its fifth flight with the Crew-8 mission.
It's launch day for Crew-8
It's launch day for NASA's Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft.
SpaceX is counting down toward a planned launch from NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center at 11:16 p.m. EST (0416 GMT), but the weather outlook is looking grim.
Currently, there is only a 40% chance of good weather at launch time, with SpaceX requiring clear conditions for both the rocket as well as offshore seas for recovery teams in the unlikely event of a launch abort that sends the Dragon capsule parachuting into the sea.
SpaceX does have the option to try again on Sunday, March 3, at 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT), if needed, the company has said.
Crew-8 will launch four astronauts on a six-month mission to the International Space Station. That crew includes NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin of Russia rounding out the team.
NASA's livestream of the launch will begin at about 7:15 p.m. EST (0015 GMT).
NASA stresses safety for Crew-8 launch
NASA leadership underscored that safety comes above all else as the agency prepares to launch three NASA astronauts and one Roscosmos cosmonaut to the International Space Station atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
In a briefing on Wednesday (Feb. 28) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stressed that no matter how routine commercial launches with SpaceX and other providers may appear to the public, the agency learned its lesson with the 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster and approaches every mission with the utmost caution.
"Every time we launch, it's white-knuckle time — and especially when humans are on top," Nelson said during the briefing. "We never want to get in to the frame of mind that it's so routine that it's like getting in your car and taking a Sunday afternoon drive."
Crew-8's liftoff is currently scheduled for 12:04 a.m. EST (0504 GMT) on Friday (March 1) . You can watch it live here at Space.com when the time comes.
Read more: 'It's white-knuckle time:' NASA chief stresses safety for Crew-8 astronaut launch
NASA Chief to hold Crew-8 briefing
NASA will hold a press conference today at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT) to give an update on the upcoming launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station on the Crew-8 mission.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will head the briefing, which will also include mission officials and experts. Here is who will be speaking in the panel:
- NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
- NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program
Crew-8 will launch NASA astronauts NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, to the ISS on March 1 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon capsule Endeavour. Liftoff is set for 12:04 a.m. EST (0504 GMT) from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX test fires Crew-8 rocket, astronauts rehearse walkout
SpaceX's Crew-8 mission for NASA is gearing up for liftoff.
Crew-8 is scheduled to lift off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Friday (March 1) at 12:04 a.m. EST (0504 GMT). You can watch it live here at Space.com when the time comes.
On Monday (Feb. 26), the four Crew-8 astronauts conducted a dress rehearsal that saw them walk out of the the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at KSC in their white SpaceX spacesuits.
And early on Tuesday (Feb. 27), SpaceX conducted a static fire test of the mission's Falcon 9 rocket.
This will be the first flight of this particular Falcon 9 booster, but the fifth flight for the Crew Dragon Endeavour that will ferry the Crew-8 astronauts to the International Space Station on behalf of NASA.
SpaceX 'GO' to launch Crew-8 astronauts March 1
NASA and SpaceX cleared their joint Crew-8 mission for a planned launch on March 1, 2024 to send four astronauts on a new mission to the International Space Station. Read our full story.
A Falcon 9 rocket will launch the astronauts on the Crew Dragon Endeavour, which will make it fifth flight with the mission. Launching on the flight are: NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barrett, Jeannette Epps and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.
Dominick will command the Crew-8 flight to the ISS with Barrett as pilot. Epps and Grekenkin are mission specialists. The mission is the first career spaceflight for all but Barrett on the Crew-8 team.
SpaceX will launch the Crew-8 mission at 12:04 a.m. EST (0504 GMT) on Friday, March 1 from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
SpaceX, NASA push ahead with Crew-6 undocking
NASA and SpaceX will push ahead to undock their Crew-6 Dragon spacecraft early Sunday (Sept. 3) and return four astronauts to Earth a day later in the wee hours of Monday, Sept. 4.
In an update today, NASA announced that mission teams agreed to move forward with plans to undock the Crew-6 Dragon Endeavour from the International Space Station at 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT) on Sunday and press ahead with plans to land the Dragon off the coast of Florida at 12:15 a.m. EDT (0415 GMT) on Monday.
"@NASA and @SpaceX are proceeding toward undocking at 7:05am ET Sept.3, with a splashdown just after midnight at 12:15am ET Sept.4, off Florida’s coast," NASA wrote in an update on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Weather conditions for splashdown are improving and will be evaluated ahead of the crew undocking."
#Crew6 update: @NASA and @SpaceX are proceeding toward undocking at 7:05am ET Sept.3, with a splashdown just after midnight at 12:15am ET Sept.4, off Florida’s coast. Weather conditions for splashdown are improving and will be evaluated ahead of the crew undocking.September 2, 2023
SpaceX, NASA delay Crew-6 return to Earth
NASA and SpaceX have pushed back the return to Earth for four Crew-6 astronauts due to bad weather at their splashdown site off the coast of Florida.
Originally scheduled to undock from the International Space Station early on Sept. 2 and land overnight on Sept. 3, the astronauts will now undock no earlier than Sunday, Sept. 3, at 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT), with splashdown to follow at 12:07 a.m. (0407 GMT) the following day.
"NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Saturday, Sept. 2, departure opportunities for the agency's Crew-6 mission from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions near the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida," NASA officials wrote in an update Friday morning (Sept. 1).
Crew-7 opens Dragon hatch to ISS
Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli has confirmed that the Dragon Endurance capsule's docking hatch to the International Space Station was opened a 10:58 a.m. EDT (1458 GMT), clearing their path to enter the station.
Moghbeli was the first to enter, followed by Andreas Mogensen of ESA, Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA and Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos. The four crewmembers join seven others already aboard the station, raising its population to 11.
After a series of safety briefings, the joint crew held a welcome ceremony to end their docking activities.
Crew-7 Dragon docks at space station
Crew-7 Dragon Endurance has successfully docked with the space-facing port on the International Space Station's Harmony module at 9:16 a.m. ET (1316 GMT).
"Guys, thank you for the welcome," Crew-7 commander Jasmin Moghbeli radioed the ISS crew as the station played a traditional ship's bell to welcome them.
Docking occurred as the station and Dragon were sailing 261 miles above Australia. Now that docking soft capture is complete, the station's docking ring will retract so a series of hooks and latches can secure the Dragon to the station. Once leak checks are complete, the crew will then be able to open the hatches between their craft and the ISS and enter the station.
New docking time for Crew-7
SpaceX has set a new docking time for Crew-7. The Dragon Endurance capsule will now dock at 9:08 a.m. EDT (1308 GMT), about 3 minutes later than the earlier target.
Dragon is now flying up ahead of the ISS as it loops around from below the station to a point above the station, where its space-facing docking port is on the Harmony module.
Dragon nears ISS
SpaceX's Crew-7 Dragon capsule is now about 1 mile from the International Space Station and the two spacecraft are within 400 meters of each other. Today's docking is on track for 9:05 a.m. EDT (1305 GMT).
New docking time for Crew 7
It's docking day for NASA's Crew-7 astronauts at the International Space Station and the timing for the day's events has changed slightly.
The Crew-7 astronauts - NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov - will now dock at the space station about 30 minutes later than planned, arriving at 9:05 a.m. EDT (1305 GMT) instead of 8:39 a.m. EDT (1239 GMT) as previously scheduled. NASA's TV coverage will begin at 7:15 a.m. EDT (1115 GMT).
Hatch opening between the two spacecraft is now set for 11:02 a.m. EDT (1502 GMT) with a welcome ceremony set for 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT).
You can watch the docking live on Space.com in our docking livestream story here.
Crew-7 astronauts cruising toward ISS
The four astronauts of NASA and SpaceX's Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station are cruising through orbit as they head to their orbital destination following a stunning nighttime launch.
NASA is providing live audio commentary with video from the International Space station when available and you can watch that above.
The Crew-7 astronauts and their Dragon Endurance are scheduled to dock at the space station on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 8:39 a.m. EDT (1239 GMT). NASA's live TV coverage will resume at 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 GMT) that day, so you'll be able to watch it live.
In the meantime, you can learn all about Sasha, the Sloth, the plush toy that the Crew-7 astronauts selected as their zero-gravity indicator (and its fun backstory from Crew-7 pilot Andreas Morgensen of the European Space Agency).
Crew-7 astronauts settle into orbit
The Crew-7 astronauts are settling into their new orbital home and will soon doff their SpaceX spacesuits ahead of their 30-hour trip to to the International Space Station. Read our launch story by Josh Dinner, who covered the launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
NASA's live TV coverage of the Dragon Crew-7 flight has ended but the space agency is providing a live audio commentary on YouTube. You can follow along here and via the feed a the top of this page.
'Thanks for the ride. It was awesome!'
Crew-7 mission commander Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA thanked SpaceX for a smooth ride to orbit as the crew settles into their new weightless environment.
"SpaceX, thanks for the ride. It was awesome," Moghbeli said. "We may have four crew members on board from four different nations, Denmark, Japan, Russia and the United States, but we're a united team with a common mission."
The crew has taken a small plush toy of a three-toed sloth as its zero-gravity indicator.
Touchdown and Nominal Orbit Insertion. Dragon is in orbit!
The first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has successfully returned to Earth to land at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. Meanwhile, the second stage has shut down as planned, delivering Dragon to orbit. The spacecraft will soon separate from the upper stage to begin its 30-hour trip to the space station.
MECO and Stage Separation.
MECO and stage separation for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The 2nd stage ignited as planned and is powering Crew Dragon Endurance toward orbit. The Falcon 9 1st stage is headed back to Earth.
LIFTOFF! SpaceX launches Crew-7 astronauts
LIFTOFF! SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon Endurance is launching the Crew-7 astronauts toward orbit. It should take about 8 minutes to reach low-Earth orbit.
Stage 2 Falcon 9 fueling complete
SpaceX reports the Dragon and Falcon 9 are now fully fueled for launch. Just over 1 minute to launch.
Falcon 9 Stage 1 fueling complete
Fueling is complete for Falcon 9's 1st stage. 2nd Stage fueling will be complete shortly.
Dragon Endurance is now in terminal count for tonight's launch.
SpaceX Dragon Endurance on internal power
The Dragon spacecraft is now on internal power for launch with minutes remaining for launch. SpaceX is retracting the strongback support used to raise Falcon 9 into its launch position.
Falcon 9 Stage 1 RP-1 fueling complete
SpaceX reports its Falcon 9 first stage is fully filled with its RP-1 propellant for launch. Stage 2 fueling is will continue to just before liftoff. Both first and 2nd stages are also being fueled with their liquid oxygen supply needed for flight.
T-10 minutes to launch
SpaceX is now T-10 to launch and counting. This will be the 1st flight of the Falcon 9 1st stage powering this launch.
SpaceX reports it is proceeding with the launch countdown as fueling continues. Launch controllers are still studying a potential sensor issue to determine if it may be an issue for launch.
Liftoff still set for 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT).
T-20 minutes to launch: Fueling underway
SpaceX is fueling the the Falcon 9 rocket for tonight's Crew Dragon launch with 20 minutes remaining in the launch pad.
The launch team is watching a sensor issue that has come up, but it currently is not expected to affect the launch. All systems are GO for the 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT) launch.
Retraction of the crew access arm and launch escape system arming
Following unanimous “go’s” from the SpaceX launch control team, mission controllers have proceeded with gantry retraction. The crew access arm at Launch Complex-39A has been swung away from Crew Dragon Endurance, as Crew-7 astronauts onboard inch closer to liftoff.
The astronauts of Crew-7 have closed the visors on their spacesuits. Mission controllers have ordered the arming of Dragon’s launch escape system, which serves as a system for keeping the astronauts safe in case of emergency once fueling has begun, and through the end of their mission.
T-1 hour to liftoff
SpaceX and NASA are now 1 hour away from the instantaneous 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT) launch window.
Polling for teams in mission control for “go/no go” station status checks will begin at T–45 minutes. Preparations for fast-fill fueling will begin shortly. A “go” poll across the board will keep the early morning launch on track, with crew access arm gantry retraction being the launches next major milestone, at T–40. The crew will then arm the launch escape system in preparation for fueling.
Crew Dragon Endurance hatch closed for launch
SpaceX closed the hatch to Crew Dragon Endurance at T-02:05:00, as final leak checks were performed and Crew-7 astronauts prepare for their launch to space. Communications checks with mission control and crew members are also underway. A launch escape system check was performed following hatch closure.
Crew-7 astronauts strap into Crew Dragon Endurance
After traversing the lengthy crew access arm attached to the tower at Launch Complex-39A (LC-39A) and signing their names to the gantry bulkhead – as is tradition before departing the planet – Crew-7 astronauts have strapped into their seats aboard Crew Dragon Endurance with the help of the SpaceX “ninja” team, and are undergoing seal checks prior to closing the Endurance hatch.
Crew-7 astronauts and cosmonaut arrive at the launchpad
The quartet of Crew-7 astronauts riding SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance to the International Space Station (ISS), arrived at Launch Complex-39A (LC-39A) after a short ride in a pair of Tesla Model Xs, from the astronaut quarters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in Florida.
A quick pause to admire their launch vehicle, members of Crew-7 will ride the launch-tower elevator close to the top, and walk across the crew access arm to get strapped in and prepared for their 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT) instantaneous launch window.
Crew-7 Astronauts depart astronaut quarters ahead of launch
The internationally diverse crew of SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission departed the astronaut crew quarters at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) just after the turn from this night to this morning, at exactly 12:07 a.m. EDT (0407 GMT), Aug. 26. The crew members, who represent the space agencies of four different nations, entered a pair of black Tesla Model X’s with the license plates that read, “BYEEE.”
Crew-7 launch stream has begun!
NASA's livestream of SpaceX's Crew-7 astronaut launch to the International Space Station has begun. Viewers are able to tune in from 11:30 p.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 25 (0330 GMT, Aug. 26) for the launch of four astronauts aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance.
Liftoff is scheduled for 3:27 a.m. EDT (0727 GMT), Aug. 26, from Launch Complex-39A, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in Florida.
Weather is favorable hours ahead of Crew-7 launch
Six hours before the scheduled launch time, SpaceX posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that weather for tomorrow's early morning launch is 95 percent favorable. NASA's livestream for the mission begins at 11:30 p.m. EDT (0330 GMT, Aug. 26).
SpaceX Crew-7 launch to International Space Station delayed
SpaceX's Crew-7 astronaut launch to the International Space Station has been pushed back to Saturday (Aug. 26), roughly 24 hours past its first attempt at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.
"NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the Friday, Aug. 25, launch opportunity for the agency's Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station," NASA officials said in an emailed statement Thursday night (Aug. 24). "Launch now is targeted at 3:27 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, for SpaceX's seventh crew rotation mission to the microgravity laboratory for NASA. More to come."
Read more: SpaceX, NASA delay launch of Crew-7 astronauts to International Space Station
SpaceX Crew-7 go for launch on Aug. 25
SpaceX Crew-7 passed its flight readiness review with no major issues, NASA officials said in a late-night update Thursday (Aug. 24). Weather conditions also are positive, according to Patrick Space Force Base, which manages the airspace in the region of the launch site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Crew-7 mission will launch to the International Space Station no earlier than Friday (Aug. 25) at 3:50 a.m. EDT (0750 GMT) and you can watch live here at Space.com, via a feed from NASA Television. The broadcast will begin at Thursday (Aug. 24) at 11:45 p.m. EDT (0345 GMT Friday, Aug. 25).
The astronauts for Expeditions 69/70: NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, the second Iranian-American in space; European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa; and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
Read more: How to watch SpaceX launch Crew-7 astronauts for NASA early on Aug. 25 with free livestream
SpaceX Crew-7: What time will it launch Aug. 25?
The SpaceX Crew-7 mission will launch to the International Space Station no earlier than Friday (Aug. 25) at 3:49 a.m. EDT (0749 GMT) with four astronauts on board.
The astronauts include NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
Read more in our story below about how to watch live here at Space.com.
Related: What time will SpaceX's Crew-7 mission launch on Aug. 25? Here's how to watch live.
SpaceX astronauts are in Florida ahead of Aug. 25 launch
The SpaceX Crew-7 astronauts arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Sunday (Aug. 20) for their International Space Station launch. They will head to space no earlier than Aug. 25, and you can watch the whole thing live here at Space.com, via NASA TV.
On board is Jasmin Moghbeli, the second Iranian-American to reach space on Crew-7, and joining her is a fully international crew: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen.
Read more: SpaceX Crew-7 astronauts arrive in Florida ahead of Aug. 25 launch (photos, video)
Crew-7 prepares for ISS launch
A fully international crew of four astronauts, each representing a different country, will fly on SpaceX Dragon capsule to the International Space Station for a six-month mission.
Known as Crew-7, they are slated to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center no earlier than Aug. 25, and you can watch the whole thing live here at Space.com, via NASA Television.
The crew members include NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
Read more: SpaceX's Crew-7 mission will launch international crew to ISS
Crew-5 astronauts exit Crew Dragon Endurance
All four astronauts have been helped out of SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance, marking an end to the Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station for NASA. You can read our full wrap of SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut splashdown now.
Crew-5 pilot Josh Cassada of NASA was the first to exit the capsule. He was followed quickly by NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, commander of the Crew-5 mission. Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata was the next to leave, and was all smiles as he was pulled from the capsule. Rounding out the crew was Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, who also wore a big smile as she left the capsule.
Each of the four astronauts was helped on to a stretcher after existing the Dragon and wheeled away for a medical check, a standard practice for returning crews of long-duration space missions. After those medical checks, the astronauts will return to Florida before separating to head back to their own space agency centers.
NASA will hold a teleconference tonight at 10:30 p.m. EST (0230 GMT on March 12) about the splashdown. It will not be televised live on NASA TV. This marks the end of our Crew-5 splashdown coverage and thanks for reading, Space Fans! - Tariq malik
Dragon hatch opened for Crew-5 astronauts
SpaceX recovery crews have opened the side hatch on the Crew Dragon Endurance, giving the four Crew-5 astronauts their first breath of fresh air since they boarded the spacecraft in October 2022 for launch.
Crew Dragon Endurance on recovery ship
SpaceX has successfully recovered the Crew-5 Dragon Endurance and it is on the the recovery ship S.S. Shannon.
Teams will begin opening the capsule's side hatch to begin helping the crew out of the Dragon ship so they can begin medical checks after spending five months in space.
Splashdown! Crew-5 Dragon lands with crew of 4
Splashdown! After 157 days in space, the four Crew-5 astronauts on SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance have splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida.
The spacecraft had a smooth reentry and splashdown, touching down upright in a stable condition. Recovery crews are already on the scene in fast boats with SpaceX's main recovery ship on the way.
"Thank you SpaceX, that was one heck of a ride! We're happy to be home," NASA astronaut Nicole Mann says.
Drogue chutes deployed for Crew-5 splashdown
Main parachutes are now deployed. Splashdown is imminent for Crew-5 astronauts.
Crew-5 Dragon back in contact, parachute deploy next
The Crew-5 Dragon Endurance is back in communications contact with mission control. Up next will be the automatic drogue parachute deployment about 18,000 feet above the ocean's surface while the capsule is traveling at 350 mph.
Crew-5 Dragon enters communications blackout
SpaceX's Crew-5 Dragon capsule Endurance has entered an expected communications blackout zone as it plunges through Earth's atmosphere and is enveloped in super-hot 3,000-degree F plasma during reentry. The blackout period should last 7 minutes.
The Dragon capsule is protected by an advance PICA heat shield that can withstand scorching hot temperatures as it streaks through the atmosphere. Once on the ground, Dragon capsules resembled burnt marshmallows from the scorch marks of reentry.
Crew-5 astronauts prepare for reentry
The four Crew-5 astronauts inside Crew Dragon Endurance reports they've closed and locked the visors of their SpaceX-issue spacesuits and prepared their capsule for reentry.
The callout means Endurance is shipshape for its reentry, with all loose items stowed for landing.
Dragon closes nosecone for reentry
With its deorbit burn complete, SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance is closing its nosecone for reentry.
During flight, the nosecone is open to expose its docking port to allow for rendezvous with the International Space Station.
SpaceX Crew-5 deorbit burn complete
The Crew Dragon Endurance has completed a 10-minute deorbit burn with its Draco thrusters to place the spacecraft on track for a reentry and splashdown.
Dragon is currently flying autonomously under the guidance of SpaceX's mission operations center in Hawthorne, California.
Returning home on Dragon are NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina. The four space travelers are completing a five-month mission in space.
SpaceX Crew-5 Dragon prepares to leave orbit
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance is preparing to leave orbit for tonight's Crew-5 astronaut splashdown off the coast of Florida at 9:02 p.m. EST (0202 GMT on March 12).
The Dragon spacecraft has jettisoned its "trunk" service module, which contained its engine and solar arrays and other systems. It is now on internal battery power.
The capsule will soon fire its Draco thrusters in a deorbit burn to place it on a trajectory to splash down off the coast of Tampa Bay in Florida.
The Crew Dragon Endurance is returning to Earth with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josj Cassada, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina of Roscosmos.
Watch Crew-5 come home from International Space Station
SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut mission for NASA is scheduled to depart the International Space Station on Saturday (March 11).
A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the Crew-5 roster — NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina and Japan's Koichi Wakata — is expected to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) at 2:05 a.m. EST (0705 GMT) on Saturday, wrapping up five months in orbit.
You can watch the Dragon's departure live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the agency.
Read more: Watch SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts leave the space station March 11 after delay
SpaceX releases incredible Crew-6 docking photos with International Space Station
SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut mission arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) early Friday morning (March 3) and new pictures were released to show the occasion. The Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, docked with the ISS's Harmony module at 1:40 a.m. EST (0640 GMT) on Friday, while the two spacecraft were flying off the coast of Somalia at an altitude of 261 miles (420 kilometers).
But that was an hour later than planned. SpaceX troubleshot a faulty sensor with one of the 12 hooks that helps the capsule connect to the ISS. Ground teams sent a software override that fixed the issue.
Read more: SpaceX's Crew-6 astronauts arrive at space station after hour-long delay
Docking success!
The Crew-6 mission's Dragon capsule Endeavour docked with the International Space Station at 1:40 a.m. EST (0640 GMT) on Friday (March 3), ending a roughly 25-hour orbital chase.
Endeavour was actually in position to dock about an hour earlier, but the capsule held off while SpaceX troubleshot an issue with a faulty docking-hook sensor on the capsule. A beamed-up software override solved the problem, freeing Endeavour to connect with the orbiting lab's Harmony module. Read our docking story.
Crew-6 Dragon is go for docking!
SpaceX has managed to troubleshoot the docking-hook issue, and the Crew-6 Dragon Endeavour is go for docking once again. The meetup will happen soon, if all goes according to plan.
Crew-6 docking delayed by docking-hook glitch
The Crew-6 Dragon Endeavour is holding about 65 feet (20 meters) from the International Space Station due to an issue with one of the hooks that helps it dock with the orbiting lab. SpaceX is attempting to troubleshoot the issue. The affected hook is apparently the same one that experienced issues opening Endeavour's nose cone shortly after liftoff on Thursday (March 2).
Crew-6 Dragon is nearly there!
SpaceX's Crew-6 Dragon Endeavour is in the home stretch of its approach to the International Space Station. The capsule remains on target to dock around 12:43 a.m. EST (0543 GMT), just a few minutes from now.
Crew-6 Dragon in view of space station
The Crew-6 Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, has come in view of the International Space Station. Endeavour remains on track to dock with the orbiting lab at 12:43 a.m. EST (0543 GMT) on Friday (March 3).
Crew-6 docking schedule accelerated
SpaceX's Crew-6 mission for NASA is now scheduled to dock with the International Space Station at 12:43 a.m. EST (0543 GMT) on Friday (March 3). That's 34 minutes ahead of the previously announced schedule, which predicted a 1:17 a.m. EST (0617 GMT) docking. You can watch all of the action live here at Space.com.
Crew-6 astronauts begin first full day in space
The astronauts of Crew-6 are undertaking their first day in space after launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 early this morning (12:34 a.m. EST, 0634 GMT) towards the International Space Station.
Docking coverage will begin at 11:30 p.m. EST tonight (0430 GMT Saturday, March 3). Coverage is available here at Space.com, via NASA Television. Assuming the docking goes on time, these are the milestones to look for:
- 1:11 a.m. EST (0611 GMT): Docking with the ISS occurs.
- 3:27 a.m. EST (0827 GMT): Hatch opening with the ISS occurs.
- 3:40 a.m. EST (0840 GMT): The welcome ceremony at the ISS begins.
NASA, SpaceX to hold post-launch press conference
With SpaceX's Crew-6 Dragon in orbit, NASA has ended its live broadcast but you can still follow along with a live audio feed from NASA on YouTube. The live mission audio is accompanied by video views from the International Space Station.
At about 2:30 a.m. EST (0730 GMT), NASA and SpaceX will host a post-launch press conference to discuss today's launch. It will be webcast live on NASA TV and on the Space.com homepage.
Participants in the briefing will be:
- Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Dina Contella, operations integration manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
- Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Program, SpaceX
- Salem AlMarri, director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
SpaceX Dragon Endeavour opens nose cone
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour has successfully opened its nose cone, exposing its docking port for the eventual arrival at the International Space Station.
The nose cone deployed a bit late and only after flight controllers switched it to a backup motor after an apparent glitch with its primary motor. They are studying the issue ahead of Dragon's planned docking at the station at 1:17 a.m. EST on Friday, March 3.
SpaceX Crew-6 Dragon astronauts in orbit
Spacecraft separation! The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour has successfully separated from its Falcon 9 rocket upper stage and is flying free in orbit.
This is the fourth flight of Endeavour by SpaceX and all four astronauts said it was a smooth and exhilarating ride to space.
"Dragon is a miracle of engineering and I'm lucky that I get to fly on this amazing machine," pilot Woody Hoburg of NASA radioed to SpaceX's mission operations center in Hawthorne, California.
Touchdown! Falcon 9 rocket lands on drone ship after launch
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has landed on its drone ship Just Read The Instructions while the 2nd stage has shut down in a nominal orbit.
This was the first flight of this particular Falcon 9 rocket.
Falcon 9 Stage 1 entry burn complete
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket 1st stage has successful fired its engines for a reentry burn as it heads back to Earth to land on a drone ship. Meanwhile, the Dragon capsule has entered a nominal orbit and shut its engine down.
Stage separation of Falcon 9 rocket
Stage Separation! The 1st stage of the Falcon 9 rocket has separated from its upper stage and is headed back to Earth. It will attempt to land on SpaceX's drone ship Just Read The Instructions about 200 miles off the Florida coast in the Atlantic Ocean.
Meanwhile, the upper stage powered by its single Merlin engine is continuing its climb to space.
"Dragon, SpaceX, nominal trajectory," SpaceX launch controllers said.
Here's a better capture of the launch a few minutes ago. -- Tariq Malik
LIFTOFF! SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Crew-6 astronauts
With a roar of its 9 1st stage Merlin engines, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Pad 39A to launch four Crew-6 astronauts to the International Space Station. Launch occurred on time at 12:34 a.m. EST (0534 GMT).
Falcon 9 rocket's strongback retracts, Dragon on internal power
SpaceX's "strongback" support structure has retracted clear of the Falcon 9 rocket to set the stage for tonight's launch of four Crew-6 astronauts. The strongback supports the propellant and other plumbing lines used to fuel the Falcon 9 rocket before flight.
The Crew Dragon Endeavour is now on internal power. This is the fourth flight for Endeavour.
Crew-6 ready to launch
With just minutes remaining before SpaceX launches the Crew-6 mission for NASA, the crew's commander Stephen Bowen had some final words for the SpaceX launch team.
Bowen praised the team for standing down from an initial launch attempt on Monday, Feb. 27. He said his crew is ready to go.
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends," Bowen said. "Crew-6 is ready for launch."
Liftoff is on track for 12:34 a.m. EST, minutes from now.
SpaceX fueling Falcon 9 rocket for Crew-6 launch
SpaceX is fueling the Falcon 9 rocket for tonight's Crew-6 astronaut launch from Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Fueling began about 35 minutes before launch and is 80% complete, Space's Kate Tice reports. The RP-1 fuel has been loaded on the upper stage and is currently being loaded into the first stage of the Falcon 9. Liquid oxygen, an oxidizer, is being loaded into the upper stage.
Live video from NASA and SpaceX show a vast plume venting from the rocket, a normal occurrence, as it is fueled for launch. The weather looks pristine for tonight's launch, with just a 5% chance of bad weather.
Crew-6 astronauts close visors, arm escape system
The four Crew-6 astronauts on SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour have closed the visors on their launch suits.
SpaceX launch control also gave the crew the "go" to arm Dragon's launch escape system. Dragon capsules use a launch escape system powered by eight SuperDraco thrusters on the vehicle that rip it free of a Falcon 9 rocket in case of an emergency. That system is now armed, the crew says.
SpaceX GO for Crew-6 launch, gantry moves clear
SpaceX launch controllers have given the final "GO" for the Crew-6 launch and have moved the Crew Access Arm, the gantry astronauts use to walk to their Dragon capsule, clear of the Falcon 9 rocket.
Liftoff is on track for 12:34 a.m. EST (0534 GMT).
T-1 hour to launch
SpaceX is now 1 hour away from the 12:34 a.m. ET launch of the Crew-6 astronaut mission for NASA.
At about 45 minutes before launch, SpaceX's launch director will conduct a poll of the SpaceX and NASA mission teams in a final "go/no go" check for launch. So far, the launch countdown has gone relatively smoothly for tonight's launch.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is preparing to begin the fast-fill fueling process for the Falcon 9 rocket.
Crew Dragon hatch closed for launch
SpaceX has closed the hatch the to the Crew Dragon Endeavour and are preparing for final leak checks. Meanwhile, with the hatch closed, the Crew-6 astronauts are performing a final round of communications checks with their launch director, mission control center and other ground stations.
Crew-6 comm and suit checks complete, hatch closing soon
SpaceX and NASA launch control have completed communications checks with the four Crew-6 astronauts and pressurized their pressure suits to check their integrity ahead of tonight's launch.
Meanwhile, SpaceX's close-out crew is preparing to close the hatch to Crew Dragon to prepare it for liftoff.
Crew-6 astronauts enter Crew Dragon Endeavour
The four Crew-6 astronauts have entered their SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule and are strapping into their seats. A team of SpaceX "ninjas" - known for their black, ninja-like jumpsuits - are helping strap them down for launch and make sure they have their pressure suits zippered shut and equipment like a tablet for tracking their ascent and other tools. -- Tariq Malik
Crew-6 astronauts arrive at the launchpad
NASA's Crew-6 astronauts have arrived at their Pad 39A launch pad to meet their SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule. The four astronauts arrived in pairs inside their SpaceX Tesla vehicles.
After takin a look at their rocket, they'll take an elevator up to the gantry level, make some phone calls to bid farewell to friends and family, and then ingress their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Crew-6 astronauts walk out ahead of launch
The four Crew-6 astronauts walked out of their astronaut quarters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida tonight (March 1) at around 9:15 p.m. EST (0215 GMT on March 2). The crewmembers got into black Teslas for the 20-minute drive over to KSC's Launch Complex 39A.
Crew-6 launch stream has begun!
NASA's webcast of SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut launch to the International Space Station is underway. The livestream began at 8:45 p.m. EST on Wednesday (March 1; 0145 GMT on March 2). It's silent for now but won't be for long; commentary is scheduled to begin at 9:10 p.m. EST (0210 GMT), according to NASA.
Launch is still a ways off, however; Crew-6 is scheduled to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 12:34 a.m. EST (0534 GMT) on Thursday.
SpaceX, NASA confirm Thursday (March 2) launch for Crew-6
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will officially reattempt launch of the Crew-6 mission Thursday (March 2) at 12:34 a.m. EST (0534 GMT) and you can watch the event here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television. Weather conditions are 95% favorable for launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in coastal Florida.
"NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission is 'Go' for launch to the International Space Station following completion of a launch readiness review, weather briefing, and mission management meeting," agency officials wrote in a blog post Wednesday (March 1).
A launch attempt Monday (Feb. 27) to the International Space Station (ISS) had been called off 2.5 minutes before T-0 due to a ground-system issue, but NASA said the issue has been addressed.
SpaceX and NASA found a problem with ignition fluid, called triethylaluminum triethylboron or TEA-TEB, that sparks the oxidizer for the engines to turn on.
"During prelaunch, the TEA-TEB fluid—which originates in a ground supply tank— flows to the rocket's interface and back to a catch tank to remove gas from the ground plumbing," NASA officials wrote. "During engine start, the fluid then flows to the engines for ignition. Flow into the catch tank is one of several parameters used to determine that the fluid has been properly bled into the system."
A clogged ground filter reducing the flow to a TEA-TEB catch tank caused the issue and that filter has been replaced. The TEA-TEB nitrogen line was also purged with nitrogen and everything has been cleared for launch.
Following launch, Crew-6 and its four astronauts are scheduled to dock with the Harmony module at the ISS at 1:17 a.m. EST (0617 GMT) on Friday (March 3). Hatch opening is expected at 3:27 a.m. EST and the welcome ceremony at 3:40 a.m. EST. Space.com will also carry these events, courtesy of NASA.
Less than T-2 days to SpaceX Crew-6 launch date
Pending review of the issue that held up a launch attempt Monday (Feb. 27), SpaceX and NASA are still targeting a new liftoff date of Thursday, March 2 at 12:34 a.m. EST (0534 GMT). We will carry coverage here on Space.com, via NASA Television.
NASA and SpaceX officials are planning a press conference to discuss results of the ongoing review, but have not yet announced timing. Should the launch go on March 2, docking with the International Space Station is scheduled for Friday, March 3 at 1:11 a.m. EST (0611 GMT).
New launch date for Crew-6 on Thursday (March 2)
SpaceX and NASA have announced a tentative new launch date of Thursday, March 2 at 12:34 a.m. EST (0534 GMT) due to unfavorable weather on Tuesday (Feb. 28), which was the next possible opportunity following the scrub. Should the launch go on March 2, docking with the International Space Station is scheduled for Friday, March 3 at 1:11 a.m. EST (0611 GMT).
Scrub!
The planned Crew-6 launch attempt was scrubbed with less than 2.5 minutes left in the countdown on Feb. 27 due to a ground-system issue with the ignition fluid that helps light the Falcon 9 rocket's first-stage engines. The next possible launch opportunity will come Feb. 28 at 1:22 a.m. EST (0622 GTM).
Read our Crew-6 scrub story.
Crew-6 go for fueling and launch
Mission managers for SpaceX and NASA polled 'go' for launch of the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station. Falcon 9 rocket propellant loading will now begin, and the flight's launch escape system will be armed.
Launch is still slated for 1:45 a.m. EST (0645 GMT) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of NASA.
Read more: How to watch SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut launch live online
Hatch closed on SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour
Flight crews have closed the hatch on the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft that will carry NASA astronauts Warren "Woody" Hoburg and Steve Bowen, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, and the United Arab Emirates's Sultan Alneyadi to the International Space Station.
SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut mission is still on track for launch at 1:45 a.m. EST (0645 GMT) from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Watch it live here on Space.com courtesy of NASA.
Read more: How to watch SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut launch live online
Crew-6 astronauts enter Crew Dragon Endeavour
The four crew members of SpaceX's Crew-6 mission have entered the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft that will take them to the International Space Station after launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Pre-launch communication checks were performed without issue.
Before entering the spacecraft, each of the four Crew-6 astronauts signed their names around a NASA "meatball" logo inside the White Room, an area at the end of the crew access arm that leads into the Endeavour spacecraft.
As the crewmates board the Crew Dragon spacecraft, their seats are in an upright position. Prior to closure of the spacecraft's hatch, their seats will rotate into a reclined position for the flight slated to launch at 1:45 a.m. EST (0645 GMT).
Read more: How to watch SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut launch live online
SpaceX Crew-6 crewmembers walk out to head to launch pad
The crew of SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut mission have begun their trip to Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. The four crewmembers walked out in their white SpaceX spacesuits and shared a few last goodbyes with family and friends before entering Tesla SUVs that will drive them to the pad.
The mission consists of Sultan Al-Neyadi, the first United Arab Emirates astronaut to perform a long-duration space mission, NASA astronauts Warren "Woody" Hoburg and Stephen Bowen, and Andrey Fedyaev of Russian space agency Roscosmos.
Launch is scheduled for 1:45 a.m. EST (0645 GMT) on Monday (Feb. 27). Watch it live here on Space.com courtesy of NASA.
Read more: How to watch SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut launch live online
SpaceX, NASA say Crew-6 astronaut mission is on track to launch tomorrow (Feb. 27)
SpaceX is on track to launch the Crew-6 astronaut mission for NASA on Monday (Feb. 27) at 1:45 a.m. EST (0645 GMT) from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, mission managers said during a prelaunch teleconference on Saturday (Feb. 25). The mission will see an international crew of four launch to the International Space Station (ISS).
"The crews are doing great. Spirits are high and they are they are ready to go," said Dana Weigel, NASA's Deputy ISS Program Manager.
Benji Reed, senior director of SpaceX's Human Spaceflight Program, said the flight hardware is ready for Monday's mission. "We've done multiple reviews and we'll continue to look at the data, the hardware and ensure that we're ready to fly these great folks and bring them home to their families when it's time."
Coverage of the Crew-6 mission begins on Sunday (Feb. 26) at 10:15 p.m. EST (0315 GMT). You can watch it live on Space.com courtesy of NASA.
Read more: How to watch SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut launch live online
SpaceX tests Crew-6 rocket ahead of Monday (Feb. 27) launch
A Falcon 9 rocket performed a static fire for SpaceX on Friday (Feb. 24) with its Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule on top. The dress rehearsal was one of the last milestones before SpaceX launches four astronauts on the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station on Monday (Feb. 27). Liftoff is scheduled for 1:45 a.m. EST (0645 GMT) and you'll be able to watch it live on Space.com.
Read more: SpaceX test-fires rocket ahead of Crew-6 astronaut launch for NASA (photos)
SpaceX rocket readied for Crew-6 launch on Monday
The Crew-6 ride to space is now vertical on the launch pad. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was put in position today (Feb. 23) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in anticipation of launch Monday (Feb. 26).
"An integrated static fire test and dry dress rehearsal with the crew will occur prior to liftoff," NASA officials wrote in a blog post. The launch is still targeted to send Crew-6 and a Crew Dragon spacecraft aloft at 1:45 a.m. EST (0645 GMT), pending the successful result of the test.
SpaceX, NASA delay Crew-6 by one day
After a lengthy flight readiness review (FRR) on Tuesday (Feb. 21), NASA and SpaceX will delay the Crew-6 liftoff by 24 hours.
Now a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Crew-6's Dragon capsule Endeavour on Monday (Feb. 27) at 1:45 a.m. EST (0645 GMT). You can watch it live here at Space.com when the time comes.
Read more: SpaceX, NASA delay Crew-6 astronaut launch to Feb. 27
SpaceX's Crew-6 to arrive at launch area ahead of flight readiness review
The four crew members of SpaceX's Crew-6 will arrive at NASA's Kennedy Space Center today to prepare for final launch activities. On board are the first United Arab Emirates astronaut to perform a long-duration mission (Sultan Al-Neyadi), NASA astronauts Warren "Woody" Hoburg and Stephen Bowen, and Andrey Fedyaev of Russian space agency Roscosmos.
The crew arrival media event will start at 12:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT) on NASA Television and you can look at how to watch live here. The Flight Readiness Review media teleconference is also tentatively scheduled for 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) depending on when the review finishes today. We will carry that review live on Space.com and you can look at other ways to watch live here.
Watch SpaceX's Crew-6 astronaut flight live online
Crew-6 will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) no sooner than Feb. 26. The four astronauts will ride to the orbital lab aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and dock with the ISS less than a day later.
Here's our guide to how to watch all the mission activities online, from pre-launch activities to the docking and beyond.
SpaceX Dragon will be 'lifeboat' if ISS crew requires it
A SpaceX Dragon capsule was modded this week to include an extra astronaut seat. On Wednesday (Jan. 18), NASA started moving agency astronaut Frank Rubio's seat liner from a Russian Soyuz spacecraft over to Endurance, the Dragon spacecraft that's flying SpaceX's ongoing Crew-5 mission for NASA.
The in-orbit changes to the International Space Station spacecraft were made in the wake of Soyuz losing its coolant last month following an apparent debris or micrometeoroid strike.
Read more: SpaceX Dragon capsule to be 5-person 'lifeboat' in event of ISS emergency
SpaceX plans to build fifth and final Crew Dragon for ISS missions
SpaceX plans to supply a fifth (and final) Crew Dragon for International Space Station astronaut missions "in the 2024 timeframe", officials said during a phone call last month ahead of the successful launch and docking of a cargo Dragon spacecraft in late November.
In September, NASA requested several more commercial crew missions from SpaceX, which Sarah Walker, director of Dragon mission management at SpaceX, called an "exciting commercial human spaceflight manifest" in a Nov. 18 briefing with reporters.
Some SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft are being used for private industry, including a November announcement that will see two Saudi astronauts go to the ISS aboard Axiom Space missions.
Crew-5 astronauts play baseball in space station to celebrate World Series
Crew-5 stepped up to the plate on the International Space Station to celebrate Game 1 of the World Series, which is seeing the NASA Johnson Space Center hometown team (the Houston Astros) facing off against the Philadelphia Phillies.
"We're super excited to watch the World Series come back to Space City," NASA astronaut Josh Cassada says in the Oct. 29 video posted by Major League Baseball's Twitter account, which briefly highlights the space station's role in preparing for future moon and Mars missions.
Read more: 'Play ball!' Space station astronauts celebrate World Series with an orbital pitch
Returned SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts have space station ideas
The SpaceX Crew-4 cohort of four astronauts, who returned to Earth on Oct. 14, have some great ideas for space station design after their recent mission on the International Space Station (ISS).
"I think we need to really start thinking out of the box on a lot of these things. But first and foremost, if we're going to do human exploration, you got to put the 'human' in the equation," said Crew-4 pilot and NASA astronaut Bob Farmer in a press conference Thursday (Oct. 20).
Read more: Rooms with a view: Astronauts have design ideas for new space stations
'Watty burgers' and cosplay forged Crew-4's teamwork in orbit
Close teamwork is essential on the International Space Station, and the Crew-4 astronauts shared two strategies for forging that during a post-flight press conference Thursday (Oct. 20): food and cosplay.
Crew-4 mission specialist Jessica Watkins invented a special "Watty burger" so delicious that her spacecraft commander, Kjell Lindgren, created food challenges in orbit. "I became notorious for putting more food into a tortilla than was probably wise, or possible," Lindgren recalled. "One night, Bob [Farmer, a NASA astronaut] was witness to a triple-decker — I put an extra side in there — and he claimed I unhinged my jaw to be able to eat."
Meanwhile, Crew-4 astronaut and Expedition 67 commander Samantha Cristoforetti found herself in a thrift store on a spare time quest to replicate an iconic scene from the 1968 movie "2001: A Space Odyssey." "That is not something that I would buy for myself, normally," she said, "but it seemed to fit perfectly for that need."
Crew-4 astronauts out of spacecraft as recovery concludes
The Crew-4 astronauts are all out of their SpaceX spacecraft as they start recovery back on Earth: NASA's Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins along with the European Space Agency's Samantha Cristoforetti. You can read more about the successful International Space Station mission, which lasted 5.5 months, in our wrap story on the mission.
Crew-4 splashes down
The SpaceX Crew-4 splashed down successfully near Jacksonville, Florida at 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT).
Crew-4 jettisons trunk successfully
The SpaceX Crew-4 has jettisoned the "trunk", an unpressurized cargo hold that also supports Crew Dragon during space operations. The International Space Station crew of four remains on track for splashdown near Jacksonville, Florida at 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT). You can watch live at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television.
Crew-4 finishes 'prop waste' burn on journey home
SpaceX's Crew-4 successfully finished a normal "prop waste" burn on the journey home to get rid of excess propellant ahead of re-entry. They finished the seven-minute engine burn at 2:44 p.m. EDT (1844 GMT) and remain on track to splash down near Jacksonville, Florida at 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT).
SpaceX's Crew-4 still on target for 4:55 pm ET splashdown
The SpaceX Crew-4 Dragon capsule Freedom performed its third deorbit burn on schedule today (Oct. 14) at 1:45 p.m. EDT (1745 GMT), keeping the vehicle on target for a splashdown off the coast of Jacksonville at around 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT).
Freedom will come in for that landing from the northwest and may be visible in the skies above stretches of the Midwest and Southeast in the minutes before splashdown, according to NASA.
Crew-4 undocks from International Space Station
The SpaceX Crew-4 undocked from the International Space Station at 12:05 p.m. EDT (1605 GMT) and prepared for a set of departure burns ahead of splashdown. Nominal splashdown is expected later today around 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT) near Jacksonville, Florida. You can watch live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television or read our departure story.
Crew-4 delays undocking to 12:05 p.m. EDT
Crew-4 will delay their undocking from the International Space Station about 30 minutes to 12:05 p.m. EDT (1605 GMT) to "check the hatch alignment" on their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, according to NASA Television.
NASA has not yet disclosed if the splashdown time will change, except to say there is a one-hour window for undocking and the timing now falls in the middle of that window. Splashdown is expected at roughly 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT). Live coverage is ongoing here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television.
Crew-4 closes hatch to International Space Station
SpaceX Crew-4 has closed the hatch to the International Space Station ahead of an expected undocking at 11:35 a.m. EDT (1535 GMT) for splashdown later today. Watch live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television.
Crew-4 hatch closing set for 9:30 a.m. EDT
Crew-4 plans to close the hatch to its SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT) ahead of departing the International Space Station. You can watch live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television.
Crew-4 delays undocking again to Friday (Oct. 14)
Crew-4's undocking from the International Space Station will be delayed to no earlier than Friday (Oct. 14) at 11:35 a.m. EDT (1535 GMT), officials announced on NASA Television today (Oct. 13).
This is the second waveoff of undocking due to poor weather conditions in Florida, following another on Wednesday (Oct. 12). Splashdown is also delayed from an expected timing of today.
You can watch the events live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA Television.
Crew-4 splashdown delayed due to weather
SpaceX Crew-4's Dragon capsule, Freedom, is scheduled to undock from the orbiting lab Thursday at 10:05 a.m. EDT (1405 GMT), NASA officials said in a blog post Wednesday (Oct. 13). This is a delay from Wednesday evening due to weather.
"Mission teams continue to monitor a cold front passing over Florida with the potential to bring high winds and rainy weather near the splashdown zones off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts," agency officials stated in the blog post. "Mission teams will continue to monitor splashdown and recovery conditions, with another weather review around six hours prior to undocking."
You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency.
Crew-4 gives farewell remarks before departing ISS today
At 10:05 a.m. EDT (1405 GMT), the four Crew-4 astronauts will give some farewell remarks. European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who is the current ISS commander — will transfer command to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev at that time.
Crew-4's Dragon capsule, Freedom, is set to undock from the space station Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 GMT), NASA officials said in an emailed statement on Tuesday evening (Oct. 11). You can watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency.
Read more: Watch SpaceX Crew-4 mission depart space station today (Oct. 12)
Crew-5 astronauts enter the ISS
The Crew-5 astronauts are now aboard the International Space Station. The four spaceflyers reached the orbiting lab aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endurance at 5:01 p.m. EDT (2101 GMT). Nearly two hours later, the astronauts floated from Endurance to the ISS, beginning a five-month stay on the station. Read our Crew-5 docking story.
Crew-5 Dragon docks with space station
SpaceX's Crew-5 mission has made it to the International Space Station. The Crew-5 Dragon capsule, named Endurance, made contact with the orbiting lab today (Oct. 6) at 5:01 p.m. EDT (2101 GMT) and wrapped up its docking operations about 10 minutes later.
The four Crew-5 astronauts are scheduled to enter the station at 6:42 p.m. EDT (2242 GMT). Watch that milestone, as well as a welcome ceremony at 8:05 p.m. EDT (0005 GMT on Oct. 7), live here at Space.com.
Read more: SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut mission arrives at the International Space Station
It's Docking Day for Crew-5 astronauts
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station will spend the first full day of their mission in space today, and it's a big one.
Photo Gallery: SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut launch in amazing images
The Crew-5 Dragon capsule Endurance is due to dock at the International Space Station today at 4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 GMT) to ferry NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, astronaut Soichi Wakata of Japan and cosmonaut Anna Kikina of Russia to the station.
NASA TV is providing continuous coverage of the Crew-5 mission to the space station and you can watch that on our Crew-5 webcast page.
You'll likely want to tune it at least an hour before docking to see views of the Dragon capsule on approach to the space station.
After docking, NASA will show live coverageof the hatches opening between Dragon and the space station (that's scheduled for 6:42 p.m. EDT/2242 GMT) and then a welcome ceremony of both Crew-5 and ISS crews at 8:05 p.m. EDT (0005 GMT).
SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts in good shape after launch
NASA, SpaceX and their international partners from Japan and Russian hailed today's successful launch of four astronauts on the Crew-5 mission in a post-flight crew conference. Check out some amazing photos of the SpaceX Crew-5 launch from today.
Sergei Krikalev, the famed cosmonaut who oversees Roscosmos' cosmonaut corps, called the launch the start of a "new phase" of international cooperation that dates back to the Apollo-Soyuz project of 1975.
"We just continue what was started many years ago in 1975 when the Apollo-Soyuz crew flew and went together," Krikalev said.
SpaceX's Sarah Walker, director Dragon mission management, said that the company has now launched 30 people into space with Crew-5, a major milestone for the company's human spaceflight program.
NASA, SpaceX Crew-5 post launch press conference now
NASA and SpaceX are holding a press conference at 1:30 pm ET (1730 GMT) to discuss today's successful launch to the International Space Station.
You can watch it live at our Crew-5 livestream page.
SpaceX Crew-5 Endurance Capsule en route to ISS
SpaceX's Crew-5 Dragon Endurance has begun its journey to the International Space Station after a smooth launch from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Read our full Crew-5 launch story.
Crew-5 astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, both of NASA, and Soichi Wakata of Japan and Anna Kikina of Russia got the "go" to remove the SpaceX-issue space suits they work for launch as they begin the 35-hour trip to the International Space Station.
Inside Endurance, a small Albert Einstein doll is floating around as the zero gravity indicator for the crew to honor Einstein's "happiest thought."
"That thought was 'a person in freefall wouldn't feel their own weight,'" Cassada, Crew-5's pilot, said during a livestream broadcast from space. "That thought, along with some others that he built upon, led to general relativity and our understanding of gravitation and the curvature of space-time."
We're experiencing Einstein's happiest thought continuously as the International Space Station has been doing continuously for over20 years. On Crew-5, we call this little guy our freefall indicator. We're here to tell you there's plenty of gravity up here, in fact that's what's keeping us in orbit right now and preventing trip on the Crew Dragon from being a one-way trip."
Cassada then waxed a bit poetically.
"A little bit like life, we live in the same world, we live in the same universe. Sometimes we experience it in a very different way from our neighbors," he said. "If we can all keep that in mind, hopefully we can all continue to do absolutely amazing things, and do it together."
Crew-5 thanks ground teams for safe arrival in space
The individual members of Crew-5 thanked their ground support teams, in their respective languages, for their safe arrival in space as they make their way to the International Space Station. The NASA-led mission flew into orbit successfully aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT).
"Thank you so much to the Falcon team. That was a smooth ride up here," NASA astronaut and spacecraft commander Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman in space, said in her comments. Also delivering thanks were NASA's Josh Cassada, Russia's Anna Kikina (in Russian) and Japan's Koichi Wakata (in Japanese.)
SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage lands upon drone ship
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket landed safely upon a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean as Crew-5 finished a normal orbit insertion in space.
Crew Dragon remains on its way to the International Space Station, sending the first Native American woman (NASA astronaut Nicole Mann) to space along with crewmates Josh Cassada (NASA), Koichi Wakata (Japan) and Anna Kikina (Roscosmos).
First stage separation complete on Crew-5
Crew-5 finished its first stage separation on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 on its way to the International Space Station, after sending the first Native American woman towards space at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT).
On board are two NASA astronauts (Native American Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada), a Russian cosmonaut (Anna Kikina) and a Japanese astronaut (Koichi Wakata).
Liftoff of Crew-5
Crew-5 is on its way to the International Space Station, sending the first Native American woman towards space at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT).
A SpaceX Crew Dragon, riding on a Falcon 9, soared off Launch Pad 39A from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a near-flawless countdown.
On board are two NASA astronauts (Native American Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada), a Russian cosmonaut (Anna Kikina) and a Japanese astronaut (Koichi Wakata). They will spend half a year in space.
Kikina is the first Russian cosmonaut to fly on a commercial spacecraft, and the first Russian on board any U.S. spacecraft since 2002.
Crew-5 thanks support team before launch
Crew-5 NASA astronaut Nicole Mann sent a thank-you message to support teams and family about seven minutes ahead of their expected launch to the International Space Station at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT).
"A special thanks on behalf of all the crew to our family and friends," said Mann, who will be the first Native American woman in space. "It is your love and support that helps make dreams come true. Now let's do this."
T-10 minutes to launch
Everything remains go for Crew-5 to launch at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) to the International Space Station at about T-10 minutes.
The mission will send two NASA astronauts (Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada), a Russian cosmonaut (Anna Kikina) and a Japanese astronaut (Koichi Wakata) into space for six months, lifting off on a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
Mann will be the first Native American woman in space and Kikina the first Russian cosmonaut on board a commercial spacecraft. Kikina is also the first Russian on any U.S. spacecraft since 2002.
T-15 minutes to Crew-5 launch
Crew-5 is about T-15 minutes from launch at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) to the International Space Station.
If all goes to plan, a SpaceX Crew Dragon will bear two NASA astronauts (Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada), a Russian cosmonaut (Anna Kikina) and a Japanese astronaut (Koichi Wakata) into space for a half-year mission. Mann will be the first Native American woman in space and Kikina the first Russian cosmonaut on board a commercial spacecraft.
Launch teams are topping up the Falcon 9 rocket's fuel and there remain no major issues for weather or technical reasons.
T-30 minutes to launch
Crew-5 is about T-30 minutes from launch at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) to the International Space Station. The forecast for weather remains excellent and there are no technical issues so far during the countdown.
'Go' for crew access arm to retract
Launch controllers monitoring the Crew-5 NASA launch, conducted by SpaceX, just gave the "go" to retract the crew access arm to the Falcon 9 rocket set to bear four people to the International Space Station and the arm is moving away as planned.
Launch remains set for 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) with no major weather or technical issues being tracked.
SpaceX closeout team leaves crew access arm to Falcon 9 rocket
The SpaceX closeout team has just left the crew access arm that allows servicing of the Falcon 9 rocket, which means Crew-5 is one step closer to its scheduled launch today to the International Space Station. Launch time remains set for 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) with no major technical or weather issues so far.
SpaceX spacecraft hatch closed
Following removal of a small hair temporarily interfering with the spacecraft seal, the hatch has been closed on the SpaceX spacecraft and safety checks are ongoing. Crew-5 is readying for their launch to the International Space Station, which so far remains on track.
NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, along with Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, are set to go into space at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT).
All spacesuit pressures verified for launch
NASA astronaut Josh Cassada's spacesuit has just been cleared for the launch to proceed. The launch remains on time for an expected 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) liftoff to the International Space Station.
Spacesuit pressure verification ongoing
NASA and SpaceX are examining NASA astronaut Josh Cassada's spacesuit pressure, which is a bit lower than usual. His zippers and umbilical have been verified as nominal and Cassada is doing another check while seated in the SpaceX spacecraft.
Crew-5 begins going into SpaceX Crew Dragon
The four members of Crew-5 are starting to go into the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, according to NASA Television.
Crew-5 members react to SpaceX rocket
Two Crew-5 members, emerging from their Teslas, craned their necks and backs up to gaze at the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. If all goes to plan, at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) the rocket should blast off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A to fly to the International Space Station.
Crew-5 arrives at launch pad
After a procession from the heart of NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Crew-5 has arrived at Launch Pad 39A for their scheduled launch to the International Space Station. The crew is expected to lift off at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT). Coverage continues here at Space.com and live on NASA Television.
Crew-5 performs walkout
The members of Crew-5 have just performed the traditional walkout at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida on their way to the launch pad. As shown on NASA Television, they emerged in front of a crowd of well-wishers and climbed into a Tesla to drive to the pad.
Scheduled to fly into space today are NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata.
Coverage begins on NASA Television
Coverage concerning Crew-5's launch has just begun live on NASA Television. Launch is slated for 12 p.m. EDT.
SpaceX will send four people to the International Space Station (ISS), including the first Native American woman in space and the first Russian cosmonaut on a commercial spacecraft.
Crew members include NASA astronauts Nicole Mann (who will become the first Native American woman in space as a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in northern California) and Josh Cassada, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina.
Updates are available here at Space.com, via NASA Television, and updates are also flowing on the NASA website, app and social media.
Read more: How to watch SpaceX launch the Crew-5 astronaut mission for NASA today online
It's Launch Day for Crew-5!
It's launch day for NASA's Crew-5 astronauts as they prepare to ride a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station.
Crew-5 commander Nicole Mann and pilot Josh Cassada, both NASA astronauts, will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) from Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. They will be flying alongside Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Anna Kikina of Russia's space agency Roscosmos. Kikina is the first Russian cosmonaut to fly on Dragon.
NASA's livestream coverage of the Crew-5 launch will begin at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT) from Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center. Join us then!
NASA, SpaceX 'Go' for Crew-5 launch
NASA and SpaceX are pressing ahead with plans to launch the Crew-5 astronaut crew to the International Space Station despite three open issues for the launch team.
SpaceX and NASA gave the official "GO" for launch on Monday night during a Launch Readiness Review meeting. You can read our full story on that call from spaceflight editor Mike Wall. SpaceX rolled the Crew-5 Falcon 9 rocket to the launch pad over the weekend. Check out some of amazing photos from that event.
SpaceX is working three issues that need to be resolved for launch:
- A thrust vector control actuator on one of the Crew-5 Falcon 9 rocket's 9 first-stange Merlin engines. It should be replaced by today.
- A communications issue affecting the drone ship Just Read The Instructions affecting its station-keeping ability for the Falcon 9 booster's first stage landing.
- A leak in a portable fire extinguisher on the Dragon capsule, which will be fixed with replacement parts.
SpaceX is confident it will be able to address all three open issues in time for launch. Meanwhile, the company is planning to launch two other missions, a Starlink flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Oct. 4, which will only lift off if the Crew-5 mission is delayed for some reason, and two telecom satellites from Florida on a different Falcon 9 rocket.
SpaceX and NASA push back International Space Station launch
SpaceX and NASA plan to delay the Crew-5 flight to the International Space Station by at least a day to Oct. 4.
"Mission teams will continue to monitor the impacts of Ian on the Space Coast and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and could adjust the launch date again, as necessary," NASA officials wrote in an update Tuesday (Sept. 27).
Hurricane Ian, which may be 'catastrophic' to Florida as some officials termed it, has made landfall in Florida and may severely affect forthcoming operations at the Kennedy Space Center even after the hurricane goes through.
Read more: Hurricane Ian delays SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut launch to Oct. 4
Russian cosmonaut prepares for first SpaceX mission
Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina will be the first to take a seat aboard a SpaceX spacecraft. Kikina and three astronauts will launch to the International Space Station no sooner than Oct. 3 for the NASA Crew-5 mission. The group will be seeking to show ISS space science can continue to carry on as normal amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Read more: NASA's SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts ready for historic mission
SpaceX likely lead provider for 2 new ISS private missions
With SpaceX the only company so far allowed by NASA to bring people to the International Space Station (ISS), it is likely in the lead to provide launch services for two new private missions.
NASA said Wednesday (Sept. 14) that it has asked private industry for proposals for two private ISS missions to run between late 2023 and 2024. SpaceX already has experience in providing such services, as its Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft sent the first all-private Axiom Space mission, called Ax-1, to the orbiting complex earlier this year.
Full story: NASA requests 2 new private astronaut missions to International Space Station
SpaceX receives 5 mission orders from NASA
SpaceX with send five more astronaut missions to the International Space Station (ISS) under a new $1.4 billion deal, which modifies an existing agreement between the two organizations.
The deal covers Crews-10 through Crew-14 and will use SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rockets. NASA stated the contract "allows NASA to maintain an uninterrupted U.S. capability for human access to the space station until 2030."
Read more: NASA awards SpaceX $1.4 billion for 5 more astronaut missions
SpaceX, NASA delay Crew-5 launch to avoid traffic jam
SpaceX and NASA plan to delay the next astronaut launch by four days, to no earlier than Oct. 3. The Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station was delayed from an initial target of Sept. 29.
"The date adjustment allows for extra separation with spacecraft traffic coming to and from the space station," agency officials said in the brief update, NASA announced in an update today (Aug. 25). The agency did not provide more details about their concerns regarding the traffic jam.
Read more: SpaceX's next astronaut launch for NASA delayed to Oct. 3
SpaceX examines possible debris, addresses Crew-5 rocket damage
A SpaceX team is on the way to Australia to investigate possible space junk associated with a cargo "trunk" that detached from the Crew-1 spacecraft, burning up in the atmosphere July 8.
"We did get reports of debris from a trunk," Benjamin Reed, senior director of SpaceX's human spaceflight program, told reporters during a livestreamed NASA Crew-5 press briefing Thursday (Aug. 4).
He emphasized that SpaceX worked closely with NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration before the Crew-1 mission to minimize Crew Dragon debris, and that if the charred hardware is indeed SpaceX's, it came down exactly where predicted.
SpaceX is also working to address minor damage to the Crew-5 Falcon 9 first-stage booster, which came in contact with a bridge during transport. Reed said SpaceX is committed to making the fixes to address NASA's rigorous safety requirements. The damage delayed the launch until September.
Possible SpaceX Crew-1 debris spotted in Australia
Charred material, possibly a remnant from a SpaceX spacecraft, was discovered in a sheep paddock near Dalgety, Australia. Witnesses in the region heard a "bang" July 9 local time. Weeks later, two region farmers came across large and unfamiliar pieces of hardware on their large properties.
SpaceX has not yet confirmed if the piece was a part of its Crew-1 Dragon spacecraft that splashed down successfully on May 2, 2021. That said, two space debris trackers suggest it was indeed from that mission, given that Dalgety was underneath the projected re-entry pathway of an unpressurized "trunk" piece of Dragon, jettisoned before re-entry.
Read more: Possible SpaceX debris falls in Australia from Crew-1 Dragon spacecraft
United Arab Emirates astronaut joins Crew-6
UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi was announced Monday (July 25) as the fourth crew member of SpaceX's Crew-6 mission, which is expected to launch in 2023. AlNeyadi will be the first astronaut from an Arab nation to conduct a long-duration mission on the International Space Station. His seat was arranged through a previously disclosed agreement with Axiom Space.
AlNeyadi will join NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, who will serve as spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively, aboard Crew-6. A Roscosmos cosmonaut, Andrei Fedyaev, joined the crew this month following a seat swap deal between Russia's federal space agency and NASA to fly cosmonauts aboard private American vehicles, in exchange for U.S. Soyuz seats.
Read more in our story about AlNeyadi's assignment.
Crew-3 splashes down safely
SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut mission returned to Earth after nearly six months in orbit early Friday morning (May 6), splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast right on schedule at 12:43 a.m. EDT (0443 GMT). Read our story here.
SpaceX Crew-3 Dragon Endurance headed home
SpaceX's Crew-Dragon Endurance is headed back to Earth to return four astronauts home from the International Space Station for NASA and the European Space Agency.
The Dragon Endurance capsule undocked from the space station today, May 5, at 1:20 a.m. EDT (0520 GMT) to begin a day-long trip home. The spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Florida coast, at 12:43 a.m. EDT (0443 GMT).
Endurance is returning SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut mission for NASA back to Earth. The mission, which launched in November 2021, ferried NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer to the station for a six-month trip.
You can watch the SpaceX Crew-3 landing live online, courtesy of NASA TV. NASA is providing live coverage through the landing now.
Crew-4 astronauts enter ISS
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station have entered the orbiting laboratory, ending their 15-hour trip to the orbiting lab.
Crew-4 commander Kjell Lindgren, pilot Bob Hines and mission specialists Jessica Watkins (all NASA astronauts) and Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency floated inside the station's Harmony module just after 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT April 28), where they were welcomed with big hugs from the station's Crew-3 astronaut team.
There are now 11 people living aboard the space station. NASA postponed the traditional welcome ceremony for the Crew-4 astronauts as the station's Russian crew is currently asleep, resting ahead of a planned spacewalk on Thursday (April 28).
NASA will hold a belated welcome ceremony at 2:40 a.m. EDT (0640 GMT) on Thursday once the cosmonauts awake for the spacewalk day.
That will wrap up Space.com's Crew-4 launch and docking coverage. Thank you for joining us. This live blog will resume with the next SpaceX Crew Dragon mission event, the Crew-3 undocking, which is scheduled for May 4.
Docking! SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts reach ISS
SpaceX's Crew-4 astronaut mission has arrived at the International Space Station.
The Crew-4 mission's Crew Dragon Freedom docked at the space station's Harmony module at 7:37 p.m. EDT (2337 GMT), nearly 40 minutes earlier than expected, as both spacecraft sailed 261 miles over the central Pacific Ocean.
A series of hooks and latches will secure the Freedom capsule to the station while the Crew-4 astronauts prepare to doff their SpaceX pressure suits and enter the station. Hatch opening is expected to occur at 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT April 28).
In the meantime, NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn inside the space station will work to pressurize a vestibule between the two spacecraft. After some leak checks, the hatches between Freedom and the International Space Station will be opened, ending the 15.5-hour trip to the station for the Crew-4 mission.
The Crew-4 astronauts include commander Kjell Lindgren, pilot Bob Hines and mission specialist Jessica Watkins (all of NASA), as well as mission specialist Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency. They are beginning a six-month mission to the orbiting lab.
Docking sooner than expected
.@NASA TV is providing live coverage of the @SpaceX #Crew4 mission to the space station. Dragon Freedom is currently ahead of schedule for a docking at 7:30pm ET today.https://t.co/9rgtDCTSvqApril 27, 2022
After their successful launch this morning (April 27), the astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 mission will dock with the International Space Station earlier than expected.
Running ahead of schedule, the crew's Dragon capsule, named Freedom, will now dock with the orbiting lab at 7:30 p.m. EDT (1130 GMT) tonight.
"@NASA TV is providing live coverage of the @SpaceX #Crew4 mission to the space station. Dragon Freedom is currently ahead of schedule for a docking at 7:30pm ET today," the International Space Station Twitter account shared.
Crew-4 astronauts in orbit
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission for NASA are successfully in orbit and adapting to life in space. The astronauts are on a 16-hour trip to the International Space Station.
Crew-4 is commanded by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren with crewmate Bob Hines as pilot. NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti are mission specialists for the flight.
The astronauts are expected to dock at the space station tonight at 8:15 p.m. EDT (0015 GMT on April 28), with hatch opening set for 9:45 p.m. EDT (0145 GMT).
Touchdown: Crew-4 SpaceX Falcon 9 lands safely
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket first stage has successfully landed on its drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean to end its successful launch of the Crew-4 astronauts.
Meanwhile, the Crew Dragon Freedom successfully separated from its Falcon 9 upper stage to mark its arrival in orbit. It's nose cone is deploying to clear its docking port for the arrival at the International Space Station in 16 hours.
Falcon 9 first stage reentry burn complete
SpaceX's Crew-4 Falcon 9 rocket booster has performed an entry burn to slow itself for its return to Earth.
A final landing burn is coming up ahead of landing, which will mark this booster's fourth landing for SpaceX.
Liftoff! SpaceX launches Crew-4 astronauts to space station
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has launched toward orbit carrying the Crew-4 astronauts.
The first stage successfully shut down and separated from the upper stage shortly after liftoff and is now returning to Earth for a landing.
The upper stage continues on a nominal trajectory toward orbit.
'Let's let Dragon roar and Freedom ring,' astronauts say
SpaceX and the Crew-4 astronauts just shared a final message before today's launch. You can watch it launch live here.
"We're honored to have you aboard Dragon capsule Freedom today. It's been a privilege working together to prepare for this launch to the International Space Station," SpaceX's mission control radioed the crew. "We wish you a great mission. Good luck, Godspeed. Time to let Freedom fly."
"Copy, SpaceX. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank our international partner teams and families for getting to the threshold of this amazing opportunity to launch to the International Space Station," Crew-4 commander Kjell Lindgren radioed back. "A heartfelt thank you to every one of us that made this possible. Now let's let Dragon roar and Freedom ring."
SpaceX now fueling 2nd stage of Falcon 9 rocket
SpaceX's fueling operations for the Crew-4 Falcon 9 rocket is continuing, with the company now loading propellant into the second stage of the booster.
Unlike the Falcon 9's first stage, which will return to Earth for a planned landing, the second stage is disposable and will be discarded after delivering the Crew Dragon Freedom into orbit.
Fueling for both the first and second stages should complete at T-2 minutes to launch.
SpaceX fuels Falcon 9 rocket for Crew-4 launch
SpaceX has begun fueling the Falcon 9 rocket for today's Crew-4 astronaut launch to the International Space Station.
Fueling began at the T-34 minute mark as SpaceX began loading the Falcon 9 with the liquid oxygen and RP-1 rocket-grade kerosene for today's launch.
SpaceX has activated the launch escape system on the Crew Dragon Freedom. That system is designed to use a set of eight SuperDraco engines to pull the capsule free of its Falcon 9 booster if needed in the case of a launch emergency.
T-1 hour to launch for Crew-4 astronauts
NASA and SpaceX are now less than one hour away from this morning's launch of the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station and all systems continue to be green for an on-time liftoff at 3:52 a.m. EDT (0752 GMT) from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Crew-4 astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins (all of NASA) and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti are strapped inside their Crew Dragon Freedom awaiting launch. Weather, the spacecraft and its Falcon 9 rocket are all in good shape for launch.
In the next hour, SpaceX will proceed with final fuel loading of the Falcon 9 rocket to gear up for the launch and 16-hour flight to the space station.
NASA has released some new images of the crew's walkout to the launch pad earlier in today's countdown. Check them out above.
Dragon Freedom's hatch closed ahead of Crew-4 launch
The side hatch of Freedom, the SpaceX Dragon capsule for Crew-4, was closed about an hour and 45 minutes before the mission's planned liftoff on April 27, 2022. Technicians then examined the seal around the hatch, to make sure it wouldn't leak in space.
Crew-4 astronauts have entered their Dragon
The four Crew-4 astronauts entered their Dragon capsule, which they named Freedom, about 2 hours and 40 minutes before their planned liftoff in the early morning hours of April 27, 2022.
Crew-4 astronauts are at the launch pad
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission have arrived at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A ahead of their liftoff at 3:52 a.m. EDT (0752 GMT). All four paused to look up at their Falcon 9 rocket ride before getting into the elevator that took them up the launch tower toward their Dragon capsule.
Walk out complete: Crew-4 astronauts are headed to the launch pad
The Crew-4 astronauts on their way to the launch pad. The four spaceflyers walked out of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at about 12:30 a.m. EDT (0430 GMT). They headed outside and, after saying goodbye to their loved ones, got inside the three Teslas that will drive them to KSC's Launch Complex 39A.
Weather 90% go for Crew-4 liftoff
Forecasts indicate a 90% chance of weather favorable enough to allow for the launch of SpaceX's Crew-4 astronaut mission for NASA early Wednesday morning (April 27), agency officials said. The liftoff is scheduled to take place at 3:52 a.m. EDT (0752 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"The primary weather concerns are cumulus cloud and flight through precipitation rules," NASA officials wrote in an update late Tuesday night (April 26). "Teams also continue to monitor the weather conditions along in Crew Dragon’s flight path, which is expected to be favorable for launch."
SpaceX Crew-4 launch GO for April 27 liftoff
NASA and SpaceX have given the "go" to launch the Crew-4 astronauts to the International Space Station early Wednesday, April 27, at 3:52 a.m. EDT (0752 GMT).
SpaceX and NASA signed off on the mission late Monday night after a final flight readiness review mission.
NASA's launch webcast will begin tonight at 12 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT), leading up to the Crew-4 launch. You can watch that live on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV and SpaceX.
Crew-4 launch delayed to April 26 at the earliest
SpaceX's Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station will now launch no earlier than Tuesday (April 26), because of delays in the departure of the private Ax-1 astronaut mission from the orbiting lab. Read our full story.
Crew-4 static fire test
The SpaceX Crew-4 mission completed the critical static fire test of its Falcon 9 rocket ahead of the mission's launch, which is planned for April 23, 2022, SpaceX revealed on Twitter today (April 20).
During a static fire test, a rocket's engines are ignited while it is stationary, testing how the engines will perform during launch prior to the actual launch itself.
Crew-4 rolls out, completed dress rehearsal
On April 23, 2022, SpaceX's Crew-4 mission is set to launch with a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station.
Yesterday (April 19), the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a new Crew Dragon capsule named Freedom atop were rolled out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the launch. They are now vertical on the pad, NASA revealed in a new blog post.
Additionally, overnight last night, the Crew-4 astronauts conducted a countdown dress rehearsal, going through the events expected for the launch day.
The crew, who are set to spend approximately six months living and working aboard the orbiting lab, includes NASA astronauts and mission commander Kjell Lindgren, pilot Robert Hines and mission specialists Jessica Watkins and Samantha Cristoforetti (of the European Space Agency).
This will be the second spaceflight for both Lindgren and Cristoforetti and the first flight for Hines and Watkins, who will be the first Black woman to live and work on the station.
Crew-3 watches a Russian spacewalk!
Yesterday there was a spacewalk just outside our window! Crewmates Oleg and Denis continue to add improvements to their MLM module as the sun sets behind them. pic.twitter.com/Y8Es29mLtSApril 19, 2022
International Space Station commander and Crew-3 NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn shared an incredible view of the sun setting on Earth behind two cosmonauts on a spacewalk.
Yesterday (April 18), Russian cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev performed a spacewalk to install a control panel for a new European robotic arm on the orbiting lab. As Marshburn's photo shows, the astronauts inside the station were able to see the cosmonauts as they worked.
"Yesterday there was a spacewalk just outside our window! Crewmates Oleg and Denis continue to add improvements to their MLM module as the sun sets behind them," Marshburn tweeted.
Crew-3 astronauts join Expedition 66 on ISS
After a brief welcome ceremony, in which the Crew-3 astronauts spoke with NASA and European Space Agency leaders, the four members of SpaceX's latest crewed spaceflight for NASA are settling into their new home in orbit.
Crew-3 commander Raja Chari, pilot Tom Marshburn and mission specialists Kayla Barron (all of NASA) and the European Space Agency's Matthias Maurer joined NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov to complete the station's Expedition 66 crew.
The astronauts are beginning a six-month mission to the space station that began with a successful launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday night.
With Crew-3 successfully on the International Space Station, this will conclude our coverage of the mission's launch and docking. We'll resume during the next Crew Dragon milestone for SpaceX.
Thanks for joining us and keep looking up!
The crew is inside the space station
The Crew-3 astronauts are now inside the International Space Station after opening the hatch to the Crew Dragon at 8:25 p.m. EST (0025 GMT). A welcome ceremony will begin on NASA TV at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT) with comments from the crew.
Crew Dragon Endurance secured to space station
SpaceX's Crew-3 Dragon spacecraft Endurance has secured itself to the International Space Station, marking an end of today's successful docking.
"Happy to be at ISS," Crew-3 commander Raja Chari radioed to SpaceX and NASA mission controls.
The astronauts clasped hands in a mini-celebration to mark their arrivals, a moment captured live on NASA TV.
The hatches between Crew Dragon Endurance and the space station are scheduled to open at 8:10 p.m. EST (0110 GMT) after a series of leak checks and pressurization activities.
At 8:45 p.m. EST (0145 GMT), all seven astronauts on the station (four from Crew-3 and three Expedition 66 crew) will join in a welcome ceremony on NASA TV.
You can watch all of that space action in the NASA TV feed at the top of this page.
Soft capture complete
The Dragon completed a "soft capture" at 6:32 p.m. EST (2332 GMT), making its first contact with the International Space Station as it orbited 263 miles (423 kilometers) above the Eastern Caribbean. Hard capture will be completed once the 12 hooks that hold the Dragon in place have been secured.
Crew Dragon approaching the station
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance is now less than 10 minutes away from docking with the International Space Station. The spacecraft has just arrived at "waypoint 2," roughly 20 meters (66 feet) from its docking port. A final "go/no go" call for the docking maneuver is expected at any moment.
Dragon "go" for docking
SpaceX and NASA have given the Crew Dragon Endurance the official "go" for docking, and the Crew-3 mission is on track to dock with the International Space Station at 6:33 p.m. EST (2333 GMT). The crew has slipped back into their flight suits and are getting ready for their arrival at the orbiting lab.
Crew-3 astronauts beam live views from space
The astronauts on SpaceX's Crew-3 Dragon Endurance just held a short 5-minute video call from space to show off their crew capsule. You can watch it here.
The astronauts showed off some zero-g games, like tossing food around, spinning in weightlessness and more to give an idea of what life is like aboard Dragon.
They can see the the International Space Station outside their window as they close in for docking tonight.
New docking time for Crew-3
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance is ahead of schedule and will now reach the International Space Station with its Crew-3 astronauts at 6:33 p.m. EDT (2333 GMT), 40 minutes earlier than planned, NASA officials have said.
It's Docking Day for Crew-3
SpaceX's Crew-3 astronauts are awake and gearing up for their docking day in orbit aboard their Crew Dragon Endurance.
The astronauts awoke at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) and asked to hold a moment of silence to honor the service and sacrifice of military service veterans for the Veterans Day holiday in the United States. Crew-3 commander asked flight control
"Thanks on behalf of Endurance and SpaceX and NASA, and really the world, to all the veterans who give us the ability to do this on a daily basis," Crew-3 commander Raja Chari of NASA, who joined NASA in 2017 as a U.S. Air Force Colonel select.
SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts chasing space station
It's docking day for the astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 mission for NASA and they will begin their first full day in orbit with a wakeup call at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) as they prepare to arrive at the station later tonight.
The Crew-3 astronauts went to sleep at 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT) to end their launch day after last night's successful liftoff, but not before recording a video tour of their brand-new Crew Dragon Endurance. You can see that video in the window here or directly here.
SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts headed to space station
The astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 mission are doing well and settling in to their 22-hour cruise to the International Space Station, NASA officials said in a postlaunch conference. You can read our full launch wrap here:
SpaceX launches Crew-3 astronauts to space station for NASA in nighttime liftoff
The astronauts have doffed their spacesuits and will share a meal in space as they prepare to arrive at the space station Thursday night (Nov. 11). Docking is set for 7:10 p.m. EST (0010 GMT on Nov. 12).
The astronauts will go to sleep for the night at 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT) on Thursday to rest up for the docking. They will wake up at about 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT).
In the meantime, SpaceX is guiding the Crew Dragon Endeavour through a series of engine burns to match course with the station. Earlier this evening, the spacecraft opened its nosecone that covers its docking port.
Check out some photos from tonight's launch above and if you'd like more, see our full SpaceX Crew-2 mission photo gallery.
NASA post-launch press conference coming up
NASA will hold a post-launch press conference soon and you can listen to it live in the window above.
In the meantime, the Crew-3 astronauts have been given the go-ahead to get out of their SpaceX spacesuits to settle into the 22-hour cruise to the International Space Station. They're due to arrive at the station tomorrow evening.
Tonight's post-launch press conference is slated to begin at 10 p.m. EST (0300 GMT) and will feature the following speakers:
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
Frank de Winne, program manager, International Space Station, ESA
Crew Dragon Endurance in orbit, 1st stage landing
Spacecraft Separation! The Crew Dragon Endurance has separated from its Falcon 9 upper stage and is officially in orbit.
"Thanks for the great ride, it was better than we imagined,"Crew-3 commander Raja Chari of NASA tells launch control.
T+7 minutes: All is going well with the mission
Now past the 7 minute mark into today's launch, all is going well.
The first stage has begun its entry burn.
Stage Separation for Crew-3
MECO and Stage Separation: The 1st stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has separated and is headed back to Earth. The 2nd stage has ignited and is powering the Crew-3 astronauts to orbit.
LIFTOFF! SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts launch toward ISS
Liftoff! SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has launched off Pad 39A to carry the Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station for NASA.
This is the first flight for SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance, the newest crew capsule of the company's fleet. It is the second flight for the Falcon 9 first stage.
Minutes to SpaceX Crew-3 launch
SpaceX's Crew-3 mission is in the final minutes before launch. Flight controllers have the crew a final GO as the end of fueling nears. Liftoff is at 9:03 p.m. EST.
"Sometimes when you try to fly on Halloween you get a trick instead of a treat, but we'll be proud to be flying on Dragon on Veterans Day," Crew-3 commander Raja Chari radioed flight controllers. The mission was originally scheduled to launch on Oct. 31 and delayed by weather and a crew medical issue. They'll be in orbit on Veterans Day, which is Nov. 11.
Fueling begins for Crew-3 launch
SpaceX has begun fueling the Falcon 9 rocket with its rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen propellant. This late-fueling process should take about a half an hour and top off just a few minutes before liftoff.
Crew Access Arm retracted, escape system armed
SpaceX has retracted the Crew Access Arm away from the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew-3 Dragon Endurance and armed its launch escape system for today's launch.
The escape system consists of powerful SuperDraco thrusters that are designed to pull the Crew Dragon Endurance away from its Falcon 9 rocket in the event of a launch emergency. It's known as pusher system as it pushes the capsule away from its booster, rather than pulling it away like the escape towers on Russia's Soyuz rockets.
T-1 hour to SpaceX Crew-3 launch
SpaceX is now 1 hour to launch for tonight's Crew-3 astronaut mission for NASA.
SpaceX just radioed the four Crew-3 astronauts that the mission is "go for launch."
Over the next hour, SpaceX's closeout crew will retreat to a safe distance from the launch pad while the crew access arm is retraced away from its Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX will begin loading propellant into the Falcon 9 rocket at 8:28 p.m. EST, a process that should take about a half hour.
Liftoff is on track for 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT).
Weather is GO for SpaceX Crew-3 launch
SpaceX flight controller report that weather conditions have cleared up for tonight's Crew-3 launch. The rain at NASA's Pad 39A seen earlier has passed and the weather is again clear for tonight's launch at 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT).
SpaceX's closeout crew has completed its work on the closed hatch of the Dragon capsule, with just over an hour before for launch.
SpaceX Dragon hatch closed for launch
Now just under 2 hours to launch, the hatch to SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance has been closed, sealing the four astronauts inside for tonight's launch. Liftoff is on track for 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT).
A series of leak checks are underway to ensure a good seal for the Dragon hatch.
Currently, weather is No Go for tonight's launch due to rain. That weather should clear up in time for launch, SpaceX says.
Crew-3 Dragon astronauts in launch position
The four Crew-3 Dragon astronauts are strapped into their seats aboard the Endurance spacecraft for tonight's SpaceX launch to the International Space Station at 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT).
SpaceX's Dragon seats rotate into launch position after crew ingress to ensure they're in the proper position for flight. Each of the astronauts performed a series of communications checks to ensure they can hear SpaceX launch controllers and have a tablet to use as they check systems for launch.
Crew-3 astronauts enter Crew Dragon Endurance
The Crew-3 astronauts are boarding their Crew Dragon Endurance for SpaceX's launch tonight.
NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn are already inside while crewmates Kayla Barron and Matthias Maurer were next after a short wait inside a White Room outside the capsule hatch.
For SpaceX launches, astronauts sign the wall of the White Room as a tradition before launch.
Crew-3 astronauts arrive at launch pad
The Crew-3 astronauts have reached the launch pad in their NASA-themed Teslas (they have NASA's worm logo on the side).
The four astronauts will take a moment to appreciate the view of their rocket on the pad and post for photos before taking the elevator up to SpaceX's closeout room and board their Crew Dragon Endurance.
Tonight's launch remains on track for 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT).
Crew-3 astronauts head to launch pad
The four Crew-3 astronauts are headed to NASA's Pad 39A in their Tesla transports for the 20-minute drive to their Falcon 9 rocket.
The astronauts are riding in two Teslas, two per car, and are expected to listen to custom music playlists for the short trip to the launch pad.
All systems appear to be working well on their Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endurance for tonight's launch at 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT).
Crew-3 astronauts walk out to Teslas
The Crew-3 astronauts have completed their suit up and are walking out to a fleet of Tesla electric cars that will transport them to NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center where they will board their Crew Dragon Endurance.
It's a bit rainy at the spaceport right now, with media and crew friends and family wielding umbrellas on NASA's webcast.
Crew-3 astronauts suit up for launch
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 mission for NASA are in the Operations and Checkout Building suiting up for launch.
NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency Matthias Maurer have donned their SpaceX launch suits for today's liftoff, which is on track for 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT).
SpaceX Crew-3 Launch Webcast Begins
NASA's webcast for tonight's SpaceX Crew-3 launch is officially underway, with launch set for 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT). Weather is currently 70% GO for the launch, NASA officials say.
The launch will send ASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer to the space station on a six-month trip to the International Space Station.
You can watch the webcast live above, courtesy of NASA TV.
SpaceX, NASA 'go' for Crew-3 astronaut launch
SpaceX and NASA are "go" to launch the Crew-3 astronaut mission to the International Space Station, mission officials announced late tonight.
The decision clears the way for SpaceX to launch four astronauts on a Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule at 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT Nov. 11) from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
There is an 80% chance of good weather at launch time, according to a forecast from Space Launch Delta 45 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station near NASA's KSC spaceport.
The Crew-3 mission will launch NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer to the space station on a six-month expedition. Their launch comes two days after the splashdown of SpaceX's Crew-2 mission for NASA.
On that Crew-2 flight, one of the parachutes on its Crew Dragon capsule was slow to inflate, but it was within tolerances (the Dragon capsule can land with only three parachutes, and did fully inflate before splashdown. The occurrence posed no issue for the Crew-3 launch, officials said.
About 6 hours before the Crew-3 launch, the International Space Station will have to fire its thrusters to dodge space debris leftover from a defunct Chinese satellite, but will be complete in time for launch, NASA officials said.
Update: SpaceX, NASA Briefing now at 11 pm ET
Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon, and Venus above Falcon and Dragon tonight pic.twitter.com/S76YV1XTV2November 10, 2021
Update: The conference is beginning now. You can listen live above and at this NASA link.
NASA and SpaceX are now targeting 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT) for tonight's prelaunch briefing for the Crew-3 mission.
While we wait for NASA and SpaceX to start their Crew-3 prelaunch briefing, check out this nice view of the moon, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn with the mission's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endurance.
New time for SpaceX, NASA Crew-3 briefing
NASA and SpaceX will now hold their prelaunch Crew-3 press conference, which is now a teleconference, at 10:30 p.m. EST (0330 GMT Nov. 10) as they discuss plans to launch the four-astronaut mission on Wednesday night. You'll be able to follow the briefing in the livestream at the top of this page.
Liftoff is scheduled for Wednesday night at 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT Nov. 11).
NASA, SpaceX to talk Crew-3 astronaut launch plans
NASA and SpaceX will hold a prelaunch press conference tonight, Nov. 9, at 9:30 p.m. EST (0230 GMT Nov. 10) to discuss plans to launch a new four-astronaut crew to the International Space Station. You can watch it live here at start time in the video feed above.
SpaceX is scheduled to launch the Crew-3 mission for NASA on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 9:03 p.m. EST (0203 GMT Nov. 11) after days of more than a week of delays due to bad weather and a crewmember's undisclosed medical issue.
Crew-3 will launch NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer on a six-month mission to the space station. Chari, Barron and Maurer are making their first trips to space, while Marshburn is a veteran.
Crew-2 astronauts exit Crew Dragon Endeavour
The four SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts have exited their Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule after tonight's successful splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX Dragon capsule with Crew-2 astronauts splashes down in Gulf of Mexico
SpaceX recovery teams helped the astronauts from the capsule one by one. Crew-2 pilot Megan McArthur was first and followed by Crew-2 commander Shane Kimbrough. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide was next, with European Space Agency Thomas Pesquet rounding out the team.
That will be a wrap for our SpaceX Crew-2 splashdown coverage. On Tuesday, Nov. 9, we'll shift to the upcoming Crew-3 launch for NASA on Nov. 10.
Dragon hatch opened for crew extraction
SpaceX's recovery teams have opened the side hatch of the Crew Dragon Endeavour and are working to extract the four astronauts inside to complete their return to Earth.
SpaceX recovery team retrieves Crew Dragon
SpaceX's recovery ship GO Navigator has retrieved the Crew Dragon Endeavour from the ocean and placed it on a "Dragon Nest" so it can be opened inside the ship and its crew extracted.
Splashdown! Crew-2 back on Earth
SpaceX's Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour successfully splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida at 10:33 p.m. EST (0333 GMT on Nov. 9) after a smooth descent and landing.
"It's good be be back on planet Earth," NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough says as Crew-2's Dragon Endeavour splashes down.
SpaceX's recovery teams have already reached the bobbing capsule in fast boats to safeguard the capsule and prepare it for retrieval by SpaceX's GO Navigator recovery ship. Today's splashdown marks the second successful flight of the Dragon Endeavour.
SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon spotted by recovery teams
SpaceX's Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour has been sighted as it descended back to Earth during today's reentry and splashdown. The spacecraft has deployed its main parachutes.
SpaceX Crew Dragon enters Earth atmosphere
SpaceX's Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour is now reentering the upper atmosphere and has entered a 7-minute communications blackout as it plunges to Earth and experiences superhot temperatures on its descent.
Deorbit burn complete, nosecone closure under way
SpaceX reports the deorbit burn for the Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour is complete and went as expected. SpaceX flight controllers have sent the command to close the Dragon's nosecone for reentry.
Crew-2 deorbit burn underway
The deorbit burn is underway for tonight's Crew-2 splashdown back to Earth. The burn began at 9:39 p.m. EST and will last 16.5 minutes. Splashdown is set for 10:33 p.m. EST (0333 GMT) in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
At 9:59 p.m. EST (0259 GMT), the Crew Dragon Endeavour should close its open nose cone, which will cover the upper hatch of the capsule for reentry.
Endeavour's base is covered with a protective heat shield of tiles to ward off the searing heat of reentry. It will use parachutes to slow its descent during splashdown.
Crew Dragon Jettisons Trunk
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour has jettisoned its "trunk," the cylindrical service module at the base of the spacecraft, exposing its heat shield and freeing the crew capsule for its reentry into Earth's atmosphere.
The trunk section includes the solar arrays and other systems vital for the Crew Dragon's time in orbit. It can also carry supplies or external hardware for the space station.
SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts prepare for deorbit
The four Crew-2 astronauts are preparing to fire their Crew Dragon Endeavour's thrusters in a 16.5-minute burn to leave orbit for tonight's reentry and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida.
The astronauts are in their SpaceX spacesuits and strapped in for the descent. The deorbit burn will begin at 9:39 p.m. EST (0239 GMT) and will end at 9:55 p.m. EST (0255 GMT).
SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon departs space station
SpaceX's Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour is en route back to Earth after flying around the International Space Station and performing a departure burn to head back to Earth.
Dragon is performing a series of thruster burns to guide itself back to Earth for a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida at 10:33 p.m. EST (0333 Nov. 9 GMT).
A deorbit burn is scheduled for 9:39:27 p.m. EST to set the stage for landing.
SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon flying around space station
SpaceX's Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour is in the midst of a flyaround maneuver around the International Space Station after today's successful undocking.
Pilot Megan McArthur is overseeing the flyaround, which has completed two of four thruster burns as Endeavour loops around the station. The maneuver will take 90 minutes to circle the station while other Crew-2 astronauts photograph the station from the capsule.
The space station will have completed nearly an entire orbit of Earth as the Dragon Endeavour loops around the outpost.
SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts undock from space station
SpaceX's Crew-2 astronauts have undocked their Crew Dragon Endeavour from the International Space Station are preparing to fly around the space station before departing for their return to Earth.
Undocking occurred on time at 2:05 p.m. EST (1905 GMT) as Endeavour and the station flew 259 miles above Chile. The space station flyaround maneuver will last about an hour and a half.
Tonight's splashdown remains on target at 10:33 p.m. EST (0333 GMT).
NASA Crew-2 undocking coverage begins
NASA's undocking coverage for SpaceX's Crew-2 mission has begun.
Today's undocking is set for 2:05 pm EST (1905 GMT) and will be followed by a first-of-its-kind Dragon flyaround of the International Space Station.
Crew-2 closes hatches between Dragon, ISS
The hatch between SpaceX's Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour and International Space Station is officially closed, with hatch closure coming at about 12:12 p.m. EST (1712 GMT).
The Crew-2 astronauts shut the Dragon hatch, and astronauts on the International Space Station are preparing to shut their side's hatch to end today's prep work for undocking later today.
A correction to our earlier post: While Crew-2 astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur are in their SpaceX pressure suits for undocking, their crewmates Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet have not yet put on their suits. They are doing so now.
Once the space station hatch is closed, a series of leak checks will ensue before today's undocking at 2:05 p.m. EST (1905 GMT). NASA's undocking webcast will begin at 1:45 p.m. EST (1845 GMT).
SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts prepare Dragon for undocking
NASA's webcast is underway for today's SpaceX Crew-2 undocking and the mission's four astronauts are configuring their spacecraft for its return to Earth today.
Crew-2 commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur are in their seats configuring the spacecraft for departure while crewmates Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet also prepare for departure. All four astronauts have donned their SpaceX spacesuits for the undocking.
Today's undocking is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. EST (1905 GMT), with splashdown set for 10:33 p.m. EST (0333 GMT) off the coast of Florida, near Pensacola.
It's Landing Day for SpaceX's Crew-2
It's landing day for Space's Crew Dragon Endeavor.
The Dragon spacecraft will return to Earth today with the four astronauts of NASA's Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station after delays due to bad weather at their Florida coast splashdown site. Returning to Earth are NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
Their Dragon capsule will undock from the space station at 2:05 p.m. EST (1905 GMT) and splashdown off a Florida coast at 10:33 p.m. EST (0333 GMT). Before undocking, the astronauts will bid farewell to their Expedition 66 crewmates on the space station in an hatch closure ceremony set for 12:40 p.m. EST (1740 GMT).
You can watch it all happen live online. NASA's hatch closure webcast will begin at 11:45 a.m. EST (1645 GMT) and resume for undocking at 1:45 p.m. EST (1845 GMT) and continue through splashdown.
SpaceX Crew-2 undocking and landing delayed
SpaceX and NASA have postponed the undocking and splashdown of their Crew-2 astronauts at the International Space Station by one day due to bad weather at their splashdown sites. You can read our full report here.
The Crew-2 astroanuts will now undock their Crew Dragon Endeavour from the space station on Monday, Nov. 8, at 2:05 p.m. EST (1905 GMT) and splash down that night at 10:33 p.m. EST (0433 GMT) off the Florida coast. NASA and SpaceX will pick a primary and backup splashdown site as they get closer to the actual event to factor in weather conditions.
Of course, you'll be able to watch the undocking and splashdown events live here at start time. NASA's webcasts begin Monday at 11:45 a.m. EST (1645 GFMT). Here's a rundown of the webcast schedule, courtesy of NASA:
Monday, Nov. 8
11:45 a.m. EST– Coverage begins for 12:40 p.m. hatch closure
1:45 p.m. EST– Coverage begins for 2:05 p.m. undocking (NASA will provide continuous coverage from undocking to splashdown)
10:33 p.m. EST– Splashdown
NASA Crew-2 Landing Press Conference
NASA will hold a landing pre-landing press conference for SpaceX's Crew-2 astronauts and you can listen live in the window at the top of this page. The teleconference will begin at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT) and will preview NASA and SpaceX plans to undock the Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour from the International Space Station on Sunday, Nov. 7, and return its crew to Earth early Monday morning.
"NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission now is targeting a return to Earth no earlier than 7:14 a.m. EST Monday, Nov. 8, with a splashdown off the coast of Florida," NASA wrote in a statement. "The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station at 1:05 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, to begin the journey home."
Space station changes command for Crew-2 landing
The International Space Station officially has a new commander as European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet handed control of the station over to Russian cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov today as Pesquet and his fellow Crew-2 crewmates prepare to leave the station on Sunday.
Pesquet handed command of the Station's Expedition 66 crew to Shkaplerov in a Change of Command ceremony broadcast live on NASA TV at 1:35 p.m. EDT (1735 GMT).
Pesquet, NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will undock their SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour from the station on Sunday and return to Earth with a splashdown of the Florida coast early Monday morning.
Later today, at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT), NASA and its partners at JAXA and ESA will hold a final pre-landing press teleconference to discuss landing options for the Crew-2 astronauts. You can listen in on that press conference live in the window at the top of this page.
SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts to land Sunday
SpaceX's Crew-2 astronaut mission will undock from the International Space Station on Sunday (Nov. 7) to return to Earth early Monday and you can watch it all live here, courtesy of NASA TV.
NASA's webcasts begin Saturday, Nov. 6, with a change of command ceremony on the station at 1:35 p.m. EDT (1735 GMT) followed by a pre-landing press teleconference at 5:30 p.m. EDT (2130 GMT). The Crew-2 astronauts are wrapping up a six-month mission to the space station. They include NASA astronauts Shan Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency.
On Sunday, NASA's undocking coverage will begin at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1445 GMT) with a hatch closure ceremony on the station in which the hatches between the Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour and space station will be closed for departure.
Undocking is set for 1:05 p.m. EDT (1705 GMT) and NASA will webcast it live starting at 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 GMT).
NASA will then livestream continuous coverage of the Crew-2 mission's return to Earth through splashdown, which will occur on Monday, Nov. 8, at 7:14 a.m. EDT (1114 GMT) off the coast of Florida. A final splashdown target will be selected closer to landing.
SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts meet the press today
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station will meet the press today at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT) and you can watch it live here, courtesy of NASA TV. The event will air live in the window at the top of this page.
The Crew-2 astronauts will speak to the media from their home on the space station ahead of their planned return to Earth, which could occur as early as Sunday, Nov. 7. NASA and SpaceX have not yet finalized their return to Earth after delays launching their relief team Crew-3.
The Crew-2 astronauts are NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, European Space Agency Thomas Pesquet and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide.
Crew-3 launch delayed as NASA eyes Crew-2 landing
NASA has announced it will launch the Crew-3 mission no earlier than Monday (Nov. 8). The delay comes as the agency continues to monitor a minor medical issue affecting a crewmember and in response to poor weather forecasts for the Florida launch region over this weekend, according to a NASA statement.
The agency is still evaluating when to bring the Crew-2 mission back to Earth but is targeting no earlier than Sunday (Nov. 7) for the splashdown of four astronauts who have been in space since April.
If Crew-2 departs the International Space Station before Crew-3 arrives, NASA will have only one astronaut at work on the orbiting laboratory, Mark Vande Hei, who arrived on a Russian Soyuz vehicle and will remain in space until next spring.
Crew-3 launch delayed to Nov. 6
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of the Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station from Nov. 3 to Nov. 6, citing a minor medical issue with one of the crewmembers.
Liftoff is now scheduled for no earlier than Saturday (Nov. 6) at 11:36 p.m. EDT (0336 Nov. 7 GMT), NASA officials said in a statement. (NASA has not yet released an updated schedule of prelaunch activities that will be available to watch live on NASA TV.)
LAUNCH UPDATE: @NASA's @SpaceX #Crew3 mission is now targeted to launch no earlier than 11:36pm ET on Saturday, Nov. 6 due to a minor medical issue involving one of its crew members.More details: https://t.co/Wwjb9U8G9G pic.twitter.com/PCiUhYD2bNNovember 1, 2021
SpaceX, NASA delay Crew-3 launch
SpaceX and NASA have postponed the planned Halloween launch of their Crew-3 astronaut mission to the International Space Station due to bad weather near its launch site.
In an announcement early this morning, NASA announced the Crew-3 mission will now launch on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:10 a.m. EDT (0510 GMT).
The delay is "due to a large storm system meandering across the Ohio Valley and through northeastern United States this weekend, elevating winds and waves in the Atlantic Ocean along the Crew Dragon flight path for the Oct. 31 launch attempt," NASA officials wrote in a statement.
NASA's launch coverage will now begin on Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 8:45 p.m. EDT (0045 GMT).
NASA, SpaceX to talk Crew-3 mission launch plan
Update 2: NASA reports its Launch Readiness Review meeting has concluded. The press briefing should begin shortly.
Update: NASA and SpaceX's Launch Readiness Review briefing is a teleconference and will not be broadcast on NASA TV. It will now begin no earlier than 11:15 p.m. EDT (0315 GMT).
NASA and SpaceX will hold a press conference tonight, Oct. 29, at 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT) to discuss plans to launch four new astronauts to the International Space Station on Halloween.
The press conference at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Caneveral, Florida will present results from a Launch Readiness Review meeting for SpaceX's Crew-3 mission, which will launch a new crew to join the seven Expedition 66 astronauts currently aboard the station.
NASA Chief to talk SpaceX Crew-3 launch
SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut mission for NASA is two days away from its Oct. 31 launch and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will hold a press conference today to discuss the mission.
Nelson will talk at 12 pm ET and you can watch the press briefing live in the window at the top of this page.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch four astronauts on the Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station on Sunday, Oct. 31, at 2:21 a.m. EDT (0621 GMT). The crew includes NASA astronauts Raja Chari, commander; Tom Marshburn, pilot; Kayla Barron, mission specialist; and European Space Agency astronaut Mattias Maurer, mission specialist.
Speaking in today's briefing will be:
- Bill Nelson, NASA administrator
- Bob Cabana, NASA associate administrator
- Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Janet Petro, director, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
- Woody Hoburg, NASA astronaut
NASA to discuss science on SpaceX Crew-3 launch
NASA will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) today to discuss the science riding to the International Space Station on the SpaceX Crew-3 mission.
You can watch that press conference in the live video feed at the top of this page.
Here's a taste of what's on board from NASA's announcement.
SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 for Crew 3 launch
SpaceX successfully test fired the Falcon 9 rocket for its Crew-3 astronaut mission for NASA today (Oct. 28), clearing the way for a planned Halloween launch to the International Space Station.
The Falcon 9 rocket, which has flown once before on the uncrewed CRS-22 cargo mission for NASA, fired up is nine first-stage Merlin engines for a brief static-fire test atop Launch Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete – targeting Sunday, October 31 at 2:21 a.m. EDT for launch of Dragon’s fifth human spaceflight," SpaceX wrote in an update.
SpaceX's Crew-3 mission for NASA will launch four astronauts to the International Space Station to join the current Expedition 66 crew. The Crew-3 team includes NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer. Chari will command the mission with Marshburn as pilot. Marshburn has flown in space before, while the other crew astronauts will make their first flight.
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rolls out to launch pad
The Falcon 9 rocket set to launch SpaceX's Crew-3 astronaut mission into space on Oct. 31 rolled out to its Pad 39A launch site Wednesday (Oct. 27) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Falcon 9, which has flown once before, will launch a new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule called Endurance to the International Space Station for NASA's Crew-3 astronaut flight. Riding aboard will be NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer. T
The astronauts spoke with reporters earlier Wednesday, one day after arriving at the launch site.
SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts arrive at Florida launch site
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 launch to the International Space Station for NASA have arrived at their Kennedy Space Center launch site in Florida and ready for their Halloween liftoff on Oct. 31.
Crew-3 commander Raja Chari, pilot Tom Marshburn, mission specialist Kayla Barron (all of NASA) and mission specialist Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency are now in their final days ahead of their launch. They will launch to the station at 2:21 a.m. EDT (0621 GMT) and arrive at the station on early Monday morning.
Space.com contributor Amy Thompson captured the crew's arrival here.
SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts meet the press
The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-3 launch for NASA are taking questions from the press ahead of their Halloween launch to the International Space Station. You can watch it in the window at the top of this page.
SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts head to launch site
UPDATE: NASA now reports the SpaceX Crew-3 astronaut arrival event at the Kennedy Space Center will begin around 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT).
SpaceX's Crew-3 Dragon capsule is in its hangar at Launch Pad 39A to meet its Falcon 9 rocket and the mission's four-astronaut crew is due to arrive at the launch site later today.
The Crew-3 astronauts are expected to land at NASA's Shuttle Landing Facility today at 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) and you can watch their arrival live. NASA's webcast of the crew's arrival will appear at the top of this page, as well as on our Crew-3 webcasts page.
SpaceX is 'go' for Halloween Crew-3 launch
SpaceX and NASA have cleared the Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance and its Falcon 9 rocket to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station on Halloween (Oct. 31) on the Crew-3 mission. The call came late last night after a Flight Readiness Review. You can read our full story by Mike Wall for details.
Liftoff remains set for early Sunday at 2:21 a.m. EDT (0621 GMT) from Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
SpaceX is working to wrap up one final issue before flight: a slight redesign of the Crew Dragon's toilet. In September, toilet problems during SpaceX's all-civilian Inspiration4 flight revealed that a tube leading to a urine storage tank had popped loose, allowing urine into a fan system instead of its intended tank.
For the Crew-3 flight, SpaceX is revamping the toilet system to include an all-welded structure that would prevent similar tube separations. Once SpaceX completes its work, NASA will have to sign off on the change, something that is expected in coming days.
NASA talks launch plans for SpaceX's Crew-3 mission
NASA and SpaceX mission managers are meeting today in a Flight Readiness Review meeting that will decide if SpaceX's next crewed mission for NASA is ready for liftoff.
Called Crew-3, SpaceX's next astronaut mission for NASA will launch three American astronauts and one European Space Agency astronaut to the International Space Station on a six-month mission. Liftoff is set for Oct. 31 (Halloween) at 2:21 a.m. EDT (0621 GMT). The crew includes mission commander Raja Chari and mission specialists Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron, all from NASA, and European astronaut Matthias Maurer.
SpaceX and NASA will hold a media teleconference tonight to discuss today's Flight Readiness Review meeting and you'll be able to listen in live. That briefing will begin no earlier than 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT) tonight. You can watch live at the top of this page or directly from NASA here.
11 crewmembers on space station
The joint crews of SpaceX's Crew-2 mission and the International Space Station have joined up to form one big group of 11 people in orbit.
"We're so excited to be here, we're ready to get to work," Crew-2 pilot Megan McArthur told acting NASA astronaut Steve Jurczyk after entering the station.
There won't be 11 people together on the space station for long. The four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-1 mission, which launched in November 2020, will return to Earth on April 28, leaving seven crewmembers behind.
You'll be able to find that mission coverage here with live landing updates and coverage.
The Crew-2 astronauts, meanwhile, will stay onboard for the next six months.
That will wrap up our live coverage for Crew-2's launch and docking. Thanks for joining us.
Hatches open between Crew Dragon, Station
The hatches are officially open between SpaceX's Crew-2 Dragon capsule and the International Space Station.
Crew-2 astronauts opened the final hatch between their two spacecraft at 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT) as the two vehicles sailed 267 miles over the South Pacific Ocean.
The Crew Dragon crew will install some ducts for air circulation before entering the station. Inside the station, the station's Expedition 64 crew is eagerly awaiting their new crewmates.
SpaceX Crew-2 docks at space station
SpaceX's Crew-2 Dragon spacecraft successfully docked itself at the International Space Station Saturday (April 24), making history as the first used SpaceX capsule to ferry astronauts to the orbiting lab.
The Crew Dragon Endeavour docked at the space station at 5:08 a.m. EDT (0908 GMT) to deliver NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide of Japan and Thomas Pesquet of France to their new home for the next six months.
After a series of leak checks, the hatches between Endeavour and the space station will be opened at 7:15 a.m. EDT (1115 GMT). A welcome ceremony with all 11 of the astronauts on the station is expected at 7:45 a.m. EDT.
Crew-2 astronauts wake for docking day
The four Crew-2 astronauts have awakened in orbit aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour for what will be their docking day at the International Space Station. Astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur (both of NASA), Akihiko Hoshide of Japan and Thomas Pesquet of France awoke at just after 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT) to start their Flight Day 2.
Endeavour is scheduled to dock itself at the space station on Saturday, April 24, at 5:10 a.m. EDT (0910 GMT) after a series of orbital maneuvers, a flyaround of the station and closing burns to dock at the forward port of the station's U.S.-built Harmony module.
Elon Musk: "Feels like a dream"
Speaking during a news conference held shortly after launch, SpaceX founder Elon Musk talked about how important it was for the company to be flying crew. "I'm just really proud of the SpaceX team and honored to be partnered with NASA and helping with JAXA and ESA as well," he said. Read more here
Amazing photos of Crew-2 launch
SpaceX's Crew-2 astronaut launch for NASA painted the predawn sky with dazzling colors and the photos are just spectacular. This photo, taken by Space.com contributor Amy Thompson, shows SpaceX's Falcon 9 1st stage and 2nd stage after separation.
Check out some other truly amazing photos of SpaceX's Crew-2 launch here!
NASA, SpaceX to hold post-launch press conference
NASA and SpaceX are expected to hold a press conference at around 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT) to discuss today's successful launch to the International Space Station. You can follow that press conference in the livestream above or by visiting here.
Crew Dragon Endeavour chasing space station
SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour is chasing the International Space Station in what will be a 23-hour flight to the orbiting laboratory.
Endeavour has performed a "phasing burn" one of several maneuvers to keep the spacecraft on track to arrive at the International Space Station on Saturday, April 24. Docking is set for 5:10 a.m. EDT (0910 GMT).
The four Crew-2 astronauts will soon take off their sleek SpaceX-issue spacesuits and don more comfortable clothes for trip to the space station.
Crew Dragon safely in orbit
Following a spectacular early morning launch of the Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, Crew Dragon and its crew of four astronauts are safely in orbit.
Crew Dragon has separated from the Falcon’s second stage, nosecone deploy is coming up as the spacecraft is beginning its approach to the International Space Station.
Touchdown! Falcon 9 1st stage nails landing at sea
The first stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket for today's Crew-2 launch has successfully landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Atlantic Ocean following today's astronaut launch for NASA.
This marks the second landing for this Falcon 9 rocket and the second crewed flight. It launched NASA's Crew-1 astronaut mission to the International Space Station in November 2020.
LIFTOFF! Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon heading for orbit
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft has lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.
NASA Crew-2 commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur are reporting that the launch vehicle and spacecraft are performing nominally as they commence the 12-minute climb to orbit.
Falcon 9 & Crew Dragon: T-minus 5 minutes and counting
The Crew Dragon spacecraft has transitioned to internal power for this morning's launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 5:49 AM EDT (0949 GMT) from Launch Complex 39A at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
The Falcon 9 propellant tanks have been topped off with liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1). As the countdown nears T-0, flight computers will assess the Falcon 9 engine steering system and the vehicle’s propellant tanks will be pressurized to flight pressure.
At T-minus 3.3 seconds, the engine controller commands the Merlin engines ignition sequence to commerce, building up to maximum power for launch
In the Crew Dragon spacecraft, Crew-2 mission commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur are conducting final launch preparations, assisted by mission specialists Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet.
No technical issues are being worked. Weather conditions are ‘Green.’ GO FOR LAUNCH!
Here’s a summary of the final countdown and ascent to orbit milestones:
-00:01:00 Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks
-00:01:00 Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
-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
+00:00:58 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
+00:02:33 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
+00:02:36 1st and 2nd stages separate
+00:02:44 2nd stage engine starts
+00:07:15 1st stage entry burn
+00:08:47 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
+00:08:52 1st stage entry burn
+00:09:22 1st stage landing
+00:12:00 Crew Dragon separates from 2nd stage
+00:12:46 Dragon nosecone open sequence begins
Falcon 9 & Crew Dragon: T-minus 10 minutes and counting
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet onboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft, has been cleared for launch at 5:49 AM EDT (0949 GMT).
The mission management team has been polled and all have reported 'Go for launch.' The four astronauts are strapped into their seats, running through pre-launch checklists and are closely monitoring spacecraft systems in preparation for their ascent to orbit.
No technical or vehicle issues are being worked at this time, with very little chatter on the internal communication loops. Weather conditions and the Eastern Range are ‘Green’ for launch.
Falcon 9 ‘GO’ for propellant load
Falcon 9 has been cleared to commence propellant loading. The SpaceX launch director has just given the OK to start fueling the first stage of the 215 foot-tall (65 meter) two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which is powered by liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1).
The crew access arm is being retracted and Crew Dragon’s emergency launch escape system will be armed, preparing the spacecraft to separate from the launch vehicle in the unlikely event of anomaly on the pad or during ascent. Once the system is armed, propellant loading will soon follow.
Crew Dragon features an advanced abort system with eight SuperDraco engines and a series of parachutes that can be activated instantaneously from the moment they are armed on the launch pad all the way through orbital insertion.
The four astronauts have just closed and locked their visors in preparation for launch.
The SpaceX launch team is not working any technical issues at this time with Falcon 9 or Crew Dragon. Weather is currently ‘Green’ for launch.
Launch is scheduled for 5:49 AM EDT (0949 GMT).
Closeout Crew Departs Launch Pad
Rock, paper, scissors!The crew is going through their steps ahead of schedule and are passing the extra time aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft with a couple of rounds of the game. pic.twitter.com/1MUSHQUnyiApril 23, 2021
SpaceX's closeout crew has departed Launch Pad 39A ahead of today's Crew-2 astronaut launch on a Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endeavour.
Today's countdown has proceeded smoothly, with no weather or vehicle concerns.
NASA has captured some video of the Crew-2 astronauts playing Rock, Paper, Scissors inside Endeavour after hatch closure. Check it out above.
Update: That hand signal game by the Crew-2 astronauts was not, in fact, Rock Paper Scissors, but a game astronaut Thomas Pesquet played as a kid growing up in France, per NASA.
Countdown proceeding smoothly
The countdown is proceeding smoothly for this morning’s launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Liftoff is scheduled for 5:49 AM EDT (0949 GMT).
Communication checks between the launch team, flight controllers and the spacecraft have been completed.
The launch team is carefully reviewing vehicle data to decide if fueling operations can commence; shortly, the SpaceX launch director is expected to give the OK to start loading propellants into the 215 foot-tall (65 meter) two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Falcon 9 is powered by liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1).
The launch team is not working any technical issues at this time.
Crew Dragon hatch closed for launch
Crew Dragon's Endeavour hatch has been closed and latched for flight, the four astronauts are strapped into their seats and preparations are progressing smoothly for this morning’s Falcon 9 launch attempt from Launch Complex 39A at Florida's Kennedy Space Center - the second operational mission to the International Space Station in the Commercial Crew Program.
SpaceX's black-clad close-out crew are about 16 minutes ahead of schedule for their launch prep work.
Crew-2 mission commander Shane Kimbrough and pilot Megan McArthur have completed air-to-ground communications checks to ensure that the four astronauts can talk to flight controllers and each other during the spacecraft's ascent to orbit. Suit leak checks have also been completed.
Launch is scheduled for 5:49 AM EDT (0949 GMT). The launch team is not tracking any technical issues; launch weather forecast remains favorable, with a 90 percent probability of acceptable conditions at launch time.
All 4 Crew-2 astronauts aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour
All four Crew-2 astronauts have boarded their SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour for today's predawn launch to the International Space Station. You can see them in the NASA TV image above. From left, they are: ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide.
The astronauts have closed their SpaceX spacesuit helmets for leak checks and swiveled their seats upward into launch position for today's launch at 5:49 a.m. EDT (0949 GMT).
2 astronauts have boarded Crew Dragon
NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Meghan McArthur are now inside the Crew Dragon. ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will board next.
Astronauts arrive at the launch pad
The four Crew-2 astronauts have arrived at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where they will lift off less than three hours from now. In about 15 minutes the astronauts will begin to board the Crew Dragon Endeavour.
Crew-2 astronauts are almost done suiting up
NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet are just about finished getting into their SpaceX spacesuits ahead of their flight.
The crew is scheduled to leave the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at 2:29 a.m. EDT (0629 GMT) and board their Tesla Model X vehicles, in which they will be driven to Launch Complex 39A.
They are scheduled to arrive at the launch site at 2:54 a.m. EDT (0654 GMT).
NASA's Crew-2 launch webcast is live now!
NASA's live broadcast of the SpaceX Crew-2 launch to the International Space Station has begun! We are just over four hours away from liftoff, which is scheduled for 5:49 a.m. EDT (0949 GMT).
You can watch the launch live here and find more information about NASA's Crew-2 webcasts here.
SpaceX launch may be visible from the US East Coast
SpaceX's Crew-2 astronaut launch will liftoff from Florida's Space Coast before sunrise on Friday, April 23, and there's a chance for observers along the U.S. East Coast to see the rocket's ascent into orbit.
According to Space.com columnist Joe Rao, skywatchers with clear skies have a chance to see the second stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as it streaks toward space. Exactly when the Falcon 9 will be visible, and for how long, depends on your location along the East Coast.
You can see tips on when and how to see the SpaceX launch in our full story here.
SpaceX ready for Crew-2 launch
SpaceX is less than a day away from launching the Crew-2 astronauts to the International Space Station.
As with every SpaceX launch for NASA, you'll be able to watch the mission live online. NASA's webcast will begin at 1:30 a.m. EDT (0630 GMT) and then run continuously through docking at the space station on Saturday.
Here's our full preview for Friday's launch from contributor Amy Thompson in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Crew-2 Launch Delayed
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of the Crew-2 astronaut mission to the International Space Station to no earlier than Friday, April 23 due to bad weather downrange. Liftoff is now set for 5:49 a.m. EDT (0949 GMT).
"Although conditions around the launch site were expected to be favorable for liftoff, mission teams also must consider conditions along the flight path and recovery area in the unlikely event of a launch escape," NASA officials said in a statement today.
Crew-2 astronauts arrive at launch site
The four astronauts of NASA's Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station have arrived at their Kennedy Space Center launch site for an April 22 launch on SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour and Falcon 9 rocket.
The crew, NASA astronauts Shanek Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, arrived at KSC's Launch and Landing Facility (a former Shuttle Landing Facility). They are scheduled to launch on April 22 at 6:11 a.m. EDT (1011 GMT).
Today (April 17), the Crew-2 astronauts will hold a virtual press conference at 9:45 a.m. EDT (1345 GMT). You can watch it live on this page and here on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV.
One week to launch for SpaceX's Crew-2
SpaceX is one week away from launching four astronauts into space for NASA to begin a months-long trek to the International Space Station.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the astronauts on the Crew-2 mission for NASA on Thursday, April 22. Liftoff is set for 6:11 a.m. EDT (1011 GMT). The space agency will hold a Flight Readiness Review briefing today, April 15, at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT) to discuss the mission. You can watch that live here and follow along at the top of this page.
The Crew-2 mission will launch from NASA's historic Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon Endeavour, which launched SpaceX's first crewed flight for NASA (called Demo-2) in May 2020, will launch the mission.
Crew-2 will launch a four-person crew: NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet. The four space travelers will join seven others aboard the station when they arrive at the station on April 23. Four of those crewmates launched on SpaceX's Crew-2 mission and will return to Earth on April 28. The other three arrived earlier this month on a Russian Soyuz to begin their own extended stay.
-- Tariq Malik
