Update
Launch delay: Takeoff is now scheduled for Sunday 15 November
SpaceX has postponed the launch of the Crew-1 astronaut to NASA until no later than Sunday 15 November, due to unacceptable ground winds and impacts on the Falcon 9 rocket recovery operations upon landing.
Liftoff is now set not earlier Sunday, November 15 at 7:27 PM EST (0027 GMT).
Read our full story here.
T-1 Launch Day: Elon Musk tests positive for COVID-19
With SpaceX and NASA now a day away from launching four astronauts to the International Space Station on the Crew-1 mission, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Advertise on Twitter He had received two positive for COVID-19 and two negative tests in a recent examination.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said today that he does not currently expect the Musk news to influence the launch of Crew-1 on Saturday (Nov.14). It is unclear if Musk is in Florida for the launch or at SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
“We are looking to SpaceX to do any appropriate contact tracing,” Bridenstein told reporters at a news conference today at NASA’s countdown clock at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Something very fake is happening. Coronavirus was tested four times today. Two tests were negative and two were positive. Same machine, same test, same nurse. BD rapid antigen test.November 13, 2020
SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission is set to launch four astronauts to the space station at 7:49 pm EST (0049 November 15 GMT) From Pad 39A at KSC. It’s NASA’s first operational crew mission by SpaceX after the company’s first historic manned test flight, the Demo-2, this summer. There’s a 70% chance of good starting weather for the mission.
The Crew-1 mission will launch NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soicho Noguchi on a six-month mission to the station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
On Thursday, the Crew-1 astronauts performed a rehearsal for their launch. They donned their stylish space suit from SpaceX and drove off to Pad 39A in a convoy of white Tesla cars. They also landed their Crew Dragon spacecraft (which the astronauts called “Flexibility”) to practice launches.
Later in the day, NASA and SpaceX will hold a readiness to launch review meeting to conduct a final check that the Crew-1 mission is ready to fly. This will be followed by a NASA press conference once this meeting is complete. NASA hasn’t released a briefing yet, but it will be broadcast live and you can watch it here at start-up time.
Set to speak at this briefing are:
Steve Stich, Program Director, Commercial Crew, Kennedy
Joel Montalbano, Director of the International Space Station, Johnson
Curt Costello, Chief Scientist, International Space Station Program, Johnson
Norm Knight, Deputy Director of Flight Operations, Johnson
Benjie Reed, Senior Manager, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
Arlena Musa, Meteorological Officer, 45th Weather Squadron of the US Air Force
With steady firing from the Falcon 9 complete, the crew 1 astronauts prepare for the takeoff
The SpaceX Falcon 9 missile that will launch the Crew-1 mission conducted a static firing test yesterday (November 11). During testing, the missile fired its engines briefly while restrained, as a measure to ensure the vehicle performed properly during launch on Saturday (14 November).
With this milestone complete, the four astronauts on the Crew-1 mission spend the day (12 November) conducting a rehearsal for launch. The crew and NASA and SpaceX personnel supporting the mission will go through every step of the launch process – except for the explosion itself – to make sure the big day goes smoothly.
SpaceX Crew Dragon on the launch pad
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is preparing to launch four NASA astronauts the Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station this week, arriving at the launch pad.
The Crew-1 spacecraft and its Falcon 9 missile (also built by SpaceX) moved to NASA’s historic 39A launch pad Monday night (Nov.9) and is now at the launch site to test a static fire engine expected later today.
Meanwhile, NASA and SpaceX officials have completed their review of the Crow Dragon and Falcon 9 missile for this launch and will hold a press conference at 3:30 pm EST (1930 GMT) to discuss their plans. You can watch this live on Space.com, with permission from NASA.
NASA, SpaceX demonstrates Cabin Crew 1 readiness
NASA and SpaceX mission managers hold a full-day flight readiness review (Nov.9) to decide on the upcoming SpaceX Dragon crew to transport astronauts ready to fly.
The review takes place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket prepares to launch a Crew-1 mission to NASA’s space station. “The review focuses on the readiness of the crew transport system for SpaceX, the International Space Station, and its international partners in flight support, and certification of flight readiness,” NASA officials said in a statement.
NASA Human Spaceflight Chief Cathy Louders leads today’s meeting. SpaceX Vice President for Construction and Aviation Reliability Hans Koenigsman is SpaceX’s top representative.
NASA will hold a press conference later today to discuss the findings of today’s flight readiness review. This event should start one hour after the meeting closes.
Meanwhile, the Astronauts of Crew 1 will answer media questions at 1:15 pm EST (1815 GMT). You can watch it live here.
The arrival of the first crew astronauts at the launch site
The crew of four astronauts on NASA’s SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission arrived at the Kennedy Space Center launch site for their scheduled November 14 launch to the International Space Station.
NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC to prepare for their next launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Takeoff is scheduled for 7:49 PM EST (2249 GMT) on Saturday.
Hopkins will lead the Crew-1 mission, which will be launched to the station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Falcon 9 rocket. The Crew 1 astronauts have named their spacecraft “resilient” for the flight.
“On behalf of the Resilience Staff, on behalf of our families, we want to say“ a big thank you ”to all the people at SpaceX, NASA, and (the Department of Defense) who have worked tirelessly to get us to this point. It was truly an incredible effort by a group. Do not believe it people, ”Hopkins said in a statement. For the crew: We are ready.
On Monday (November 9), the NASA and SpaceX mission managers will hold a flight readiness review meeting at the Kennedy Space Center to ensure everyone is prepared for the next flight. NASA will hold a press conference one hour after the meeting concludes to inform the public of all.
You can also join the webcast of NASA’s Virtual Crew Media Engagement program at 1:15 PM EST (1815 GMT) Monday on NASA TV. You can watch this live online here and via NASA.gov/live and NASA’s YouTube Channel.
NASA is targeting SpaceX on November 14 to launch Crew-1
NASA announced Monday (Oct 26) that SpaceX’s Crew-1 mission is now scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on Saturday, November 14, at 7:49 PM EST (0049 GMT on November 15).
Scheduled to be launched on August 30, Crew-1 faced many delays in launch. NASA pushed the mission first to late September, then to October 23, then to October 31, and finally to early to mid-November, citing logistical and technical issues. Newly announced Target-date companies hit this latest timeline.
NASA also announced that it will hold a press conference on Wednesday, October 28, at 4 PM EST (2000 GMT) “to discuss the upcoming launch, including results of the recent test of Falcon 9 Merlin engines following unexpected data that SpaceX has observed during You can watch it directly here on Space.com, with permission from NASA TV, or directly via the agency’s website, the agency said in a statement.
