Update for March 2: SpaceX is now targeting March 3 at 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 on March 3 GMT) for the launch of its Crew-8 astronaut objective for NASA. The times listed below show NASA's upgraded livestream schedule.
SpaceX is poised to introduce 3 astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station (ISS) today on the business's Crew-8 objective for NASA.
The team members' spacecraft, SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavor, will ride atop a Falcon 9 rocket on its 5th flight from the historical Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is presently set up for no earlier than Sunday, March 3 at 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT on March 4). Liftoff had actually been arranged for early Friday early morning (March 1), however bad weather condition required a hold-up.
Crew-8 consists of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick (objective leader), Michael Barratt (objective pilot), Jeanette Epps (objective professional) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin (objective professional). The quartet will invest approximately 6 months aboard the orbital laboratory, participating in over 200 research study examinations and tending to spaceport station upkeep.
Related: ‘It's white-knuckle time:' NASA chief worries security for Crew-8 astronaut launch
Can I view the Crew-8 launch online?
NASA's broadcast of the Crew-8 launch protection will start Sunday at 6:45 p.m. EST (2345 GMT on March 4), and will be offered here at Space.com.
Protection of Crew-8's trip to orbit will include checkpoints starting with Falcon 9's primary booster went back to SpaceX's landing zone at Cape Canaveral and culminating in the release of Endeavor from Falcon 9's 2nd phase. Following the spacecraft's orbital insertion, the Crew Dragon protection will then change to an audio-only feed till the start of the rendezvous and docking broadcast.
Roughly 2 hours after liftoff, NASA is anticipated to hold a post-launch press conference. The early-morning objective check-in will consist of NASA's industrial team program supervisor Steve Stich and ISS program supervisor Joel Montalbano, in addition to SpaceX director of Dragon objective management Sarah Walker.
This is Montalbano's last crewed objective as ISS program supervisor. Continuing his service to NASA, Montalbano has actually been promoted to NASA's deputy partner administer of area operations. NASA revealed that Dana Weigel will start as ISS program supervisor April 7; Weigel will be the very first lady to hold the function.
Docking Coverage
Team Dragon Freedom docked to the International Space Station throughout the Ax-3 objective. (Image credit: NASA)
When in orbit, Crew-8 will invest a little bit more than 27 hours reaching the ISS.
Rendezvous protection is set up to start at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on Tuesday (March 5), about 2.5 hours before docking is anticipated to occur. Team Dragon Endeavor is slated to dock to the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module. Hatch opening will take place about 2 hours later on, after which the present spaceport station team will come together with members of the newly-arrived Crew-8 for a welcome event– an enduring custom whenever astronauts initially come aboard the ISS.
