A Look at Today’s Launch Milestones
We’re about 4 hours away from the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission. Below are key milestones leading up to launch, along with critical events that occur shortly after liftoff. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to launch at 11:10 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Time Event (All times approximate)
7:00 a.m. | Suit donning and checkouts
7:40 a.m. | Crew walkout from Neil A. Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building
7:45 a.m. | Crew transportation to launch pad
8:05 a.m. | Crew arrives at pad and ascends tower
8:34 a.m. | Crew enters SpaceX Dragon spacecraft
8:50 a.m. | Communication check
8:55 a.m. | Seat rotation
9:00 a.m. | Suit leak checks
9:15 a.m. | Hatch close
10:25 a.m. | SpaceX launch director verifies go for propellant load
10:28 a.m. | Crew access arm retracts
10:31 a.m. | Dragon’s launch escape system is armed
10:35 a.m. | RP‑1 loading begins
10:35 a.m. | 1st stage liquid oxygen loading begins
10:54 a.m. | 2nd stage liquid oxygen loading begins
11:03 a.m. | Falcon 9 begins engine chill
11:09 a.m. | Dragon transitions to internal power
11:09 a.m. | Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks
11:09 a.m. | Propellant tank pressurization begins
11:09 a.m. | SpaceX launch director verifies go for launch
11:09 a.m. | Engine ignition sequence start
11:10 a.m. | Falcon 9 liftoff
11:11 a.m. | Max Q
11:12 a.m. | 1st stage main engine cutoff
11:12 a.m. | Stage separation
11:12 a.m. | Stage 1 flip
11:12 a.m. | Second stage engine start ‑1
11:12 a.m. | Boostback burn starts
11:13 a.m. | Boostback burn ends
11:16 a.m. | 1st stage entry burn begins
11:16 a.m. | 1st stage entry burn ends
11:17 a.m. | Landing burn begins
11:17 a.m. | 1st stage landing
11:18 a.m. | Second stage engine cutoff ‑1
11:19 a.m. | Dragon separates from 2nd stage
11:20 a.m. | Dragon nosecone open sequence begins
NASA’s live launch broadcast begins at 9:20 a.m. and streams through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online:
