SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has reached Max-Q, the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket. Following this, first stage main engine cutoff occurred, and the first and second stages have separated from each other. The rocket’s first stage booster is scheduled to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station …
Liftoff! NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Heads to Space Station
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission lifted off at 1:17 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This marks the first time a human spaceflight mission launched from the pad. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are already experiencing 2 g while SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon …
Propellant and Liquid Oxygen Loading Begins
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fueling is underway with rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) and first-stage liquid oxygen. About 16 minutes before liftoff, liquid oxygen fueling will begin for the second stage. Liftoff is the next big milestone! Launch weather officers with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 70% chance of favorable weather conditions …
Crew Access Arm Retracts
The launch director just gave a “go” for the crew access arm to retract away from SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket. A few minutes later, Dragon’s launch escape system will be armed to allow the Crew-9 crew members to escape safely in the unlikely event of an anomaly from the moment the SpaceX …
Liftoff One Hour Away for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Launch
The SpaceX closeout team has left the crew access arm, which will soon retract from the Dragon spacecraft. Launch, set for 1:17 p.m. EDT, is now less than an hour away. Launch weather officers with the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron are watching lightning, rain, and wind in the area, but launch currently remains …
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Mission to Perform Science Experiments
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will be busy during their roughly five-month mission at the International Space Station. The Crew-9 members will conduct more than 200 science investigations involving blood clotting studies, moisture effects on plants grown in space, and vision changes in astronauts. Researchers want to determine how environmental conditions …
Hatch Closed on SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft
The Dragon spacecraft’s hatch is now closed. Liftoff of the company’s Falcon 9 rocket remains on track for 1:17 p.m. EDT. NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, will spend about five months at the International Space Station. This is Hague’s second spaceflight to the orbiting laboratory and Gorbunov’s first …
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Secured in Spacecraft
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are strapped in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Hague and Gorbunov soon will go through another round of spacesuit pressurization and communication checks with NASA and SpaceX launch and mission teams. In addition to the two crew members, the spacecraft will carry cargo, science experiments, and personal items …
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Boards Spacecraft
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are climbing into SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Just moments ago, the pair entered the White Room and continued the tradition of signing their names on the NASA meatball logo on the wall. Hague and Gorbunov …
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Arrives at Launch Pad
Members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 are about two hours away from launch! NASA astronaut Nick Hague, commander, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, mission specialist, arrived at Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, where a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft will launch them to the International Space Station. Space …