The Falcon 9 rocket has reached first stage main engine cutoff (MECO), and the first and second stages have separated. Next, the Falcon 9’s second stage engine will start.
First Stage Main Engine Cutoff; First, Second Stages Separate

The Falcon 9 rocket has reached first stage main engine cutoff (MECO), and the first and second stages have separated. Next, the Falcon 9’s second stage engine will start.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, lit up Florida’s night sky, as NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin, started their approximately 28-hour journey to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. Liftoff occurred at …
Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick; Michael Barratt; and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin is now just five minutes away. Everything is proceeding according to schedule, and all is looking good for the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission to …
Fuel loading is complete on the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage. Everything remains on target for the 10:53 p.m. EST scheduled launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fueling has begun. Rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) loading and first stage liquid oxygen loading is underway. A few minutes from now, fueling will begin for the second stage. Launch weather officers with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. Liftoff …
The crew access arm has retracted, and momentarily the Dragon spacecraft’s launch escape system will be armed. This will allow the Crew-8 crew members to escape safely in the unlikely event of an anomaly from the moment the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off until the time they reach orbit – a timespan of roughly …
The confirmation that Dragon is “go” for launch just came through. In just a few minutes, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage will be loaded with rocket grade kerosene, called RP-1, and liquid oxygen. Then, the second stage will be loaded with liquid oxygen.
The SpaceX closeout team has left the crew access arm, which will soon retract away from the Dragon spacecraft. Launch, set for 10:53 p.m. EST, is now a little less than an hour away. Launch weather officers with the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron now predict a 90% chance of favorable weather conditions at …
During their time on the International Space Station, the members of Crew-8 will conduct new scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. Experiments include using stem cells to create organoid models to study degenerative diseases, studying the effects of microgravity and UV radiation on plants at …
With communication checks complete, the hatch now is closed on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, which previously flew NASA’s SpaceX Demo Mission-2, Crew-2 and Crew-6, in addition to Axiom Mission 1. Liftoff for Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin is two hours away at 10:53 p.m. EST. Weather trends continue to …