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NASA Sets Coverage for Agency’s SpaceX Crew-6 Events, Launch

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon Endurance spacecraft atop, lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Oct. 5, 2022, on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-5 launch.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon Endurance spacecraft atop, lifts off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Oct. 5, 2022, on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-5 launch. Inside Endurance are NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, commander; Josh Cassada, pilot; and Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata, of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina. The crew is heading to the International Space Station for a science expedition mission as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff occurred at noon EDT.
Credits: Kim Shiflett

Editor’s note: This advisory is no longer current as of Monday, Feb. 27. NASA and SpaceX scrubbed the first launch attempt Monday, and are targeting no earlier than Thursday, March 2, for the next attempt. The agency will issue a new media advisory highlighting upcoming NASA TV coverage.

Editor’s note: This advisory was updated Friday, Feb. 24, to reflect changes in participants for the prelaunch news teleconference and postlaunch news conference.

Editor’s note: This advisory was updated Thursday, Feb. 23, to reflect changes to the docking, hatch opening, and welcome ceremony times for the Crew-6 mission.

Editor’s note: This advisory was updated Wednesday, Feb. 22, to reflect changes to the date and time of the Crew-6 launch, launch broadcast, and associated events.

Editor’s note: This advisory was updated Tuesday, Feb. 21, to reflect changes to the names of SpaceX participants in Crew-6 events.

NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station.

Launch is targeted for 1:45 a.m. EST, Monday, Feb. 27, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 2:38 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Crew arrival at Kennedy, launch, the postlaunch news conference, and docking coverage will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. NASA also will host audio-only news teleconferences following the agency’s flight and launch readiness reviews. Follow all live events at:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

The Crew-6 launch will carry two NASA astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Warren Hoburg, along with UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who will serve as mission specialists for a space station science expedition.

This is the sixth crew rotation mission with astronauts using the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the orbiting laboratory as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. This Dragon is named Endeavour.

The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.

All media participation in the following news conferences will be remote except where specifically listed below.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Tuesday, Feb. 21

12:30 p.m. (approximately) – Crew arrival media event at Kennedy on NASA Television

  • Kelvin Manning, deputy director, Kennedy
  • Dana Hutcherson, deputy manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
  • Salem AlMarri, director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
  • NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen
  • NASA astronaut Warren Hoburg
  • UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi
  • Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev

The event is limited to in-person media only. Follow Commercial Crew and Kennedy Space Center on Twitter for the latest arrival updates.

6 p.m. (approximately) – Flight Readiness Review media teleconference (no earlier than one hour after completion of the review) with the following participants:

  • Ken Bowersox, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
  • Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
  • Dana Weigel, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston
  • Emily Nelson, chief flight director, Johnson
  • William Gerstenmaier, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
  • Adnan AlRais, mission manager UAE Astronaut Mission 2, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 4 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 21 at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Saturday, Feb. 25

10:30 p.m. (approximately) – Prelaunch News Teleconference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants:

  • Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
  • Dana Weigel, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, Johnson
  • Zeb Scoville, deputy chief flight director, Johnson
  • Kirt Costello, chief scientist, International Space Station Program, Johnson
  • Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Program, SpaceX
  • Salem AlMarri, director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
  • Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Sunday, Feb. 26

10:15 p.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins

Monday, Feb. 27

1:45 a.m. – Launch

Following conclusion of launch and ascent coverage, NASA coverage of agency’s Crew-6 flight to the space station will continue with audio only, and full coverage resuming at the start of the arrival broadcast. Viewers may continue to listen to real-time audio between Crew-6 and flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Audio stream, which also includes conversations with astronauts aboard the space station and a live video feed from the orbiting laboratory.

3:30 a.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch news conference on NASA TV

  • Ken Bowersox, deputy associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
  • Ven Feng, deputy manager, Commercial Crew Program, Johnson
  • Dana Weigel, deputy manager, International Space Station Program, Johnson
  • Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Program, SpaceX
  • Salem AlMarri, director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre

Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 1 a.m., Monday, Feb. 27, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.

Tuesday, Feb. 28

12:45 a.m. – NASA TV arrival coverage begins

2:38 a.m. – Docking to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module

4:25 a.m. – Hatch opening

5:10 a.m. – Welcome ceremony

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 10:15 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 26. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/live

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240 or -7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.

NASA Website Launch Coverage

Launch day coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 10:15 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 26, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on our launch blog at:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, FM mode, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.

Attend launch virtually

Members of the public may register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following a successful launch.

Watch, engage on social media

Let people know you’re following the mission on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtags #Crew6 and #NASASocial. You can also stay connected by following and tagging these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @Space_Station, @ISS_Research, @ISS National Lab, @SpaceX, @Commercial_Crew

Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab, @SpaceX

Did you know NASA has a Spanish section called NASA en Espanol? Make sure to check out NASA en Espanol on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more coverage on Crew-6.

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo, 321-501-8425, antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov.

NASA will provide a live video feed of Launch Complex 39A approximately 48 hours prior to the planned liftoff of the Crew-6 mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA TV, approximately four hours prior to launch.

Once the feed is live, you will find it here:

https://youtube.com/kscnewsroom

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, more science, and more commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars.

For NASA’s launch blog and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

-end-

Joshua Finch / Lora Bleacher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / lora.v.bleacher@nasa.gov

Brittney Thorpe
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
brittney.thorpe@nasa.gov

Leah Cheshier / Dan Huot
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / daniel.g.huot@nasa.gov

Joshua Finch / Lora Bleacher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / lora.v.bleacher@nasa.gov
Brittney Thorpe
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
brittney.thorpe@nasa.gov
Leah Cheshier / Dan Huot
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov / daniel.g.huot@nasa.gov