Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY’s House Workforce stay protection of tonight’s upcoming Crew-8 astronaut launch from Kennedy House Middle.
After a Saturday night time scrub, the Crew-8 group is now concentrating on 10:53 p.m. EST to launch the astronauts’ SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the Worldwide House Station. NASA TV’s launch broadcast is posted on the prime of this web page.
Saturday night time’s unsuccessful launch try was postponed “attributable to unfavorable circumstances within the flight path of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft,” a NASA weblog put up stated.
“The Crew-8 launch will carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, in addition to Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the orbital laboratory. The focused docking time is about 3 a.m. on Tuesday,” the put up stated.
Crews finding out small hatch seal crack
Replace 10:38 p.m.: Shortly after fueling started, an announcement was made: Groups are inspecting a small crack in a facet hatch seal, which might turn out to be a difficulty throughout atmospheric re-entry.
The launch countdown stays underway.
SpaceX Falcon 9 launch milestones
Replace 10:30 p.m.: As a reminder, here is an inventory of the upcoming key occasions within the Falcon 9 launch countdown.
- 10:46 p.m. Falcon 9 begins engine chill previous to launch.
- 10:48 p.m. Dragon transitions to inner energy.
- 10:52 p.m. Command flight pc to start ultimate prelaunch checks.
- 10:52 p.m. Propellant tank pressurization to flight stress begins.
- 10:52 p.m. SpaceX launch director verifies go for launch.
- 10:53 p.m. Falcon 9 liftoff.
SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling now underway
Replace 10:19 p.m.: Falcon 9 rocket fueling procedures at the moment are underway at pad 39A, and the Dragon spacecraft’s escape system is armed, SpaceX introduced.
NASA: Climate now 90% ‘go for launch’
Replace 10 p.m.: “I’ve an replace on the climate. They’d one other climate briefing — and we at the moment are 90% ‘go,’ ” NASA TV broadcaster Megan Cruz introduced with simply multiple hour remaining in tonight’s countdown.
Brevard County Emergency Administration officers have activated the company’s launch operations help group forward of the upcoming Falcon 9 launch.
Crew-8’s farewell waves
Replace 9:44 p.m.: About two hours in the past, FLORIDA TODAY Photographer/Videographer Craig Bailey snapped this picture of Crew-8 waving to media members exterior NASA’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Constructing.
Dragon Endeavour hatch is closed
Replace 9:21 p.m.: Crews have closed the hatch of the Dragon Endeavour’s capsule, and liftoff is scheduled in two hours and 32 minutes.
Crew-8 making third launch try
Replace 9 p.m.: As a reminder, Crew-8’s Falcon 9 was initially scheduled to launch to the ISS at 12:04 a.m. Friday. Nevertheless, excessive winds and waves offshore alongside Dragon Endeavour’s flight path prompted crews to postpone the mission to Saturday night time.
However that Saturday night time try bought scrubbed. The perpetrator: excessive winds alongside the capsule’s ascent hall, SpaceX reported.
Ought to tonight’s launch try show unsuccessful, the following backup alternative is 10:31 p.m. Monday.
Crew-8 now aboard Dragon Endeavour
Replace 8:38 p.m.: SpaceX reported the crew’s seats have rotated into place for liftoff, and go well with leak checks and communication checks are full.
The Dragon Endeavour spacecraft beforehand flew the Demo-2, Crew-2, Ax-1 and Crew-6 missions to and from the ISS — logging 466 days in orbit, SpaceX reported.
SpaceX: Odds of ‘go’ climate as much as 85%
Replace 8:15 p.m.: SpaceX officers simply introduced the chances of “go for launch” climate have elevated from the unique forecast’s 75% likelihood as much as 85%.
NASA TV highlighted a launch forecast that reveals precipitation and anvil clouds are the first meteorological considerations.
Crew-8 can be Cape’s 14th launch this 12 months
Replace 8 p.m.: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission would be the 14th launch to date this 12 months from KSC and adjoining Cape Canaveral House Drive Station.
The House Coast hosted a record-breaking 72 orbital launches final 12 months, and this 12 months’s tempo is quicker.
Click on right here to view FLORIDA TODAY’s abstract of the January launches.
Click on right here to view FLORIDA TODAY’s abstract of the February launches.
Crew-8 license tags: YAYSP8C
Replace 7:36 p.m.: Waving and smiling, the suited-up Crew-8 astronauts simply walked out of NASA’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Constructing, greeted household and well-wishers, and boarded two black Tesla Mannequin Xs amid applause for transport to pad 39A.
The Teslas bear white-and-black license tags stating YAYSP8C — or “yay area.”
Crew-8 launch prep timeline
Replace 7:20 p.m.: Following is NASA’s timeline of “key milestones and significant occasions” main as much as liftoff tonight. All instances are approximate:
- 7:33 p.m. Crew walkout from Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Constructing.
- 7:38 p.m. Crew transportation to pad 39A.
- 7:58 p.m. Crew arrives at pad and ascends tower.
- 8:18 p.m. Crew ingress.
- 8:23 p.m. Communication verify.
- 8:24 p.m. Seat rotation.
- 8:25 p.m. Go well with leak checks.
- 8:58 p.m. Hatch shut.
- 10:08 p.m. SpaceX launch director verifies go for propellant load.
- 10:11 p.m. Crew entry arm retracts.
- 10:14 p.m. Dragon’s launch escape system is armed.
- 10:18 p.m. RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins.
- 10:18 p.m. First-stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins.
- 10:46 p.m. Falcon 9 begins engine chill previous to launch.
- 10:48 p.m. Dragon transitions to inner energy.
- 10:52 p.m. Command flight pc to start ultimate prelaunch checks.
- 10:52 p.m. Propellant tank pressurization to flight stress begins.
- 10:52 p.m. SpaceX launch director verifies go for launch.
- 10:53 p.m. Falcon 9 liftoff.
Crew-8 astronauts are suiting up
Replace 6:57 p.m.: Crew-8 is donning spacesuits contained in the “suit-up room” at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Constructing.
“A group of SpaceX go well with technicians will assist them as they placed on their custom-fitted spacesuits and verify for leaks. Designed for security and performance, the spacesuits provide pressurization, defending the crew from potential depressurization, and a port positioned on the thigh connects to life help methods, together with air and energy. Additionally included within the fits are touchscreen-compatible gloves and a flame-resistant outer layer,” a NASA weblog put up stated.
Crew-8 is:
- NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, commander.
- NASA astronaut Michael Barratt, pilot.
- NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps, mission specialist.
- Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, mission specialist
For the newest information from Cape Canaveral House Drive Station and NASA’s Kennedy House Middle, go to floridatoday.com/area.
Rick Neale is a House Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for extra of his tales, click on right here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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