The next commercial crew is on its way to space, and you can watch all the action live.
A SpaceX Crew Dragon will send four people to the International Space Station (ISS), including the first Native American woman in space and the first Russian cosmonaut to take a seat on a commercial spacecraft. Crew-5 is slated to lift off at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) on Wednesday (Oct. 5) and you can watch live here at Space.com, via NASA Television, and receive updates on the NASA website, app and social media.
The spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Nicole Mann (a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in northern California) and Josh Cassada, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina.
Related: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts ready for historic mission
NASA Television (and Space.com) will carry coverage (opens in new tab) of all the pre-flight and flight events, ranging from the launch readiness review outcome to launch activities to docking at the ISS. A list of the key events is below. Note that some of these times may change due to operational requirements.
Monday, Oct. 3
7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) — Prelaunch news teleconference at Kennedy Space Center in Florida (no earlier than one hour after completion of the launch readiness review). The news conference will include the following participants:
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy Space Center
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson Space Center
- Emily Nelson, chief flight director, Johnson Space Center
- Kirt Costello, chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
- Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
- Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station, JAXA
- Sergei Krikalev, executive director, Human Space Flight Programs, Roscosmos
- Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron
Wednesday, Oct. 5
8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT) — NASA TV launch coverage begins.
12 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT) — Launch of Crew-5.
1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) — Post-launch news conference on NASA TV with the following participants:
- Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy Space Center
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson Space Center
- Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
- Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
- Sergei Krikalev, executive director, Human Space Flight Programs, Roscosmos
Thursday, Oct. 6
4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 GMT) — Docking to the International Space Station
6:42 p.m. EDT (2242 GMT) — Hatch opening
8:15 p.m. EDT (0015 GMT Friday, Oct. 7) — Welcome ceremony
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