NASAs SpaceX Crew-8 Mission Coverage is Underway! NASAs SpaceX Crew-8 Mission – NASA Blogs

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the companys Dragon spacecraft on top is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Photo credit: SpaceX

Good evening and welcome to live coverage of NASAs SpaceX Crew-8 mission the eighth crew rotation flight and the ninth human spaceflight mission on SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station for NASAs Commercial Crew Program.

Launch weather officers from the U.S. Spaces Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 40% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for liftoff. The primary weather concerns for the launch area are flight through precipitation and the thick cloud cover.

Launch is scheduled for 11:16 p.m. EST on Saturday, March 2, from Launch Complex 39A at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Here at Kennedy, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped by the companys Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, awaits liftoff just after midnight. NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; Jeanette Epps, mission specialist; along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, mission specialist, will fly to the space station aboard Dragon, which previously flew NASAs SpaceX Demo Mission-2, Crew-2 and Crew-6, in addition to Axiom Mission 1, the first commercial astronaut mission to the microgravity laboratory.

The countdown is proceeding according to schedule. At Kennedys Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, the astronauts have eaten and will undergo medical checks and get a final weather briefing before suiting up.

Starting at 7:15 p.m. EST, on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agencys website there will be continuous live coverage of important Crew-8 activities.

Stay with us as the countdown continues. Well keep you updated on the key milestones throughout this mission. Details about the mission and NASAs Commercial Crew Program can be found by following the Crew-8 blog, the commercial crew blog, X, and Facebook.

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NASAs SpaceX Crew-8 Mission Coverage is Underway! NASAs SpaceX Crew-8 Mission - NASA Blogs