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Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY’s House Crew dwell protection of tonight’s upcoming Crew-8 astronaut launch from Kennedy House Middle.
After a Saturday night time scrub, the Crew-8 staff is now focusing 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 high 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 mentioned.
“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 mentioned.
Crew-8 now aboard Dragon Endeavour
Replace 8:38 p.m.: SpaceX reported the crew’s seats have rotated into place for liftoff, and swimsuit 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% probability as much as 85%.
NASA TV highlighted a launch forecast that exhibits precipitation and anvil clouds are the first meteorological considerations.
Crew-8 shall be Cape’s 14th launch this yr
Replace 8 p.m.: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission would be the 14th launch up to now this yr from KSC and adjoining Cape Canaveral House Power Station.
The House Coast hosted a record-breaking 72 orbital launches final yr, and this yr’s tempo is quicker.
Click here to view FLORIDA TODAY’s summary of the January launches.
Click here to view FLORIDA TODAY’s summary 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 house.”
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 occasions 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 test.
- 8:24 p.m. Seat rotation.
- 8:25 p.m. Swimsuit 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 laptop to start last 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 staff of SpaceX swimsuit technicians will assist them as they placed on their custom-fitted spacesuits and test 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 assist techniques, 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 mentioned.
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 Power Station and NASA’s Kennedy House Middle, go to floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a House Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for extra of his tales, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
