NASA and SpaceX will soon be making their first operational launch of the new Crew Dragon capsule, which will ferry astronauts between Earth and the International Space Station. The launch was originally scheduled for yesterday, Saturday, November 14, but was delayed until today, Sunday, November 15 due to weather conditions.
You can watch the drama and the beauty of the launch live, as it will be shown on NASA TV. We have all the details on how to watch.
When is the Crew Dragon launch?
The launch is scheduled for 7:27 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 15. It will take place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
After launch, the Crew Dragon will journey to the International Space Station. The capsule is scheduled to dock around 11 p.m. ET on Monday, November 16.
What to expect from the Crew Dragon launch
This is the first operational flight of the Crew Dragon, following the first crewed test flight of the spacecraft this summer. The personnel aboard the Crew Dragon for the operational flight, known as Crew-1, are NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, plus Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
These four astronauts are headed to the International Space Station to join the Expedition 64 crew, which includes astronaut Kate Rubins of NASA and Expedition 64 commander Sergey Ryzhikov of Roscosmos. While there, the crew will take part in various spacewalks and perform scientific research, as well as oversee the docking of various uncrewed spacecraft, including the Northrop Grumman Cygnus and the next generation of SpaceX cargo Dragon spacecraft.
The crew will also oversee the arrival of the Boeing Starliner on its uncrewed test flight. Boeing hopes that its Starliner will eventually be used for transporting crew to the International Space Station, along with the SpaceX Crew Dragon. However, there have been a variety of issues in the Starliner’s development, so progress has been slow.
How to watch SpaceX’s return to crewed launches
If you’re wanting to watch the SpaceX launch on TV, the Crew Dragon launch will be shown on the NASA TV channel. You can also watch the event online, either on NASA’s website or by using the video embedded at the top of this page. Coverage of launch activities begins at 3:15 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 15, with the launch scheduled for 7:27 p.m. ET.
There will be continuing coverage of the event through Sunday night and Monday, and coverage of the docking of the Crew Dragon with the International Space Station is scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Monday.
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