SpaceX is aiming to launch its first space flight in 2024, and you can watch it live online, but you need to know where and when to watch it.
A SpaceX The Falcon 9 rocket will send four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Crew-8 mission for NASA. Liftoff is currently scheduled Saturday (March 2) at 11:16 pm EST (0416 March 3 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but when the mission begins will depend on weather conditions and the readiness of the launch pad.
read more: SpaceX Crew-8 astronaut mission: Live updates
Crew-8 carried NASA astronauts Matthew Dominique, Michael Barrett, Jeanette Epps, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin on a six-month mission to the ISS. The Space Quartet will rescue their colleagues from SpaceX's Crew-7 mission. Here's when they start and how long the flight will be.
When will SpaceX send Crew-8 astronauts?
Currently, SpaceX is targeting Saturday, March 2, for NASA to launch its Crew-8 astronaut mission. Liftoff is set to an immediate release window 11:16 pm EST (0416 GMT).
An „immediate window” means that, unlike some NASA shuttle missions, SpaceX only needs to launch at its exact destination time to reach the ISS on time.
Previously, SpaceX had targeted a Crew-8 launch after midnight on March 1, with the US Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicting an 85% chance of good weather for the launch. The only concern is the possibility of flying through high winds and rain or rain during lift off, According to the forecast.
But NASA and SpaceX delayed the launch late Saturday due to unfavorable sea weather.
„Joint crews selected an updated launch opportunity due to unfavorable weather forecast for Friday, March 1, in the ocean areas along the Dragon spacecraft's flight path,” NASA wrote in an update Feb. 29 Beginning. „Higher winds and waves are observed in the eastern seaboard and are forecast to continue until Saturday morning. Wind and wave conditions should be acceptable for safe recovery of crew and spacecraft if there is no chance of an abort during the launch or Dragon flight.”
NASA and SpaceX originally intended to launch the Crew-8 mission on February 22, but delayed it to February 28 (eventually March 1) to allow additional time following SpaceX's successful February 18 launch of a private rover from the Moon. Same pad.
Related: 'It's white-knuckle time:' NASA chief urges safety for Crew-8 launch
Can you watch SpaceX's Crew-8 astronaut launch online?
Yes, you can watch SpaceX's Crew-8 launch live online, and you have a few options.
NASA will provide a free live broadcast of it online NASA TV YouTube Channel And NASA+ streaming service, as well as its NASA TV broadcast service. The webcast will start really late March 2 at 7:15 PM EST (0015 March 3 GMT) and operate by separating the spacecraft.
About 2 hours after launch, NASA is expected to hold a post-launch press conference to discuss the results of the launch. The conference will also be broadcast live on NASA TV and NASA+.
SpaceX will host its own live webcast of its Crew-8 launch @SpaceX account on X (formerly Twitter), begins one hour before liftoff, ie March 2 at 10:16 PM EST (0316 GMT).
Space.com will simulcast NASA's Crew-8 livestream to us VideoFromSpace YouTube Channel, March 2nd at 7:15pm EST. You can also watch that live at the top of this page.
Docking coverage
If SpaceX successfully launches the Crew-8 astronauts on March 2nd, you'll be able to watch it live less than 24 hours before they reach the ISS.
NASA will provide a live broadcast of SpaceX's Crew-8 docking operations Sunday, March 3, 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT)A step NASA table.
If all goes well, the Crew-8 Dragon space capsule Endeavor will dock at the ISS. March 2 at 2:10 PM EST (1910 GMT)Parking in the forward-facing berth in the US-built Harmony block of the station.
Who are the Crew-8 astronauts?
Although SpaceX originally designed its Dragon crew capsule to carry seven astronauts, the company has only flown a maximum of four at a time in its crewed vehicles. The Crew-8 mission follows that pattern. You can view detailed biographies of Crew-8 astronauts Meet the Crew-8 Astronauts GuideBut here is a brief summary.
Crew-8 is commanded by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, 42, a U.S. Navy test pilot who joined NASA's space force in 2017. This was his first space flight.
Veteran NASA astronaut Michael Barrett, 64, is a physician-turned-astronaut who serves as a Crew-8 pilot and began his space career in 2000 after serving as a flight surgeon since 1992. Unlike his crew, Barrett has two space missions under his belt: a six-month mission on the ISS in 2009 and the 13-day STS-133 shuttle in 2011, which marked the final mission of NASA's space shuttle Discovery.
NASA astronaut Jeannette Epps, 53, is a Crew-8 mission specialist who made her first spacewalk. Epps is a physicist and aerospace engineer who joined NASA's Space Force in 2009 after working at Ford Motor Company and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, 41, of the Roscosmos space agency, rounded out the crew. Grebenkin joined Roscosmos' cosmonaut corps in 2018 after flying as a pilot in the Russian Air Force. Degree in Engineering, Maintenance and Repair of Aircraft Radio Navigation Systems and Radio Communication, Broadcasting and Television.
Related: SpaceX Crew-8 astronauts eager to launch to ISS on March 1: 'Things may surprise you, but we're ready'
How long will SpaceX's Crew-8 mission last?
SpaceX's entire Crew-8 mission to NASA will last six months (from launch to landing), with the actual launch completed in about 13 minutes.
Crew-8 will mark the fifth flight of SpaceX's Dragon crew capsule Endeavour, which the company used to launch its first crewed flight for NASA – Demo-2 in May 2020. 2 and Crew-6 among others) and the private Ax-1 mission to Axiom Space.
SpaceX does not list any previous flights of the Falcon 9 first-stage booster for Crew-8. The rocket is expected to return to Earth and then land at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at the nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for reuse.
| Time (hr:min:sec) | event | Header Cell – Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
| T-00:45:00 | SpaceX launch director 'Go' for fuel | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
| T-00:42:00 | Group access arm retracts | Row 1 – Cell 2 |
| T-00:39:00 | Dragon Launch Escape System Weapon | Row 2 – Cell 2 |
| T-00:35:00 | RP-1 propellant loading begins | Row 3 – cell 2 |
| T-00:35:00 | First stage liquid oxygen (LOX) loading begins | Row 4 – cell 2 |
| T-00:16:00 | 2nd stage LOX loading begins | Row 5 – cell 2 |
| T-00:07:00 | Falcon 9 engine chilldown begins | Row 6 – cell 2 |
| T-00:5:00 | Dragon in Inner Power | Row 7 – cell 2 |
| T-00:01:00 | Flight computer preview tests | Row 8 – cell 2 |
| T-00:01:00 | Fuel tanks at air pressure | Row 9 – cell 2 |
| T-00:00:45 | Launch Director gives 'GO' to launch | Row 10 – cell 2 |
| T-00:00:03 | Ignition sequence start | Row 11 – cell 2 |
| T-00:00:00 | Falcon 9 Liftoff! | Row 12 – cell 2 |
| T+00:00:58 | Maximum k | Row 13 – cell 2 |
| T+00:02:26 | 1st stage main machine cutting | Row 14 – cell 2 |
| T+00:02:29 | Stage separation | Row 15 – cell 2 |
| T+00:02:37 | 2nd stage engine start | Row 16 – cell 2 |
| T+00:02:43 | First stage boostback burning begins | Row 17 – cell 2 |
| T+00:03:30 | 1st stage boostback burn ends | Row 18 – cell 2 |
| T+00:06:16 | The first stage entry combustion begins | Row 19 – cell 2 |
| T+00:06:27 | 1st stage entry burn is over | Row 20 – cell 2 |
| T+00:07:21 | 1st degree landing burn | Row 21 – cell 2 |
| T+00:07:38 | 1st level landing | Row 22 – cell 2 |
| T+00:08:49 | 2nd stage is machine cutting | Row 23 – cell 2 |
| T+00:11:55 | Dragon Split | Row 24 – cell 2 |
| T+00:12:43 | Dragon Nosecon opens | Row 25 – cell 2 |
What if SpaceX can't launch the Crew-8 mission?
Although the weather looked promising for SpaceX's Crew-8 launch in the early morning hours of March 1, SpaceX was available for the mission on its initial backup dates.
„Obviously, we have two backup options,” Steve Stich, NASA's Commercial Crew program manager, said at a Feb. 25 briefing. „Another one in the evening March 1 at 11:41 PM Eastern Then a day later another, March 2nd at 11:16pm Eastern.”
The weather outlook worsened slightly beginning at 11:41 PM EST (0441 GMT) on March 1, with the 45th Weather Service reporting that the effort had dropped to 65% fair weather (down from 85%).
The weather forecast worsens for a 48-hour delay, with the chance of good weather dropping to 40%.
If SpaceX can't launch on March 2nd, there is at least a backup chance on March 3rd.
The company may try to introduce Crew-8 Sunday, March 3, at 10:53 PM EST (0352 March 4 GMT)SpaceX was written by a Job overview.
Editor's note: You can watch SpaceX's Crew-8 launch to the ISS on February 29 at 8pm EST (March 1 at 0100 GMT) on this page. This story was updated at 1 a.m. EST to reflect the new launch day for the SpaceX Crew-8 mission.