SpaceX, NASA prepares for the historic Crew-1 launch today: Everything to know

The Finally launched. The SpaceX Crew Dragon is on its way to the International Space Station with four astronauts after a successful launch at 7:27 PM ET.

You can read everything you need to know about a successful launch Here.

But a long time has passed. This launch in particular had a multi-story flight, with multiple delays and delays. It was originally supposed to be released in 2016.

Here are answers to your most pressing questions about the mission.

Wait, what was that about the engines?

The Crew-1 target launch date has been pushed back from late October after NASA and SpaceX noticed some unexpected behavior from some Falcon 9 engines that were set to be used on a mission unrelated to Launch of a GPS military satellite. This task is deleted just two seconds before the countdown and Investigation revealed later A stray piece of varnish has clogged a small relief valve line. The blockage caused two of the rocket engines to try to fire early, which could damage the engines and did not automatically stop the take-off.

SpaceX found that the rocket engines to be used for the Crew 1 had “the same directions.” The launch date has been moved to November, the engines have switched, now NASA and SpaceX are satisfied with the time.

Well, why is Crew-1 such a big problem?

Crew-1 is part of the culmination of NASA’s Commercial Crew program that has taken years in the making. For decades, NASA has developed its rockets and spacecraft internally with the help of contractors, but the Commercial Crewe program works more like chartering a flight. Companies like SpaceX and Boeing have vehicles designed for use by other customers, and NASA can ride on them.

It’s also a big step in bringing spaceflight back to American soil. From the end of the space shuttle program in 2011 until The Demo-2 mission that sent two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard the Crew Dragon earlier this year.NASA relied on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to take astronauts into orbit.

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SpaceX is preparing to take the first astronauts into space

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Demo-2 has been considered a successful demonstration of the Crew Dragon and NASA views Crew-1 as the first official crew rotation mission from American shores since the shuttle’s retirement.

“It’s exciting, especially with Crew-1 being the first time we’ve ever put four people in a space capsule,” said Anthony Farha of NASA, the mission’s chief flight director. “As humans, that’s pretty cool.” “It’s also the longest-running mission for a US manned capsule.”

Who are the astronauts flying in the Crew Dragon?

Besides the historic flight, NASA Dragon Crew Leader Michael Hopkins, Pilot Victor Glover and Mission Specialist Shannon Walker, along with JAXA mission specialist Soishi Noguchi will be brought to the space station.

So far, three people in the Soyuz capsule have been a narrow flight, but the Crew Dragon can hold up to seven (for comparison, the Space Shuttle flew crews of up to eight), making the journey of these four astronauts seem relatively wide.

How long is the trip?

Members of Crew-1 embark on a six-month science mission, which is exciting for people involved in the world of orbit and space science because four crew members make the journey to a greater number of hands available on the station to conduct more experiments in microgravity.

“It will be exciting to be able to see how much work we can get done while we’re there,” Hopkins said on Monday.

But first, of course, the astronauts will have to get there. The actual flight to the International Space Station takes just over a full 24 hours from launch on Saturday night to docking with the station on Sunday evening around 8 PM PDT.

How do I watch?

Here. NASA and SpaceX will broadcast the launch, Currently scheduled for Sunday Nov. 15 at 4:27 PM PDT (after being delayed on Saturday due to weather) from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

NASA TV will broadcast the launch and dock, and we will also broadcast a live broadcast that you can watch below.