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The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew-2 Dragon lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at 5:49 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2021, Photo credit: NASA The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying Crew-2 mission astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet on …

Crew Dragon Reaches Orbit, News Conference at 7:30 a.m. EDT Read More »

Crew Dragon Endeavour has separated from the second stage and is flying on its own. The spacecraft is traveling at approximately 17,000 miles per hour. About one minute later the dragon nosecone open sequence will begin.

Stage 1 of the Falcon 9 rocket completed its descent and landed on SpaceX’s drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

The second stage engine continues to burn. About eight minutes into flight, all is well. In about a minute, the second stage engine will shut down. Crew Dragon is now in orbit.

The call came in from Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough that trajectory is nominal. The first stage has started its descent.

The rocket has reached first stage main engine cutoff (MECO). The first and second stages have separated. The second stage engine will start.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with Crew Dragon atop lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the Crew-2 mission April 23, 2021, at 5:49 a.m. The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour lifts off in the early morning from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. …

Liftoff! Crew-2 Astronauts on Their Way to the International Space Station Read More »

Fuel loading is complete. Five minutes to lifoff, and all looks good for the Crew-2 launch!

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts are in orbit following their early morning launch bound for the International Space Station for the second commercial crew rotation mission aboard the microgravity laboratory.

The hatch is now closed on the Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour by the Crew-2 astronauts. Liftoff for Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Akihido Hoshide, and Thomas Pesquet is just under two hours away (5:49 a.m. EDT).