NASA Updates Coverage for Crew Dragon Launch on Saturday

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (NASA PR) — NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting 3:22 p.m. EDT Saturday, May 30, for the launch of the first commercially built and operated American rocket and spacecraft carrying astronauts to the space station. The first launch attempt, on May 27, was scrubbed due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Full mission coverage begins at 11 a.m., and will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website, as well as numerous other platforms.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and is scheduled to dock to the space station at 10:29 a.m. Sunday, May 31.

Live NASA coverage is as follows. All times are EDT:

Friday, May. 29

• 10 a.m. – Administrator Countdown Clock Briefing (weather permitting; limited in-person media only, no dial in)
  • NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
  • Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana
  • NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren
  • NASA astronaut Nicole Mann

Saturday, May 30

• 11 a.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins (continues through docking)
  • 3:22 p.m. – Liftoff
  • 4:09 p.m. – Crew Dragon phase burn 
  • 4:55 p.m. – Far-field manual flight test 
  • TBD p.m. – Astronaut downlink event from Crew Dragon

• 6:30 p.m. – Postlaunch news conference at Kennedy
  • Administrator Bridenstine
  • Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
  • SpaceX representative
  • Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program
  • NASA Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester

A media phone bridge will be available for this event. Mission operational coverage will continue on NASA TV’s Media Channel.  

Sunday, May 31

• TBD a.m. – Astronaut downlink event from Crew Dragon
• 10:29 a.m. – Docking
• 12:45 p.m. – Hatch Open
• 1:05 p.m. – Welcome ceremony
• 3:15 p.m. – Post-arrival news conference at Johnson
  • NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
  • Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer
  • NASA Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester

A media phone bridge will be available for this event. Launch commentary will switch to NASA TV’s Media Channel.

Monday, June 1

• 11:15 a.m. – Space Station crew news conference, with NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken, and Doug Hurley
• 12:55 p.m. – SpaceX employee event and Class of 2020 Mosaic presentation, with NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken, and Doug Hurley