BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – When Crew Dragon’s hatch closes Wednesday afternoon, veteran NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will officially be strapped in…
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – When Crew Dragon’s hatch closes Wednesday afternoon, veteran NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will officially be strapped in for one of the most critical launches in recent memory.
With most major readiness reviews and pre-launch checks out of the way, the duo is set to launch from Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A on the first U. S.-hosted crewed mission in nearly a decade. NASA and SpaceX are targeting 4:33 p.m. ET for liftoff.
“Everything is looking good. As of right now, we are ‘go’ for launch,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters Tuesday morning. “Our country has been through a lot. This is a unique moment where all of America can take a moment and look at our country do something stunning again.”
Expected at KSC for the launch: President Trump, Vice President Pence, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, at least half a dozen current and former astronauts, and countless other VIPs. They will be joined by a much smaller press corps and other visitors than had been expected before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The latest Space Force-issued forecast shows a 60% chance of favorable conditions for the liftoff, which must happen at 4:33 p.m. or delay to another day due to the mechanics required to reach the International Space Station.
