These 4 Crew-1 astronauts are ready to launch into orbit with SpaceX
By
Amy Thompson
Updated Nov 15, 2020 12:38 AM EST
The four astronauts scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on SpaceX's next crewed mission Sunday (Nov. 15) say they are ready to fly.
The spaceflyers — NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins and Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi — arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Sunday (Nov. 8) and have already begun their final preparations before liftoff.
"We've been here less than 24 hours, and in that time, we have seen our rocket, we've seen our spacecraft Resilience and we've seen our spacesuits," Hopkins, the commander of the mission, which is known as Crew-1, said during a media briefing on Monday (Nov. 9). "And for an astronaut, that's a very good day."
NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins, and JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi pose for a picture with Junichi Sakai, manager of the International Space Station Program for JAXA, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard, and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, after speaking with members of the media following their arrival at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, on Nov. 8, 2020.
(Image: © Joel Kowsky/NASA)
Crew-1 will see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on an 8.5-hour trip to the space station. Liftoff is set for 7:27 p.m. EST on Sunday from KSC's historic Pad 39A. If all goes according to plan, the Crew Dragon — which Hopkins and his fellow crewmates named Resilience — will dock with the ISS on Monday.
Crew-1 is the first operational, contracted mission to launch as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Glover, Hopkins, Walker and Noguchi will stay on board the space station for a six-month mission.
"We're ready for this launch, we're ready for our six months of work that is waiting for us on board the International Space Station, and we're ready for the return," Hopkins said. "Thank you to all the people at NASA and SpaceX and around the world that have helped us get to this point."
Their ride to orbit will be on a shiny new Falcon 9 rocket, which rolled out to the pad overnight last night (Nov. 9-10) for a planned prelaunch static fire test today. That test is a part of normal launch procedures for SpaceX and ensures that the rocket is ready for flight.
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News / Astronomy
These 4 Crew-1 astronauts are ready to launch into orbit with SpaceX
By Amy Thompson
Updated Nov 15, 2020 12:38 AM EST
Partner Content
The four astronauts scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on SpaceX's next crewed mission Sunday (Nov. 15) say they are ready to fly.
The spaceflyers — NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins and Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi — arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Sunday (Nov. 8) and have already begun their final preparations before liftoff.
"We've been here less than 24 hours, and in that time, we have seen our rocket, we've seen our spacecraft Resilience and we've seen our spacesuits," Hopkins, the commander of the mission, which is known as Crew-1, said during a media briefing on Monday (Nov. 9). "And for an astronaut, that's a very good day."
NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins, and JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi pose for a picture with Junichi Sakai, manager of the International Space Station Program for JAXA, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard, and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, after speaking with members of the media following their arrival at the Launch and Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, on Nov. 8, 2020.
(Image: © Joel Kowsky/NASA)
Crew-1 will see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on an 8.5-hour trip to the space station. Liftoff is set for 7:27 p.m. EST on Sunday from KSC's historic Pad 39A. If all goes according to plan, the Crew Dragon — which Hopkins and his fellow crewmates named Resilience — will dock with the ISS on Monday.
Crew-1 is the first operational, contracted mission to launch as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Glover, Hopkins, Walker and Noguchi will stay on board the space station for a six-month mission.
"We're ready for this launch, we're ready for our six months of work that is waiting for us on board the International Space Station, and we're ready for the return," Hopkins said. "Thank you to all the people at NASA and SpaceX and around the world that have helped us get to this point."
Their ride to orbit will be on a shiny new Falcon 9 rocket, which rolled out to the pad overnight last night (Nov. 9-10) for a planned prelaunch static fire test today. That test is a part of normal launch procedures for SpaceX and ensures that the rocket is ready for flight.
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