News
NASA Updates Coverage for Agency’s SpaceX Crew-6 Launch
NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 12:34 a.m. EST Thursday, March 2, to launch the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft will be from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Live launch coverage will begin at 8:45 p.m., Wednesday, on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. Follow all events at:
Mission teams stood down from a Feb. 27 launch attempt to review an unusual data signature related to the ignition fluid, known as triethylaluminum triethylboron (TEA-TEB), used to start the Falcon 9’s first stage kerosene and liquid oxygen Merlin engines. SpaceX removed propellant from the Falcon 9 rocket and the crew safely exited the Dragon spacecraft.
After a thorough review of the data and ground system, both NASA and SpaceX teams identified a clogged filter on the ground as the cause. SpaceX teams replaced the filter, purged the TEA-TEB line with nitrogen, and verified the lines are clean and ready for the next launch attempt early Thursday morning.
The Crew-6 launch will carry two NASA astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Warren Hoburg, along with UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who will serve as mission specialists for a space station science expedition.
This is the sixth crew rotation mission using the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the orbiting laboratory as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. This Dragon is named Endeavour.
The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Wednesday, March 1
8:45 p.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins
Thursday, March 2
12:34 a.m. – Launch
Following conclusion of launch and ascent coverage, NASA coverage of the agency’s Crew-6 flight to the space station will continue with audio only, and full coverage resuming at the start of the arrival broadcast. Viewers may continue to listen to real-time audio between Crew-6 and flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Audio stream, which also includes conversations with astronauts aboard the space station and a live video feed from the orbiting laboratory.
2:30 a.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch news conference on NASA TV with the following participants:
- Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Dina Contella, operations integration manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
- Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Program, SpaceX
- Salem AlMarri, director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 12 a.m., Thursday, March 2, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
11:30 p.m. – NASA TV arrival coverage begins for docking
Friday, March 3
1:17 a.m. – Docking to the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module
2:55 a.m. – Hatch Opening
3:40 a.m.– Welcome Ceremony
NASA TV launch coverage
NASA TV live coverage will begin at 8:45 p.m., Wednesday. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:
Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which may be accessed by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240 or -7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.
NASA website launch coverage
Launch day coverage of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 8:45 p.m., Wednesday, March 1, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on our launch blog at:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, FM mode, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
Attend launch virtually
Members of the public may register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following a successful launch.
Watch, engage on social media
Let people know you’re following the mission on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtags #Crew6 and #NASASocial. You can also stay connected by following and tagging these accounts:
Twitter: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @Space_Station, @ISS_Research, @ISS National Lab, @SpaceX, @Commercial_Crew
Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab
Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab, @SpaceX
Did you know NASA has a Spanish section called NASA en Espanol? Make sure to check out NASA en Espanol on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more coverage on Crew-6.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo, 321-501-8425, antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov.
NASA will provide a live video feed of Launch Complex 39A approximately 48 hours prior to the planned liftoff of the Crew-6 mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA TV, approximately four hours prior to launch.
Once the feed is live, you will find it here:
https://youtube.com/kscnewsroom
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, more science, and more commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASA’s next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars.
For NASA’s launch blog and more information about the mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew