CREW-1

The Crew-1 mission astronauts arrived back on Earth early Sunday morning.

Plunging through the Earth’s atmosphere and splashing down by moonlight SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully returned three American and one Japanese astronaut to Earth following six months in space.

Four astronauts returned to Earth early Sunday splashing down in darkness off Florida’s Gulf Coast following a 6-month stay 200 miles above the planet.

Four astronauts strapped into a Crew Dragon capsule splashed down into the Gulf of Mexico, wrapping up a mission to the International Space Station.

The four astronauts of SpaceX's first operational crewed flight for NASA are ready to come home and you can watch their return to Earth live this weekend.

SpaceX Crew-1 prepare for launch at KSC SpaceX has confirmed all systems are go for the Crew-1 launch. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla, — Four astronauts are set to return early Sunday after 6 months aboard the International Space Station. Officials had delayed the Crew-1′s undocking and splashdown Friday due to weather conditions in the splashdown zones. LIVE: NASA's @SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts are strapped in for their journey home tonight. https://t.co/WX4VuVJXZk — NASA (@NASA) May 1, 2021The Crew Dragon vessel “Resilience” undocked from the International Space Station just after 8:35 p.m. Saturday to begin the trip home.

SpaceX Astronauts Return This photo combination provided by NASA shows from left, Expedition 64 Flight Engineers and SpaceX Crew-1 members Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi. (NASA via AP) (Uncredited)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — (AP) — SpaceX this weekend will attempt the first U.S. splashdown of returning astronauts in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot in 1968. The astronauts — only the second crew to fly SpaceX — will depart the International Space Station on Saturday night aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule that carried them up last November. The departure of NASA's Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker and Japan's Soichi Noguchi will leave seven aboard the space station. Their replacements — representing the U.S., Japan and France — arrived last weekend in their own SpaceX capsule for a six-month mission.

SpaceX will attempt the first U.S. splashdown of returning astronauts in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot in 1968.

NASA and SpaceX delayed the Crew-1 mission astronauts' return to Earth for a second time on Thursday.

NASA and SpaceX have again delayed the return to Earth for four astronauts on the Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station due to bad weather.

The splashdown return to Earth for Crew-1 has been delayed again.

After six months in orbit, the four astronauts who make up the SpaceX Crew-1 mission are ready to head home.

The astronauts are set to undock from the ISS Wednesday and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have had to devise some creative sleeping arrangements, because the orbiting lab is a little crowded right now.

See the best photos on Space.com this week.

These are the top space stories this week from Space.com.

SpaceX's Crew-2 mission will launch to the International Space Station on April 22. See photos of the crewmembers and their preparations for launch.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – The stakes are high, about 200 miles high, for fundraisers, YouTubers and creative space enthusiasts vying to be on board the first private trip to orbit Earth in a SpaceX Crew Dragon. The Inspiration 4 contest established by Jared Isaacman, the CEO of Shift4 Payment, will send four private citizens to low-Earth orbit later this year in the spacecraft. Interested space travelers could enter the competition by either donating to St. Jude or using Shift4Shop to share their business stories on social media. Brevard County launch photographer John Kraus, 21, threw his hat in the ring raising nearly $10,000 for St. Jude with his original photography. The four-person crew will launch from Kennedy Space Center’s launchpad 39A.

In May, SpaceX became the first company ever to launch astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Then, last month, Elon Musk's company launched Crew-1 , its first operational astronaut mission to the station under a $2.6 billion contract with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. St. Nick will travel aboard "his StarSleigh-1 space capsule powered by the Rudolph Rocket," FAA officials wrote in a statement . "The mission license includes both launch and reentry operations and will occur from a U.S.-based spaceport." But how he made those previous trips is unclear, since the newly issued license is the first commercial one that the FAA has given to Santa.

The Crew-1 mission is commanded by NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins with fellow NASA astronaut Victor Glover as pilot. Space Station Spots Crew-1 Dragon SpaceX's Crew-1 Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience is seen from a distance of 200 kilometers in this zoomed-in view from the International Space Station on Nov. 16, 2020. Trump and Biden Hail SpaceX Launch President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden have both issued statements via Twitter on today's successful Crew-1 astronaut launch by SpaceX. Astronauts entering Crew Dragon The Crew-1 astronauts have begun entering their Crew Dragon ‘Resilience’ spacecraft. Crew-1 astronauts arrive at launch site The four-astronaut crew of SpaceX's Crew-1 mission for NASA have arrived at their Kennedy Space Center launch site for their planned Nov. 14 launch to the International Space Station.

This screenshot shows the welcome ceremony for SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts (bottom, from left) Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins and Soichi Noguchi, who arrived at the International Space Station on the night of Nov. 16, 2020. Crew-1, SpaceX's first operational mission to the International Station Station (ISS) for NASA, arrived at the orbiting lab late Monday night (Nov. 16), 27 hours after launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket. "This mission was a dream," NASA human spaceflight chief Kathy Lueders said during a news conference early Tuesday morning (Nov. 17). "It was a dream of us to be able to one day … have crew transportation services to the International Space Station. The first, the Demo-2 test mission , carried NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the station for a two-month stay this past summer.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule has successfully delivered a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time. This is a new era of operational flight to the International Space Station from the Florida coast." With an extra resident on board, the space station will be short on sleeping quarters for the crew. So, Hopkins, commander of Resilience, is planning to camp out in the Crew Dragon spacecraft while his crewmates sleep inside the space station — at least for now. Now that Crew Dragon is certified for regular crewed expeditions, there will be a constant presence of Dragons in orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX’s newly launched capsule with four astronauts arrived Monday at the International Space Station, their new home until spring. The Dragon capsule pulled up and docked late Monday night, following a 27-hour, completely automated flight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. “Oh, what a good voice to hear,” space station astronaut Kate Rubins called out when the Dragon's commander, Mike Hopkins, first made radio contact. But it’s the first time Elon Musk’s company delivered a crew for a full half-year station stay. As they prepared for the space station linkup, the Dragon crew beamed down live window views of New Zealand and a brilliant blue, cloud-streaked Pacific 250 miles below.

President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden both celebrated SpaceX's astronaut launch for NASA on Sunday night (Nov. 15), though the tone of their remarks was quite different. Live updates: SpaceX's Crew-1 astronaut launch for NASARelated: SpaceX's Crew-1 astronaut mission in photosA great launch! The team includes former NASA chief scientists Ellen Stofan and Waleed Abdalati and former NASA astronaut Pam Melroy. Trump's Vice President Mike Pence, who chairs the current National Space Council, was on hand to watch SpaceX's Crew-1 launch. Congratulations to Crew-1 Mission Astronauts @Astro_illini, @AstroVicGlover, Shannon Walker, & Japanese astronaut, @Astro_Soichi!

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Following the tradition of bringing a “gravity indicator” on their spaceflight to the International Space Station, the Crew-1 astronauts selected Baby Yoda for their journey in the SpaceX Dragon capsule. The four astronauts launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in the Crew Dragon capsule called Resilience from Kennedy Space Center in Florida Sunday evening. On the first Crew Dragon flight to the space station without astronauts SpaceX sent an Earth-shaped stuffed animal called Earthy. Baby Yoda is already on a current wave of popularity but a visit to the International Space Station probably won’t hurt. Baby Yoda from the Disney+ show "Mandalorian" seen floating in the Crew Dragon spacecraft on Nov. 15, 2020.

The three Americans and one Japanese should reach the International Space Station late Monday for a five- to six-month stay, following Sunday's liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. A brief look at each:—Crew commander Mike Hopkins, 51, is an Air Force colonel and former space station resident who grew up on a hog and cattle farm in Missouri. He played football for the University of Illinois and, before becoming an astronaut in 2009, worked at the Pentagon. —Shannon Walker, 55, a Houston-born-and-raised physicist, also has lived before on the space station. She worked as a flight controller at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and then behind the scenes in the space station program, before becoming an astronaut in 2004.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft lift off for the Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station. Once operational, their vehicles — SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's CST-100 Starliner — will be NASA's primary means of transporting astronauts to space. Now, this flight marks the first official operational flight of the Crew Dragon capsule. But before the crew could fly, SpaceX had to prove that its Crew Dragon capsule could keep astronauts safe during flight. (Image credit: Soichi Noguchi/ TwitterThe Crew-1 astronauts will be joining three people already living and working on the space station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft launches from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket crackled through the sky Sunday evening, carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft "Resilience" to orbit and marking the beginning of a new era of human spaceflight for NASA. The Crew-1 mission features the first SpaceX launch with a full crew, as NASA this week certified Elon Musk's venture as the first private company with an operational system to launch astronauts to-and-from space. "But also to the SpaceX recovery and launch teams, and all of the NASA teams and [Department of Defense] teams, we wouldn't be up here in [low Earth orbit] without your support." Crew Dragon Resilience is carrying NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi.

The Dragon spacecraft nicknamed Resilience will arrive at the International Space Station about 27 hours after launch, around 11 p.m. Monday. The Dragon spacecraft launch escape system is armed. 4:58 p.m. Space fans ready to watch Falcon 9 launchPeople in Titusville at Space View park came out to watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with four astronauts from Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 15, 2020. SpaceX suit technicians known as SpaceX ninjas, wearing all black, helped the astronauts get into the Crew Dragon spacecraft and into their seats. “We are fully booked tomorrow, too.”She said without the Crew-1 launch and the earlier SpaceX launch in May, her B&B might not have survived.

As the astronauts made their way outside the O&C building the national anthem was performed by country music artist Travis Tritt. This is the last time the astronauts will see their families in person for six months. 🚗Right on schedule, NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 crew is driving out to the launch pad. After a brief goodbye, the astronauts got into Teslas and began their 20-minute ride to the Falcon 9 rocket at Launch Complex 39A. News 6 and ClickOrlando.com will have complete coverage of the Crew-1 launch.

It is due to reach the space station late Monday and remain there until spring. Even the two astronauts on the first SpaceX crew flight stayed behind at Johnson Space Center in Houston. “I didn’t start breathing until about a minute after it took off,” Pence said during a stop at SpaceX Launch Control to congratulate the workers. The first-stage booster is expected to be recycled by SpaceX for the next crew launch. NASA turned to private companies to haul cargo and crew to the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011.

“We have been fully booked since Thursday,” she laughed behind her mask. It’s not only been a tough year for the Space Coast town of Titusville, but a near decade since the end of the Space Shuttle program. “The end of the Space Shuttle program was heartbreaking. “It makes me feel confident in the survival in this town and the whole space program,” Venzo added, echoing what Fitzpatrick said. “When this is happening it’s kind of like a light at the end of the tunnel,” Fitzpatrick said.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Vice President Mike Pence will attend Sunday’s attempted launch of Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station, News 6 partner Florida Today reported. A brief statement released by the White House released Saturday said the vice president and Second Lady Karen Pence were coming the Kennedy Space Center to view the launch. The launch will send four astronauts from KSC to the ISS in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. It is the first fully operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, following a successful test flight earlier this year. That mission, dubbed “Demo-1,” was the first launch of humans from U.S. soil since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011.

"I can assure everyone that we're looking good for the Crew-1 launch and for all the personnel that are involved," Reed said. They are (from left): Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Shannon Walker and Victor Glover. The other company, Boeing, will launch astronauts on its own Starliner spacecraft using United Launch Alliance Atlas V rockets. You can watch SpaceX's Crew-1 launch for NASA live here at Space.com on Sunday beginning at 3:15 p.m. EST (1915 GMT). Editor's note: This story was updated to include new comments from SpaceX and NASA on the launch delay for the Crew-1 mission.

SpaceX Crew-1 astronaut launch from Florida shifts to Sunday due to weatherPublished: November 13, 2020, 7:27 pmSpaceX and NASA are now targeting Sunday to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center due to weather concerns.

It’s unclear if the 24-hour delay will impact how many space fans are expected to drive from out of town to watch the historic launch. Cranis said the first SpaceX human space launch generated $27 million to $28 million in economic impact in Brevard — a welcome boost during the coronavirus-triggered recession. “Alternate routes include State Road 520, U.S. 1, State Road 50 and State Road 46,” Ottaviano said. “Be alert on Interstate 95 for potential slow-downs or back-ups, especially approaching off-ramps throughout Brevard County. Updates will also be issued on the Brevard County Emergency Management Twitter page and Facebook page.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – SpaceX is set to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station on Sunday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. News 6 will have team coverage throughout the countdown offering a unique experience with multiple views of the launch and countdown. Pick your own view of the launch here from Port Canaveral, Jetty Park or live from Kennedy Space Center. To follow minute-by-minute updates from News 6 reporters at Kennedy Space Center, be sure to check ClickOrlando.com/space on launch day. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, NASA and SpaceX have asked launch viewers to remain socially distant and wear masks.

Update for 11:30 a.m. EST on Nov. 13: Rocket Lab has pushed the launch of its "Return to Sender" mission to Nov. 18 at 8:44 p.m. EST (0144 GMT on Nov. 19). Update for 4:20 p.m. EST on Nov. 13: SpaceX's Crew-1 mission has been delayed to Sunday (Nov. 15) at 7:27 p.m. EST (0027 GMT on Nov. 16). The planned launch of a U.S. spy satellite this afternoon (Nov. 13) could kick off a binge of four liftoffs in four days, if we're lucky. For example, SpaceX is scheduled to launch its Crew-1 mission on Saturday (Nov. 14) at 7:49 p.m. EST (0049 GMT on Nov. 15). Elon Musk's company also plans to launch the Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich Earth-observation satellite, a joint effort of NASA and several European partners, on Nov. 21.

The Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts on SpaceX's Crew-1 mission for NASA is expected to lift off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday evening (Sat. Participating crewmembers on the six-month flight are NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins, and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi. Some of the experiments that the Crew-1 astronauts will tackle involve microbe-eating rocks, tests of key parts for future spacesuits and a student genetics project. During the Crew-1 mission, Glover is scheduled to collect biological samples of his body as a participant in the experiment. The Crew-1 astronauts will study cells from human lungs, bone marrow, muscle and other organs.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket test fires its first-stage engines briefly atop Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Nov. 14, 2020. The rocket will launch the Crew-1 astronaut mission for NASA on Nov. 14. During the test, the Falcon 9 is held down on the pad while its nine first-stage engines are briefly fired. Shortly after the test, SpaceX tweeted that the static-fire test was a success and that the company planned to launch on Saturday at 7:49 p.m. EST (0049 GMT on Sunday Nov. 15). In fact, the Crew-2 mission set to launch next year will reuse the Dragon capsule from Demo-2 and the booster from the Crew-1 mission.

The astronaut crew named their space vehicle Resilience, fitting amid a global pandemic and a launch up against a hurricane. Four days out weather officers are giving the Saturday liftoff at 7:49 p.m. a 60% chance of favorable launch conditions. SpaceX, NASA moving ahead with #Crew1 launch plans for Saturday. This could present a challenge as NASA and SpaceX were planning a dress rehearsal of the launch on Thursday. “Teams will continue monitoring weather conditions for liftoff and along the flight path,” SpaceX said in a tweet.

SpaceX's Crew-1 mission, the first operational mission of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, will send four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA. The mission is scheduled to lift off on Nov. 14 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Here, the Crew-1 astronauts, including NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Michael Hopkins and JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, pose in front of their Dragon capsule during crew equipment interface testing at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California, on Aug. 14, 2020. Click through this gallery to see more photos of the Crew-1 mission. Related: Here's how to watch SpaceX launch the Crew-1 astronaut mission for NASA this week

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX successfully launched an advanced GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force on Thursday (Nov. 5), marking the first launch in nearly two weeks here on the Space Coast. Related: The U.S. GPS satellite network explainedA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the U.S. Space Force's GPS III-SV04 navigation satellite lifts off from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, on Nov. 5, 2020. Tonight's GPS mission had been waiting to get off the ground since SpaceX was forced to call an abort on Oct. 2 . The next two GPS missions, which are already scheduled to fly on SpaceX rockets sometime next year, will now launch atop refurbished rockets. The fifth satellite, GPS III-SV05, will be called Neil Armstrong .

The private company launched a satellite called GPS-III-4 for the U.S. Space Force and Air Force right at the start of a 15-minute window at 6:24 p.m. The brand new Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch was unusual for SpaceX because the company regularly flies its flight-proven rocket boosters but this launch was conducted with all new hardware. The booster will fly again with another GPS satellite for the Air Force and Space Force next year. With a successful launch Thursday SpaceX is now one step closer to launching its second Dragon astronaut capsule to the space station.

The astronauts for SpaceX’s Crew-1 astronauts pose for a photo with their Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience. They are (from left): NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Sunita Williams and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi. SpaceX is replacing two engines on the rocket that will launch the company's next crewed mission, which is scheduled to lift off on Nov. 14. The upcoming astronaut launch, which will kick off SpaceX's Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station for NASA, also will employ a Falcon 9. Crew-1 will be SpaceX's second astronaut mission to the International Space Station for NASA.

NASA and SpaceX announced Monday that the launch of its SpaceX Crew-1 mission from Cape Canaveral now has a new target date of Nov. 14 at 7:49 p.m. NASA said American astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will catch a ride to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. They have been training to fly in the SpaceX Dragon spaceship together at the company’s headquarters in California. The first Crew Dragon to launch humans was named Endeavour by its passengers, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center earlier this year, marking the first human spaceflight from Florida’s coast since 2011. Managers of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission plan to host a news conference Wednesday at 4 p.m. to provide more details about the upcoming launch.

NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will fly on the Crew-1 mission, currently scheduled to launch on Nov. 14, 2020. SpaceX is gearing up for another historic astronaut launch next month. The private spaceflight company is planning to send four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Nov. 14, the agency announced Monday (Oct. 26). Called Crew-1, the mission will be the first operational flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon astronaut taxi and the second Crew Dragon mission to carry passengers on board. SpaceX's Crew-1 Crew Dragon space capsule is seen nearly complete at the company's Hawthorne, California facility.

NASA announced on Saturday that the launch of it’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station has been delayed until mid-November. The crew of Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Michael Hopkins and Soichi Noguchi were supposed to launch from Cape Canaveral on Oct. 31, but the launch was delayed to allow for additional hardware testing and data reviews, NASA announced. The crew will work on science missions and conduct spacewalks for six months once it arrives at the International Space Station.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – The next astronauts to launch from Kennedy Space Center will begin their journey into space on the SpaceX Dragon capsule named Resilience. NASA said American astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi will catch a ride to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. They have been training to fly in the SpaceX Dragon spaceship together at the company’s headquarters in California. On Tuesday, Hopkins revealed the astronauts have named their spacecraft Resilience. The first Crew Dragon to launch humans was named Endeavour by its passengers, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley.