CREW-1

SpaceX is set to launch a batch of Starlink satellites Friday from California.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.