It’s (almost) launch day!
SpaceX teams at Kennedy Space Center are on track to launch a Falcon 9 rocket early Friday to send the international roster of four astronauts of NASA’s Crew-7 mission on a half-year voyage to the International Space Station.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov will liftoff aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft — which previously flew the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions.
Wednesday afternoon, SpaceX teams at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station rescheduled the latest Falcon 9 Starlink mission — originally set for Wednesday night — to fly hours after Friday’s targeted launch of NASA’s Crew-7 mission.
Updated launch weather forecasts by the Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 outlined the schedule update even though SpaceX has not yet confirmed the mission’s existence. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-11 mission is now set to occur during a three-hour launch window from 9:13 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 25.
If schedules hold, these missions would become the Space Coast’s 43rd and 44th launches this year. Follow FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team live launch coverage beginning three hours before the liftoff of Crew-7.
When is the SpaceX Crew-7 launch?
The Dragon topped Falcon 9 rocket must liftoff exactly on time at 3:50 a.m. EDT Friday or delay to another day. That’s because the mission ferrying astronauts to the space station has an instantaneous launch window.
After separation from the Falcon 9’s upper stage 12 minutes into the flight, the Dragon Endurance spacecraft and its four occupants will spend a little more than 22 hours in orbit “chasing” the space station. An automated docking is expected to occur at 2:02 a.m. EDT, Saturday, Aug. 26.
Rocket launch schedule:Upcoming Florida launches and landings
Space Perspective:‘We are opening space’ Titusville space-balloon factory dedicated
Weather conditions are predicted to be mostly favorable for launch
Space Force forecasters last reported weather conditions around the launch site to be 85% “go” for liftoff.
In a report released Wednesday, forecasters with Space Launch Delta 45 expected there to be “a modest increase in moisture and better, though still below normal, chances for Atlantic showers into Thursday.”
“There are some discrepancies in how far south this band gets by Thursday night, but even the more enthusiastic scenarios suggest that any activity would be in the form of low topped Atlantic showers,” forecasters said.
Only a slight chance of cumulus clouds around the launch site was listed as a concern.
When are the backup launch opportunities?
Should teams need it, there are backup launch opportunities available throughout the weekend.
According to NASA’s Steve Stich, Commercial Crew Program manager, for a backup launch attempt on “Saturday, Aug. 26, the launch time would be 3:27 a.m. EDT. And then for Sunday, Aug. 27, (liftoff) would be 3:04 a.m. EDT.”
“One thing that’s favorable for us relative to Florida weather is, the launch time being in the morning typically don’t get that convective activity that we get here in Florida in the afternoon, so that time is favorable (for launch),” Stich said.
Forecasters with Space Launch Delta 45 agree. Both backup launch opportunities were last projected to have a 90% chance of “go” weather conditions for an on-time liftoff from KSC early Friday.
Here’s everything you need to know:
- Company / Agency: SpaceX for NASA
- Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9
- Location: Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center
- Launch Time: 3:50 a.m. EDT
- Trajectory: Northeast
- Weather: 85% “go”
- Landing: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Landing Zone 1
- Live coverage: Starts three hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space
- About: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov on NASA’s next long-duration crewed mission to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Endurance Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
When’s the next launch from Florida?
If everything remains on track and Crew-7 launches on the first attempt, SpaceX is expected to target the launch of its Falcon 9 Starlink 6-11 mission hours later from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
An updated weather forecast for the Starlink 6-11 mission, provided by forecasters with the Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 on Wednesday afternoon, projected liftoff conditions to be 90% “go” for the duration of Friday’s launch window from 9:13 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. EDT.
“Unseasonably dry weather will be dominant through the early part of next week as high pressure will remain in place across the southeastern U.S. Easterly flow will be persistent, so isolated onshore moving showers cannot be ruled out,” the report said.
A slight chance for cumulus clouds around the spaceport was listed as the primary concern.
Aside from SpaceX missions, United Launch Alliance teams at the Cape’s Launch Complex 41 are preparing an Atlas V rocket with a classified payload for the U.S. Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office to launch early next week.
Liftoff of that mission, dubbed NROL-107, is slated for 8:34 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, August 29. Teams are expected to roll the 194-foot rocket outfitted with its payload to ULA’s launch pad Friday morning.
For the latest schedule updates, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.
Contact Jamie Groh at [email protected] and follow her on X.com at @AlteredJamie.
Space is important to us and that’s why we’re working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.
Credit: Source link
