NASA to launch First Crew Rotation Flight on U.S. Commercial Spacecraft to International Space Station

November 4, 2020 |

Washington, D.C. – NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station.

This is the first crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket following certification by NASA for regular flights to the space station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

The launch is targeted for 7:49pm ET Saturday, November 14th, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts participate in crew equipment interface testing at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, on Sept. 24, 2020. From left are mission specialist Shannon Walker, pilot Victor Glover, and Crew Dragon commander Michael Hopkins, all NASA astronauts, and mission specialist Soichi Noguchi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut. (SpaceX)

The Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station at 4:20am Sunday, November 15th. Launch, prelaunch activities, and docking will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

The Crew-1 flight will carry Crew Dragon Commander Michael Hopkins, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialist Shannon Walker, all of NASA, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Mission Specialist Soichi Noguchi to the space station for a six-month science mission.

The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: .

All media participation in the following news conferences will be remote except where specifically listed below, and only a limited number of media will be accommodated at Kennedy due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Please note that the Kennedy Press Site News Center facilities will remain closed throughout these events for the protection of Kennedy employees and journalists, except for a limited number of media who will receive confirmation in writing in the coming days.

The SpaceX Crew-1 official crew portrait with (from left) NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Soichi Noguchi. (NASA)

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Sunday, November 8th

2:00pm (approximately) – Crew Arrival Media Event at Kennedy with the following participants (limited, previously confirmed in-person media only):

• NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
• Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana
• Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA
• NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins, spacecraft commander
• NASA astronaut Victor Glover, pilot
• NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, mission specialist
• JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, mission specialist

No teleconference option is available for this event.

Monday, November 9th

1:15pm – Virtual Crew Media Engagement at Kennedy with Crew-1 astronauts:

• NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins, spacecraft commander
• NASA astronaut Victor Glover, pilot
• NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, mission specialist
• JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, mission specialist

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the newsroom at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston no later than 11:15am Monday, November 9th, at: .

Time TBD – Flight Readiness Review Media Teleconference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Flight Readiness Review, which may continue Tuesday, November 10th) with the following participants:

• Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
• Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Johnson
• Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
• Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
• Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
• Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA
• FAA representative

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 5:00pm Monday, November 9th, at: .

Thursday, November 12th

Time TBD – Prelaunch News Conference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants:

• Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Johnson
• Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
• Kirt Costello, chief scientist, International Space Station Program, Johnson
• Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
• Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
• Arlena Moses, launch weather officer, U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than noon on Thursday, November 12th, at: .

Friday, November 13th

10:00am – Administrator Countdown Clock Briefing with the following participants (limited, previously confirmed in-person media only):

• NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
• Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana
• Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
• NASA astronaut representative

No teleconference option is available for this event.

Saturday, November 14th

3:30pm – NASA Television launch coverage begins. NASA Television will have continuous coverage, including docking, hatch open, and welcome ceremony, with a news conference following docking activities.

Sunday, November 15th

4:20am – Docking

7:00am (approximately) – Welcome Ceremony from the International Space Station

7:20am (approximately – immediately following Welcome Ceremony) – Post-docking news conference from Johnson with the following participants:

• NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
• Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
• Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
• Johnson Center Director Mark Geyer
• Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Johnson
• Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
• SpaceX representative

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Johnson newsroom no later than 4:00am Sunday, November 15th, at: .

Monday, November 16th

Time TBD – International Space Station News Conference from Johnson with the following Expedition 64 crew members:

• NASA astronaut Kate Rubins
• NASA astronaut Michael Hopkins
• NASA astronaut Victor Glover
• NASA astronaut Shannon Walker
• JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Johnson newsroom at no later than 8:00am November 16th at: .

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit: www.nasa.gov/live

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, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, “mission audio,” countdown activities without NASA TV launch commentary, will be carried on 321.867.7135.

On launch day, a “clean feed” of the launch without NASA TV commentary will be carried on the NASA TV media channel. Launch also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.

NASA Website Launch Coverage

Launch day coverage of the SpaceX Crew-1 mission will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 3:30 p.m. Saturday, November 14th, 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: http://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

Public Participation

NASA is inviting the public to take part in virtual activities and events ahead of the launch. Members of the public can attend the launch virtually, receiving mission updates and opportunities normally reserved for on-site guests.

NASA’s virtual launch experience for Crew-1 includes curated launch resources, a digital boarding pass, notifications about NASA social interactions, and the opportunity for a virtual launch passport stamp following a successful launch.

Register for email updates or RSVP to the Facebook event for social media updates to stay up-to-date on mission information, mission highlights, and interaction opportunities.

Print, fold, and get ready to fill your virtual launch passport. Stamps will be emailed following launches to all virtual attendees registered by email through Eventbrite.

Engage kids and students in virtual and hands-on activities that are both family-friendly and educational through Next Gen STEM Commercial Crew.

Watch and Engage on Social Media

Stay connected with the mission on social media and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #LaunchAmerica. Follow and tag these accounts:

• Twitter: @NASA, @Commercial_Crew, @Space_Station
• Facebook: NASA, NASACommercialCrew, ISS Facebook
• Instagram: NASA, ISS Instagram

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

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