NASA Updates TV Coverage for First Crew Rotation Flight on US Commercial Spacecraft

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Nov 13, 2020, 21:14 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA and SpaceX are now targeting 7:27 p.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 15, for liftoff of the agency's SpaceX Crew-1 mission to fly astronauts from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station.

Teams moved the launch by one day because of onshore winds and to enable recovery of the first stage booster, which is planned to be reused to launch the Crew-2 mission next year. The booster is expected to land on the recovery ship about nine minutes after launch.

NASA will provide continuous coverage - more than 30 hours - of the prelaunch, launch, docking and arrival activities for 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 Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station around 11 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16. 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: [email protected].

All media participation in the following news conferences will be remote, and only a limited number of media will be accommodated at Kennedy due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Please note that with the exception of a limited number of previously confirmed media, Kennedy Press Site News Center facilities will remain closed throughout these events for the protection of Kennedy employees and journalists.

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

Sunday, Nov. 15

3:15 p.m. – NASA Television launch coverage begins. NASA Television will have continuous coverage, including docking, hatch opening, and welcome ceremony, with a news conference following docking activities.

9 p.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch news conference with the following participants:

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for human exploration and operations, NASA Headquarters
Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA's Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
SpaceX representative

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom at [email protected] no later than 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15.

Monday, Nov. 16

11 p.m. – Docking

Tuesday, Nov. 17

1:40 a.m. (approximately) – Welcome Ceremony from the International Space Station with the following participants:

Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for human exploration and operations, NASA Headquarters
JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa

2 a.m. (approximately – immediately following Welcome Ceremony) – Post-Docking News Conference with the following participants:

Kathy Lueders, associate administrator for human exploration and operations, NASA Headquarters
Mark Geyer, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston
Ven Feng, deputy manager, Commercial Crew Program, Johnson
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Johnson newsroom at 281-483-5111 no later than 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16.

Thursday, Nov. 19

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 281-483-5111 no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18.

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin Sunday, Nov. 15, at 3:15 p.m. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules, and links to streaming video, visit:

http://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 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, 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

SOURCE NASA