posted 04-14-2023 05:04 PM               

Please use this topic to discuss SpaceX's Crew Dragon Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station.

posted 04-14-2023 05:04 PM               

NASA and SpaceX's eighth rotational mission to the space station is planned for no earlier than February 2024.

An integrated crew of four will travel to the space station aboard a SpaceX Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket. Hardware allocations for Dragon and Falcon are planned in the coming months. Once crew members are assigned, operations teams will increase crew training activities specific to the mission, including spacesuit production and testing.

posted 01-31-2024 05:24 PM               

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 22, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station.

SpaceX recently completed Dragon’s propulsion system checkouts at the company’s processing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Teams soon will stack Dragon on its trunk ahead of transporting the spacecraft to SpaceX’s hangar at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration with the rocket.

Meanwhile, teams also are preparing the Falcon 9 booster that will be making its first flight on Crew-8. The booster recently completed stage testing and will undergo final assembly in the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A ahead of the Dragon and Falcon 9 mate.

posted 02-13-2024 11:28 AM               

NASA and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than 12:49 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 28, for the launch of the agency's SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station.

The launch of Crew-8 was adjusted to deconflict operations with Intuitive Machines’ IM-1, the company’s first lunar lander mission to the moon as part NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, currently targeted for Wednesday, Feb. 14. NASA and SpaceX will continue to assess Crew-8 readiness and may adjust the Crew-8 launch date following a successful IM-1 launch.

"The Commercial Crew Program has been following along with the IM-1 mission preparations, and we are wishing the Intuitive Machines and SpaceX teams all the best ahead of this extremely complex mission to the lunar surface," said Steve Stich, program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

posted 02-26-2024 08:44 AM               

On Sunday (feb. 25), crewmates Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin arrived at Kennedy Space Center. The crew will spend the next few days completing final preparations before launch.

posted 02-27-2024 09:48 AM               

In the meantime, from SpaceX:

Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete — targeting Friday, March 1 at 12:04 a.m. ET for launch of NASA's Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station from pad 39A in Florida.

Crew-8, SpaceX, and NASA completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities ahead of liftoff this week.

posted 02-28-2024 11:58 PM               

The change was made due to unfavorable weather conditions forecast for Friday (March 1) in offshore areas along the flight track of the Dragon spacecraft. High wind and waves along the eastern seaboard have been observed and are forecast to continue through Saturday morning.

posted 03-02-2024 11:46 AM               

All systems are looking good for launch of Crew-8 tonight (March 2), and teams continue to keep an eye on weather, which is 40% favorable for liftoff.

posted 03-03-2024 05:27 PM               

Watch live with us as a crew of four launch on NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is targeted at 10:53 p.m. EST Sunday, March 3 (0353 UTC March 4).

posted 03-03-2024 09:47 PM               

We are confident that we understand the issue and we can still fly the whole mission safely. We're comfortable proceeding because the condition is bounded by existing analysis, as already mentioned.

Additionally, we expect the gap created by this crack in the seal to close as the material will swell with reentry heating. And finally it's on the lower heating side of the vehicle during reentry.

The engineering team here is comfortable proceeding.