NASA Updates Launch Date, TV Coverage for Agency's SpaceX Crew-2 Mission

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will provide updated coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency's SpaceX Crew-2 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station. The launch now is targeted for 5:49 a.m. EDT Friday, April 23, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, due to unfavorable weather conditions forecast along the flight path for Thursday.

This is the second crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and the first with two international partners. The flight follows 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 about 5:10 a.m. Saturday, April. 24. Prelaunch activities, launch, and docking will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website.

The Crew-2 flight will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur – who will serve as the mission's spacecraft commander and pilot, respectively – along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)  astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who will serve as mission specialists 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 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 facilities will remain closed throughout these events for the protection of Kennedy employees and journalists, except for a limited number of previously credentialed media.

NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Friday, April 23

1:30 a.m. – NASA Television launch coverage begins. NASA Television will have continuous coverage, including docking, hatch opening, and welcome ceremony.

7:30 a.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch news conference with the following participants:

• Steve Jurczyk, acting NASA administrator
• 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
• Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA
• SpaceX representative

Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 7 a.m. Thursday, April 22.

Saturday, April 24

5:10 a.m. – Docking

7:15 a.m. – Hatch Opening

7:45 a.m. – Welcome Ceremony from the International Space Station with the following participants:

• Steve Jurczyk, acting NASA administrator
• Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
• Hiroshi Yamakawa, president, JAXA
• Josef Aschbacher, director general, ESA

NASA TV Launch Coverage

NASA TV live coverage will begin at 1:30 a.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 NASA's SpaceX Crew-2 mission will be available on the agency's website. Coverage will include livestreaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 1:30 a.m. Friday, April 23, 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 invites 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-2 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 via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #LaunchAmerica. Follow and tag these accounts:

• Twitter: @NASA, @Commercial_Crew, @Space_Station, @NASAKennedy
• Facebook: NASA, NASA Commercial Crew, ISS Facebook, Kennedy Space Center
• Instagram: NASA, ISS Instagram, NASA Kennedy

NASA will provide a live video feed of Launch Complex 39A approximately 48 hours prior to the planned liftoff of the Crew-2 mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA TV, approximately four hours prior to launch.

Once the feed is live, it will be available here:

http://youtube.com/kscnewsroom

Make sure to check out NASA en Espanol on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more Spanish-language coverage on Crew-2.

Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Kristina Irastorza 321-607-4073 y Antonia Jaramillo 321-501-8425.

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

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