Four Crew-2 astronauts are prepared and ready to launch to the International Space Station early tomorrow morning, the 23rd of April, from Kennedy Space Center aboard a reused Falcon 9 rocket. Delayed by weather, the backup launch time is set for 4:49 am CDT.
NASA astronauts Meghan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough are joined by ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide for their six month mission on station. Over the course of the mission the crew will conduct science experiments that take advantage of microgravity to further medical research and replace the station’s solar arrays that are needed to provide power.
How to Watch the Launch
Complete coverage of the launch is being provided by both NASA and SpaceX. NASA coverage begins at 12:30 am CDT on NASATV, with livestreams appearing on NASA.gov and the agency’s YouTube channel.
SpaceX will also provide its own live coverage of the event, beginning at around 12:30 am CDT, which can be viewed on the company’s website.
Immediately after launch, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will attempt a droneship landing. Crew Dragon will separate from the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket and rendezvous with the International Space Station for docking almost 24 hours later on Saturday, April 24th around 4:09 am CDT.
