Rocket company SpaceX and NASA astronauts are set for a second attempt on May 30th, 15:22 Eastern Time (19:22 GMT, 20:22 BST), onboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon launch into orbit onto the International Space Station (ISS) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA astronauts flight to the International Space Station on May 27th, Wednesday, was delayed due to inclement weather conditions, 16 minutes before launch at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If today’s launch is successful, it will mark the first time NASA astronauts have lifted off from American soil in nearly a decade since the space shuttle program was put on hiatus in 2011. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will also be the first private spaceship to carry human beings into Earth orbit.
Forecasters are hoping for favorable weather for the launch coming up in few hours. If weather or technical issues delay today’s launch, the next launch attempt is scheduled for Sunday, May 31st at 3 p.m.
NASA administrator James Frederick Bridenstine said launch will happen when they are ready, as safety is of primary concern. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence said they were proud of NASA and SpaceX team’s decision for making the right call for the right reasons on Wednesday.
NASA and SpaceX will cover today’s launch event live. The live stream will cover launch till docking with the International Space Station at 10:20 A.M. Eastern Time on Sunday, May 31st, an estimated 19-hour flight.
Worldwide Scheduled launch time:
San Francisco: 12:22PM
New York: 3:22PM
London: 8:22PM
Moscow: 10:22PM
New Delhi: 12:52AM (May 31st)
Beijing: 3:22AM (May 31st)
Tokyo: 4:22AM (May 31st)
Melbourne: 5:22AM (May 31st)
Berlin: 9:22PM
Watch the SpaceX NASA Crew Dragon Live stream at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIZsnKGV8TE
Crew Demo-2 Mission Control Audio without any additional commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxCzpa07dvg
