SpaceX Demo-2 launch will send NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station on the Crew Dragon spacecraft propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket.

After Wednesday’s launch cancellation due to bad weather, NASA and SpaceX have targeted Saturday, May 30, as the next launch attempt for the Demo-2 mission.

This will be the first launch of astronauts on an American rocket from American soil since the last space shuttle mission in 2011.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and is scheduled to dock to the space station at 10:29 a.m. Sunday, May 31.

NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley (left) and Robert Behnken (right) Credits: NASA | Kim Shiflett

This is the final test for NASA to certify SpaceX for regular crew flights to the space station. The mission is to mark SpaceX as the first commercially built spacecraft to launch people to the space station. Demo-2 is an end-to-end flight test from launch all the way to docking and ending with splashdown.

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting 3:22 p.m. EDT Saturday, May 30, for the launch of the first commercially built and operated American rocket and spacecraft carrying astronauts to the International Space Station.

Launch coverage will take place on Saturday, May 30 at 11 a.m. on NASA Television and live on the web at https://www.nasa.gov/live.

Live NASA coverage is as follows. All times are EDT:

Friday, May 29

  • 10 a.m. – Administrator Countdown Clock Briefing (weather permitting)
    • NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
    • Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana
    • NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren
    • NASA astronaut Nicole Mann

Saturday, May 30

  • 11 a.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins (continues through docking)
    • 3:22 p.m. – Liftoff
    • 4:09 p.m. – Crew Dragon phase burn
    • 4:55 p.m. – Far-field manual flight test
    • TBD p.m. – Astronaut downlink event from Crew Dragon
  • 6:30 p.m. – Postlaunch news conference at Kennedy
    • Administrator Bridenstine
    • Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
    • SpaceX representative
    • Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program
    • NASA Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester

Mission operational coverage will continue on NASA TV’s Media Channel.

Sunday, May 31

  • TBD a.m. – Astronaut downlink event from Crew Dragon
  • 10:29 a.m. – Docking
  • 12:45 p.m. – Hatch Open
  • 1:05 p.m. – Welcome ceremony
  • 3:15 p.m. – Post-arrival news conference at Johnson
    • NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
    • Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer
    • NASA Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester

Mission operational coverage will continue on NASA TV’s Media Channel.

Monday, June 1

  • 11:15 a.m. – Space Station crew news conference, with NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken, and Doug Hurley
  • 12:55 p.m. – SpaceX employee event and Class of 2020 Mosaic presentation, with NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken, and Doug Hurley

For more information visit www.nasa.gov.