SpaceX’s launch of its Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station with a pair of NASA astronauts aboard the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft set for Wednesday, with Elon Musk’s space company eyeing a liftoff window that opens at 4:33 PM ET/1:33 PM PT at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL.
If the launch window holds for the Crew Dragon’s demo mission (its second) to the space station, it will mark the first U.S. manned spaceflight since the 2011 end of NASA’s Space Shuttle program. It will also be the first private, commercially built manned spaceflight, with astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board. (The Dragon spacecraft is designed to eventually carry private passengers into orbit, the ISS or beyond).
The Crew Dragon is expected to dock with the ISS on Thursday morning. Several factors will determine how long the ship and crew will stay before returning home.
Several networks are planning launch coverage Wednesday, including:
Discovery and Science Channel: The sibling networks will share live coverage for Space Launch Live: America Returns to Space starting at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT from the Kennedy Space Center. Among the guests lined up: Katy Perry, Mythbusters host Adam Savage and NASA engineer-turned-YouTuber Mark Rober. A quartet of current and former astronauts and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine will offer expert insight for the program, which also will feature an interview with astronaut Chris Cassidy from the ISS. Chris Jacobs will host the launch special.
ABC News and National Geographic: The networks will join forces to present a two-hour, global live streaming and TV event covering the mission. Launch America: Mission to Space Live will kick off at 3 PM ET/noon PT today, with coverage continuing Thursday when the spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS. From ABC News headquarters in New York, ABC News’ Tom and Linsey Davis will anchor coverage joined by ABC News Transportation Correspondent Gio Benitez and Correspondent Victor Oquendo, reporting live from Cape Canaveral, and Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee, reporting from her home in New York. Moments before launch, ABC News will go on the air with a live special report on the ABC network.
Cable news outlets: Fox News Channel will air the launch live, with Neil Cavuto anchoring a special edition of Your World featuring interviews with leading experts to discuss the event. FNC also will offer its coverage to local Fox affiliates. CNN and MSNBC said they will break into regular programming for the launch but did not provide details.