NASA-SpaceX's historic launch gets big boost as weather improves; Trump to be present

With wear looking up, X and NASA officials vowed Tuesday to keep crew safety top priority for nation's first astronaut launch to orbit in nearly a dece. Veteran NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were set to make history Wednesday afteron, riding X's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to International Station on a test flight. X was on cusp of becoming first private company to put astronauts in orbit, something achieved by just three countries Russia, US and China.

On eve of launch, NASA ministrator Jim Bridenstine said from Kennedy Center that both ncy and X have been diligent about making sure everyone in launch loop kws y're free to halt countdown if re's a concern. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are expected at Kennedy for planned 4:33 pm liftoff, but our highest priority will remain astronauts' safety, according to Bridenstine.

Bridenstine said he texted two astronauts Monday and told m, `If you want me to stop this thing for any reason, say so. I will stop it in a heartbeat if you want me to.' y both came back and y said, 'We're go for launch.' Hans Koenigsmann, a X vice president, said Monday evening that he and or company workers have imagined mselves in astronauts' shoes on launch day or ir helmets.

That changes equation pretty dramatically," he said. X has been launching cargo capsules to station since 2012. It's a huge step, obviously, going from cargo ... to launching two people that are ds as we call m and have families, kids, wives.," Koenigsmann ded. NASA will have input throughout countdown, but in end, it will be X giving final go with NASA's concurrence.

X is controlling vehicle, re's fluff about that, rm Knight, a NASA flight operations manr, said Monday. odds of acceptable launch wear improved Tuesday to 60%. But that didn't factor in conditions along Dragon's route to orbit. X needs relatively calm waves and wind up US and Canian seaboard and across rth Atlantic to Ireland, in case astronauts Hurley and Behnken need to make an emergency splashdown. If X does t launch during Wednesday's split-second window, next try would be Saturday.

Liftoff is set for 4:33 pm EDT. last time astronauts launched from Florida was on NASA's final shuttle flight in July 2011. Hurley was pilot of that mission. NASA hired X and Boeing in 2014 to transport astronauts to station, after commercial cargo shipments h taken off. Development of X's Dragon and Boeing's Starliner capsules took longer than expected, however, and US has been paying Russia to launch NASA astronauts in interim.