NASA launch schedule: What time is the SpaceX launch on May 27?

SpaceX is all set to launch its Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket as part of the SpX-DM2 mission. The Test Flight mission is set to take off on May 27th, Wednesday. With a 60% chance for favourable weather conditions, the status for the launch is being given a green flag.

• Launch time

Wednesday · May 27th, 2020
4:33 PM EDT

Location

• Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL

• Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Image courtesy - SpaceX Daily Instagram

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Mission

SpX-DM2 (Demonstration Mission 2)

Crew Dragon is the second test flight of the Demo 2 mission but the first flight with crew on board. It would be carrying NASA Astronauts Robert  Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station. This is a unique mission and a new era of human spaceflight is set to start for the American astronauts.

The space station crew will perform the tests on Crew Dragon along with conducting research and other tasks. The mission will validate the transportation system of the company’s crew, after the final flight test for SpaceX. The test will include launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities along with the company’s crew transportation system.

This is the first time that NASA astronauts will test the systems of the spacecraft in the orbit. The final major step before NASA’s Commercial Crew Program will be the Demo 2 mission. The Crew Dragon will certify this for operational, long-duration missions to the space station.

Image courtesy - SpaceX Daily Instagram

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Rocket

Falcon 9 Block 5

The Falcon 9 has been designed and manufactured by SpaceX and is a two-stage rocket. It has been designed for safe and reliable transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval that aims at improving the ability for quick reusability.

SpaceX

SpaceX is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company whose headquarter is at Hawthorne in California. It was founded by Elon Musk in the year 2002. SpaceX has successfully made many pads spread over different places. These include the East Coast of the US they own SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral and LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center for their lower inclination launches. They also own SLC-4E at Vandenberg, California for their high inclination launches. Another site is also being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

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Image credits: NASA Instagram

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