A Look at Todays Launch Milestones
We're just a few hours away from the launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 mission. Below are some of the key milestones leading up to launch and critical events that occur after liftoff. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are scheduled to lift off at 12:09 p.m. EDT from the historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Time (EDT) Event (All times approximate)9:09 a.m. Suit donning and checkouts9:49 a.m.?? ? Crew walkout from Neil A. Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building9:54 a.m.?? Crew transportation to launch pad10:14 a.m.? ? Crew arrives at pad and ascends tower10:34 a.m.?? Crew enters SpaceX Dragon spacecraft10:49 a.m. ?? Communication check10:54 a.m. ?? Seat rotation10:55 a.m.?? Suit leak checks11:14 a.m. ?? ? Hatch close11:24 a.m. ? SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load11:27 a.m.?? Crew access arm retracts11:30 a.m.?? Dragon's launch escape system is armed11:34 a.m.?? RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins11:34?a.m.? 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins11:53 a.m.? ?? 2nd stage LOX loading begins12:02 p.m.? ?? Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch12:04 p.m.? ?? Dragon transitions to internal power12:08 p.m.? ?? Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks12:08 p.m.? ?? Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins12:08 p.m.? ?? SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch12:09 p.m.? ?? Falcon 9 liftoff12:10 p.m.? ? Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)12:11 p.m. 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)12:11 p.m. 1st and 2nd stages separate12:11 p.m.? 2nd stage engine starts12:12 p.m.? ? 1st stage entry burn starts12:12 p.m.? ? 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)12:18 p.m.? ? Dragon separates from 2nd stage12:19 p.m.? ? Dragon nosecone open sequence begins
Jason Costa
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