SpaceX Manned Flight Successfully Launches From Cape Canaveral

Update: at precisely 3:24pm ET, SpaceX’s NASA Flight launched successfully from Cape Canaveral, marking the first NASA crew bound for orbit from the US in 9 years.

Trump and Pence were both present at the lift off.

The view with @POTUS and @VP. pic.twitter.com/kv5vRNFSWQ

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) May 30, 2020

NASA was live tweeting the launch:

We have liftoff. History is made as @NASA_Astronauts launch from @NASAKennedy for the first time in nine years on the @SpaceX Crew Dragon: pic.twitter.com/alX1t1JBAt

— NASA (@NASA) May 30, 2020

Vehicle is supersonic. #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/ea7iteD2j9

— NASA (@NASA) May 30, 2020

Main engine cutoff ☑️
Second stage separation ☑️@AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug are heading into orbit.#LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/ed6LTUV63d

— NASA (@NASA) May 30, 2020

* * *

Despite the threat of more thunderstorms, SpaceX and NASA are preparing for today’s historic attempt to launch astronauts into space, via a private company. This comes several days after NASA “scrubbed” the first attempt due to weather-related issues and one day after SpaceX’s Starship prototype blew up on a Texas launch pad. 

NASA officials say today’s Crew Dragon launch from Kennedy Space Center, located in Merritt Island, Florida, has around 50% odds for a 15:22 ET liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket: 

“We are moving forward with the launch today,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted Saturday morning. “Weather challenges remain with a 50% chance of cancellation.”

SpaceX and NASA administrators are carefully monitoring today’s evolving weather situation around the launch site. As of 11:37 ET, there’s a weather disturbance off the coast and could arrive inland around 14:00 to 16:00 ET, right around the time of launch. 

At 7:51 ET, SpaceX tweeted “all systems go,” along with an up-close photo of the Crew Dragon atop the Falcon 9 rocket.

All systems go for Crew Dragon’s test flight with @NASA astronauts @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug. Teams are keeping an eye on weather. Webcast will go live at ~11:00 a.m. EDT → https://t.co/bJFjLCilmc pic.twitter.com/AXDGNfqv0K

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 30, 2020

As per the Launch Mission Execution Forecast:

“On Sunday, the late season frontal boundary will provide some added cloudiness over the Spaceport early, but will likely push just south of the area by T-0. The primary weather concerns for launch are flight through precipitation, the thick cloud layer rule, and the cumulus cloud rule, associated with the frontal boundary,” NASA’s launch report said. 

The report went on to say Sunday’s launch window would be at 60% and 70% chance for Tuesday, suggesting more favorable odds of launching would be seen in the week ahead. 

Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will be on the Crew Dragon mission, which would be the first manned rocket launch from US soil since the space shuttle program ended in 2011. Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will be in attendance at today’s launch event. 

Bridenstine tweeted, “Best selfie ever!” as he stands in front of Hurley and Behnken.

Best selfie ever! #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/yQJ2rC1Ixy

— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 30, 2020

NASA will stream the launch event live on YouTube

Today’s launch comes one day after SpaceX’s Starship SN4 prototype blew up on its test stand in Boca Chica, Texas. It doesn’t produce a vote of confidence for the Crew Dragon launch.

Elon, your rocket just blew up. pic.twitter.com/EZAVN4cVCd

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) May 29, 2020

Last week, the morning before the first launch attempt, Elon Musk, the majority owner of SpaceX, holding about 54% of the private company, said: “I’m Chief Engineer of the thing. If it goes right, it’s a credit to the SpaceX/NASA team. Goes wrong, it’s my fault.” 

“I’m Chief Engineer of the thing. If it goes right, it’s credit to the SpaceX/NASA team. Goes wrong, it’s my fault.” — @elonmusk

💯 leadership. pic.twitter.com/tKPIpq0CRH

— Viv 🐉 (@flcnhvy) May 27, 2020