NASA Sets Coverage for Agency’s SpaceX Crew-10 Launch, Docking

NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station.

Liftoff is targeted for 7:48 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, March 12, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The targeted docking time is approximately 10 a.m., Thursday, March 13.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain, commander; and Nichole Ayers, pilot; along with mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the orbiting laboratory for a science mission of about four months. This is the 10th crew rotation mission and the 11th human spaceflight mission for NASA to the space station supported by the Dragon spacecraft since 2020 as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Friday, March 7

2 p.m. – Crew arrival media event at NASA Kennedy with the following participants:

·      Anne McClain, Crew-10 spacecraft commander, NASA

·      Nichole Ayers, Crew-10 pilot, NASA

·      Takuya Onishi, Crew-10 mission specialist, JAXA

·      Kirill Peskov, Crew-10 mission specialist, Roscosmos

5:30 p.m. – Mission overview teleconference at NASA Kennedy (or no earlier than one hour after the completion of the Flight Readiness Review) with the following participants:

·      Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington

·      Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy

·      Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston

·      Meg Everett, deputy chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson

·      William Gerstenmaier, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX

·      Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA

NASA will provide audio-only coverage of the teleconference.

6:30 p.m. – Crew-10 crew news conference (or directly following the completion of the mission overview news conference) with the following participants:

·      Anne McClain, Crew-10 spacecraft commander, NASA

·      Nichole Ayers, Crew-10 pilot, NASA

·      Takuya Onishi, Crew-10 mission specialist, JAXA

·      Kirill Peskov, Crew-10 mission specialist, Roscosmos

Watch live coverage of the mission overview news conference on NASA+.

Wednesday, March 12

3:45 p.m. – Launch coverage begins on NASA+.

7:48 p.m. – Launch

Following the conclusion of launch and ascent coverage, NASA will switch to audio only and continue audio coverage through Thursday, March 13. Continuous coverage resumes on NASA+ at the start of rendezvous and docking and continues through hatch opening and the welcome ceremony.

9:30 p.m. – Postlaunch news conference with the following participants:

·      Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate

·      Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy

·      Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson

·      Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX

·      Mayumi Matsuura, vice president and director general, Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, JAXA

Watch live coverage of the postlaunch news conference on NASA+.

Thursday, March 13

8:15 a.m. – Arrival coverage begins on NASA+.

10 a.m. – Targeted docking to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module

11:45 a.m. – Hatch opening

12:20 p.m. – Welcome ceremony

All times are estimates and could be adjusted based on real-time operations after launch. Follow the space station blog for the most up-to-date operations information.

Live Video Coverage Prior to Launch

NASA will provide a live video feed of Launch Complex 39A approximately six hours prior to the planned liftoff of the Crew-10 mission. Pending unlikely technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA+, approximately four hours prior to launch. Once the feed is live, find it online at: http://youtube.com/kscnewsroom.

NASA Website Launch Coverage

Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the NASA website. Coverage will include livestreaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 3:45 p.m., March 12, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video on NASA+ and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about countdown coverage, contact the NASA Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on the commercial crew or Crew-10 blog.

Attend Launch Virtually

Members of the public may register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes, and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.

Watch, Engage on Social Media

Let people know you’re following the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtags #Crew10 and #NASASocial. You may also stay connected by following and tagging these accounts:

X: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @Space_Station, @ISS_Research, @ISS National Lab, @SpaceX, @Commercial_Crew

Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab, @SpaceX