SpaceX Falcon 9 is ready to launch Crew-1 Astronauts this weekend

SpaceX and NASA are ready to launch Crew-1 astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) over the weekend. The mission is scheduled for Saturday, November 14 at 7:49 p.m. EST. It will be the second crewed flight launched from American soil in nearly a decade as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. Crew-1 will be SpaceX's first operational mission featuring an international crew, three NASA Astronauts and one Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut. The NASA astronauts are: Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, along with JAXA Astronaut Soichi Noguchi.

See you soon at @NASA_TV for Crew-1 LIVE! 1315ET, 1215CT, 0215 JST! 日本時間2:15からNASAテレビでオンライン記者会見があります！ネットで見てね♪ pic.twitter.com/K8KFEuEh11

— NOGUCHI, Soichi 野口　聡－（のぐち　そういち） (@Astro_Soichi) November 9, 2020

Overnight, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft was rolled-out and raised vertical on Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket's upper-stage features NASA’s retro 'worm' logo in red bold letters, symbolizing a new era in human spaceflight, pictured below.

Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 in the hangar at Launch Complex 39A ahead of launching four astronauts to the @space_station; liftoff targeted for Saturday, November 14 at 7:49 p.m. EST pic.twitter.com/dlMrPUpr4d

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 9, 2020

Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon vertical on Launch Complex 39A pic.twitter.com/hBVUHWv3Ab

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 10, 2020

The Commander of the Crew-1 mission Astronaut Hopkins shared with reporters they named the Crew Dragon spacecraft 'Resilience'.  --"We're excited about the opportunity to name our vehicle. The Crew-1 Dragon capsule, no. 207, will henceforth be known by the call sign 'Resilience'," he stated. Hopkins explained that the spacecraft's name was chosen to reflect all the challenges that the year 2020 has put forth to the world amid the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. "If you look up the definition of the word 'resilience,' it means functioning well in times of stress or overcoming adverse events. I think all of us can agree that 2020 has certainly been a challenging year, [with] a global pandemic, economic hardships, social unrest [and] isolation," he said. "Despite all of that, SpaceX and NASA have kept the production line open and finished this amazing vehicle that is getting ready to go on its maiden flight to the International Space Station."

On Oct. 31, @VicGlover, @Astro_illini, Shannon Walker and @Astro_Soichi entered their official quarantine period!

This time in quarantine will help ensure the crew is healthy, protecting themselves and the astronauts already on the @Space_Station: https://t.co/qi4pO9ShQU pic.twitter.com/GqMTMnSRvw

— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) November 3, 2020

"So the name 'Resilience' is really in honor of the SpaceX and NASA teams, and, quite frankly, it is in honor of our families, our colleagues, our fellow citizens, our international partners and our leaders, who have shown that same quality, those same characteristics all through these difficult times," Hopkins added.

All Images Source: NASA / SpaceX

On October 31st, the astronauts entered an official two-week quarantine period known as "Flight Crew Health Stabilization". It is a routine pre-flight preparation to ensure astronauts remain healthy before launching to the orbiting laboratory. They have also been in quaratine with minimal contact with others to protect themselves amid the coronavirus outbreak. "Some additional safeguards have been added because of the coronavirus. Anyone who will come on site or interact with the crew during the quarantine period, as well as any VIPs, will be screened for temperature and symptoms," the agency wrote in a press release, "Hopkins, Glover, Walker, and Noguchi, as well as those in direct, close contact with the crew, will be tested twice for the virus as a precaution."

LIVE: Welcome to @NASAKennedy – America's spaceport and the doorway to space. Tune in to watch four space travelers arrive in Florida ahead of their #LaunchAmerica mission, set for liftoff Nov. 14 at 7:49pm ET aboard @SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft: https://t.co/jzAdaOBwML

— NASA (@NASA) November 8, 2020

A couple of days ago, Crew-1 arrived at the Kennedy Space Center where they will spend the rest of their quarantine period ahead of the upcoming flight to ISS aboard Crew Dragon. "As you can imagine, we're very excited to be here," Hopkins told reporters during a virtual news conference on Monday (video above). "We've been here less than 24 hours, and in that time we have seen our rocket, we've seen our space vehicle, 'Resilience,' and we've seen our spacesuits. And so for an astronaut, that's considered a pretty good day." In the video shown below, the astronauts shared what they are tasked to do during the mission.

On Nov. 14, the astronauts of NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission launch in a commercial vehicle to the @Space_Station from the U.S. for a long-duration mission.

The crew explains what their mission is, how it's different from Bob and Doug's flight, and what it means for us on Earth. pic.twitter.com/kVD8C1G2IR

— Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) November 6, 2020

Today, November 10, the agency continued a two-day meeting that initiated yesterday, in which NASA and SpaceX officials discuss the Crew-1 Mission plans and go over a 'Flight Readiness Review' to determine if everyone and everything is ready to perform the important flight to ISS. After the meeting is completed this afternoon, the agency will share more details on whether they are all ready to fly the astronauts to the space station on Saturday. 

Happening Now: The Crew-1 Flight Readiness Review continues this morning as teams from @NASA and @SpaceX participate both on site at Kennedy and virtually.

Tune in ~one hour after the review ends for a media teleconference on NASA TV: https://t.co/BLIwLfFUaE pic.twitter.com/GXESe3PT0j

— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) November 10, 2020