Let’s try this again.
SpaceX had planned to stage a major launch on Wednesday, sending the company’s first-ever crewed vehicle into space. The event would have also marked the first such U.S.-operated mission in almost a decade.
Well, that launch got scrubbed at the last minute due to weather concerns. It was quickly rescheduled for May 30 at 3:22 p.m. ET.
While NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine suggested on Saturday morning that weather concerns may delay the launch once again, for now there’s a launch set to happen and it’s something you can watch online.
We are moving forward with launch today. Weather challenges remain with a 50% chance of cancellation. #LaunchAmerica
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 30, 2020
NASA’s live coverage will be ongoing throughout the day, starting at 11:00 a.m. ET on NASA’s YouTube channel. You can also watch the whole thing unfold in a SpaceX livestream that’s set to begin at around the same time (11:15 a.m. ET).
That’s pretty much all you need to know. If weather concerns do bring about another delay, NASA and SpaceX will try again on Sunday. That launch, should it become necessary, is set for 3:00 p.m. ET.
This particular launch marks two separate historic occasions. On one hand it’s an achievement for SpaceX and other spaceflight interests, marking the first time a private company will carry humans into orbit. On the other hand, it’s also a big moment for NASA launches.
The space agency hasn’t sent an astronaut into orbit via a United States launch since the summer of 2011, when the Space Shuttle program ended. Russian Soyuz spacecraft have taken on the duties of servicing the multi-national International Space Station crew since then. So the looming SpaceX launch represents a major return for U.S. interests in outer space.
Keep an eye out here or on NASA’s Twitter feed for updates. If the launch gets canceled again and moved to Sunday, we’ll be sure to tweak this post with all the new information and revised live stream links you’ll need to tune in.
