CREW-3 LAUNCH TO ISS, Nov 10, 2021, KSC, 9:03 pm ET

Update, November 9: NASA continues to plan for launch tomorrow, November 10, at 9:03 pm ET pending a second Launch Readiness Review later today. The weather forecast is 80 percent “go.”  If it launches at that time, it will dock with the ISS the next day, November 11, at 7:10 pm ET.

NASA TV will provide continuous coverage from 4:45 pm ET November 10 through docking, hatch opening, and the welcome ceremony at 9:10 pm ET November 11.

Update, November 6:  NASA says the earliest launch date now is November 10 at 9:03 pm ET.  If launch takes place then, it would dock at the ISS on November 11 at about 7:10 pm ET.

Update, November 4: The launch has been postponed again due to poor weather forecasted over the weekend.  A new date has not been determined.  NASA may bring the Crew-2 crew back home from ISS before this crew launches, but decisions have not been made.  November 8 at 9:51 pm ET is the earliest Crew-3 would launch.

The earliest opportunity for Crew-2 undocking from @Space_Station is on Nov. 7, with a back-up opportunity on Nov. 8.

The earliest opportunity for the Crew-3 launch is 9:51pm ET on Nov. 8, if mission teams do not pursue Crew-2 return on Nov. 7/Nov. 8: https://t.co/474jXj9eCq pic.twitter.com/JcGdXIL0f0

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) November 4, 2021

Update, November 1: The launch has been postponed again, this time due to “a minor medical issue involving” one of the crew members. Details were not provided other than that “The issue is not a medical emergency and not related to COVID-19”.  The earliest the launch would go now is November 6, 2021 at 11:36 pm ET, but NASA will continue to evaluate the crew member’s health before deciding.

Update, October 30:  The launch has been postponed until November 3, 2021 at 1:10 am ET due to poor weather along the ascent flight path over the Atlantic Ocean. NASA TV launch coverage will begin November 2 at 8:45 pm ET.

Although weather at the launch site in Florida is near-perfect, the mission can be aborted at any time if there is a problem with the rocket, so the weather also must be favorable along the trajectory from Florida to the spacecraft’s orbital destination at 51.6 degrees inclination to the equator. That takes it along the Eastern seaboard and out across the Atlantic towards Ireland. Winds and waves in that part of the Atlantic are too high for the planned October 31 launch but are expected to subside by the next launch opportunity on November 3.

If launch is on time, the crew will dock at the International Space Station about 11:00 pm ET the same day (November 3).

NASA TV coverage will be continuous from 8:45 pm November 2 through hatch opening and the arrival ceremony currently expected at 12:35 am and 1:10 am on November 4.

Update, October 21:  NASA has scheduled a series of press briefings beginning on October 25 in connection with the launch.  See our separate calendar entries.

NASA will provide continuous coverage of launch through docking and hatch opening beginning on October 30 at 10:00 pm ET.

If launch takes place on October 31 as planned, docking is Monday, November 1, at 12:10 am ET, hatch opening at 1:50 am ET and the welcoming ceremony at 2:20 am ET.

Update, October 19:  Launch has been reset for October 31 at 2:21 am ET.  October 31 had been the original launch date, but NASA moved it up to October 30. Now it is moving back to the original date “to allow additional time for spacecraft processing.”

If launch takes place on October 31, the four-person crew will dock early in the morning on November 1.

November 3 at 1:10 am ET is the backup launch date and time if anything goes awry on October 31.

Original Entry: NASA and SpaceX will launch the next crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 30, 2021 at 2:43 am ET from Kennedy Space Center, FL.  The launch is one day earlier than previously planned.

This is the third operational crewed mission for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon — Crew-3.  It will take three NASA and one ESA astronauts to the ISS.

• Raja Chari (NASA), commander
• Tom Marshburn (NASA), pilot
• Kayla Barron (NASA), mission specialist
• Matthias Maurer (ESA), mission specialist

October 31 is a backup launch date, at 2:21 am ET.

If launch is on October 30, they will arrive at the ISS 22 hours later,