SpaceX is set to launch the first operational Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on November 14, 2020, carrying three NASA astronauts and one from JAXA.
Building on its success, SpaceX launched astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the ISS on May 30—the company's first crewed flight and the first from U.S. soil since 2011. The duo returned safely in August, concluding the Demo-2 test mission.
Crew-1, the inaugural operational mission, was delayed from October 31 due to resolved engine issues. Liftoff is now confirmed for November 14.
NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, joined by JAXA's Soichi Noguchi, will launch aboard the Resilience capsule from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 7:49 p.m. EST (01:49 a.m. CET, landing on Monday in Europe).
This historic flight marks the first international crew on a NASA-certified commercial spacecraft.
After 10 days in quarantine, the crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday. They will spend six months on the ISS, rotating with Crew-2, which includes French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
Meanwhile, Crew Dragon's cargo variant will handle regular resupply runs. SpaceX plans seven launches in the next 14 months: three crewed and four cargo.
NASA's other partner, Boeing, anticipates its first crewed Starliner flight in summer 2021.
Starliner's December 2019 uncrewed test faced a critical software glitch shortly after launch, leading to an off-nominal orbit, fuel burn, and failure to dock at the ISS.
NASA issued 80 recommendations post-investigation. Boeing is addressing them, with a second uncrewed test planned for early 2021.
