On October 5, 2022, SpaceX will operate a new manned flight to benefit NASA. Four astronauts are on their way to the ISS. The start can be followed live.
- When? 5 October 2022, at 18.00 (Paris time).
- Where ? At the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, then in space.
- What ? The SpaceX Crew-5 mission’s departure to the ISS.
What is SpaceX’s mission?
It is a manned transport mission entrusted to SpaceX. Goal: to bring four people safely to the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits the earth at an altitude of almost 400 km – and which travels at a speed of 28,000 km/h. The trajectory of the ISS is predictable: there are also tools to know where the space station is at the moment.
The four passengers include an American, an American, a Japanese and a Russian. The presence of the Russian cosmonaut is surprising in a context of strong diplomatic tension between Washington and Moscow, with the war in Ukraine. The two countries entered into a trade before the war in which each reserved a place for the other. The Russians have done their part.
The Japanese, Kōichi Wakata, is the most experienced with four flights. For Nicole Mann, Josh A. Cassada and Anna Kikina, this will be their baptism into space. They will stay on the International Space Station for six months, the standard length of stay in space. This whole little world will return to Earth early next year, around March 2023.
SpaceX is conducting its fifth crewed mission here for the benefit of NASA and the ISS (shown with the mission number Crew-5). But overall, we must add three others: Demo-2, which was a manned test mission to qualify the company for operational flights. Inspiration4, which consisted of sending civilians into orbit for a few days. Ax-1, a tourist flight to the ISS.
For its manned flights, SpaceX mobilizes a Falcon 9 rocket, the quality of which is well established. It is she who secures all the company’s missions (including if it is Falcon Heavy, since the base remains the same). At the top is the Crew Dragon capsule, which is adapted to accommodate personnel (seats, control screens, etc.)
When does the SpaceX Crew-5 mission depart?
The SpaceX Crew-5 mission’s departure is scheduled for Wednesday, October 5, 2022. The time of the flight has not yet been determined after two postponements. A tropical storm, dubbed Ian, forced SpaceX to postpone takeoff by a few days. It also forced NASA to review its launch plan for the Space Launch System (SLS).
Where to watch the SpaceX Crew-5 flight live?
You have two broadcast channels to watch the event live. On the one hand, the SpaceX site, which has its own feed and its own team of commentators (in English). On the other hand, NASA. The US space agency has a live channel (in English). Below we’ve embedded the video feed from the Nasa channel.