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Tracking #LaunchAmerica: Follow the Dragon 9 from launch to docking at International Space Station

The astronauts will be up at the space station for anywhere from 6 to 16 weeks before returning to Earth.

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HOUSTON — When astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley climb into the Dragon spacecraft on Wednesday afternoon at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, they will make history for NASA and SpaceX.

The astronauts will wake up around 9:25 a.m. ET to time their sleep cycles with their arrival at the International Space Station.

After a series of medical checks, weather briefings, and putting on their space suits, they will get into Teslas and drive over to the launch pad.

When Falcon 9 and the crew inside Dragon spacecraft lift off, they will speed up to 17,000 miles per hour to break through the atmosphere and into orbit.

Then, the Falcon 9’s first stage separates.

“And so you get kind of a weightlessness there or a lack of acceleration there for a split-second or two before the second stage Merlin vacuum engine starts and you accelerate out into orbit," said Astronaut Doug Hurley.

Astronauts expect it will take about 10 minutes to get into orbit from the time they launch.

Once in orbit, astronauts will test several systems on Dragon – like the displays, control system, thrusters, and environmental control system.

In about 19 hours, Dragon will be ready to dock at the International Space Station.

The Dragon’s computers can dock it at the space station automatically, but the astronauts can take over manually any time.

“When you get to space station it’s kind of a defining moment when you get the hatches back open," said Col. Behnken. "Just to see how many people from across the country have to pull together to pull something like this off is just inspiring to me and I'm just excited to be a part of it."

While Dragon is on orbit, the Falcon 9 rockets return to Earth, landing themselves on a drone ship.

The astronauts expect it will take about 19 hours to get to the ISS. They will be up at the space station for anywhere from 6 to 16 weeks before returning to Earth.

Here's a look at their schedule on launch day (all times ET):

0925 (T-7:18) Wake up
0925 (T-07:08) Medical Checks
0935 (T-06:58) Flight Day Prep Operations
1055 (T-05:38) Photo Op
1100 (T-05:33) Breakfast
1143 (T-04:50) Dress for Suit Prep
1158 (T-04:35) Tablet Review
1218 (T-04:15) Weather Briefing
1228 (T-04:05) Crew Handover to Suit Room
1308 (T-03:25) Depart Suit Room
1313 (T-03:20) Walk out to Convoy
1318 (T-03:15) Depart for Pad
1358 (T-02:35) Dragon Ingress
1438 (T-01:13) Hatch Closed
1548 (T-00:45) SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
1551 (T-00:42) Crew access arm retracts
1556 (T-00:37) Dragon launch escape system is armed
1558 (T-00:35) RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins, 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
1614 (T-00:16) 2nd stage LOX loading begins
1621 (T-00:07) Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
1623 (T-00:05) Dragon transitions to internal power
1627 (T-00:01) Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks, Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
162715 (T-00:00:45) SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
162718 (T-00:00:03) Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
00:00:00 Falcon 9 liftoff
1633 (0:00) LAUNCH
+00:00:58 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
+00:02:30 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
+00:02:34 1st and 2nd stages separate
+00:02:36 2nd stage engine starts
+00:07:12 1st stage entry burn
+00:08:43 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
+00:08:45 1st stage entry burn
+00:09:09 1st stage landing
+00:12:02 Crew Dragon separates from 2nd stage
+00:12:48 Dragon nosecone open sequence begins

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