Launch team members who supported the launch of America's first satellite, Explorer 1, pose at a newly unveiled historical marker with Ray Sands, chairman of the Air Force Space and Missile Foundation -- sponsor of the marker, Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander and director of the Eastern Range, and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. The event tool place at the site of the launch 60 years ago, Space Launch Complex 26 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

During a ceremony at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space launch Complex 26 a historical marker has been unveiled noting the launch of America's first satellite, Explorer 1. The satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

Dr. John Meisenheimer, launch weather officer for Explorer 1, speaks to guests at an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of America's first satellite. The ceremony took place in front of the Space Launch Complex 26 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where the Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

Dr. John Meisenheimer, launch weather officer for Explorer 1, speaks to guests at an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of America's first satellite. The ceremony took place in front of the Space Launch Complex 26 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where the Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to guests at an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of America's first satellite. The ceremony took place in front of the Space Launch Complex 26 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where the Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

Tori McLendon of NASA Communications, speaks to guests at an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of America's first satellite. The ceremony took place in front of the Space Launch Complex 26 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where the Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

During a ceremony at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 26 a historical marker is unveiled noting the launch of America's first satellite, Explorer 1. From the left, Ray Sands, chairman of the Air Force Space and Missile Foundation -- sponsor of the marker, Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander and director of the Eastern Range and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. The Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

During a ceremony at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 26 a historical marker is unveiled noting the launch of America's first satellite, Explorer 1. From the left, Ray Sands, chairman of the Air Force Space and Missile Foundation -- sponsor of the marker, Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander and director of the Eastern Range and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. The Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander and director of the Eastern Range, right, speaks with Launch team members who supported the launch of America's first satellite, Explorer 1. They spoke following an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of America's first satellite. The ceremony took place in front of the Space Launch Complex 26 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where the Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander and director of the Eastern Range, speaks to guests at an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of America's first satellite. The ceremony took place in front of the Space Launch Complex 26 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station where the Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

During a ceremony at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 26 a historical marker has been unveiled noting the launch of America's first satellite, Explorer 1. From the left, Ray Sands, chairman of the Air Force Space and Missile Foundation -- sponsor of the marker, Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander and director of the Eastern Range and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. The Explorer 1 satellite was launched atop a Jupiter C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958. During operation, the satellite's cosmic ray detector discovered radiation belts around Earth which were named for Dr. James Van Allen, principal investigator for the satellite.

STS-26 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, rolls out to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch complex (LC) pad 39B on top of the crawler transporter. OV-103 nears LC pad 39B after a six-hour journey from the vehicle assembly building (VAB). When locked onto the nearby rotating service structure (RSS), work will continue to ready the vehicle for the STS-26 launch later in the summer.

STS-26 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, lifts off from mobile launcher platform at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex (LC) pad 39B. Riding atop the orange external tank (ET), OV-103 heads for Earth orbit as the exhaust plumes from the two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) cover the mobile launcher platform and the area surrounding the launch pad. SRB firings are reflected in a nearby waterway. In the foreground are trees and several birds in flight. STS-26 marks OV-103's first flight since September 1985 and NASA's first manned mission since the 51L Challenger accident, 01-28-86.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars upward after its liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. The Dragon cargo spacecraft will deliver about 7,700 pounds of science and research, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars upward after its liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th Commercial Resupply Services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. The Dragon cargo spacecraft will deliver about 7,700 pounds of science and research, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2022, on the company’s 26th commercial resupply services mission for the agency to the International Space Station. Liftoff was at 2:20 p.m. EST. Dragon will deliver more than 7,700 pounds of cargo, including a variety of NASA investigations, supplies, and equipment to the crew aboard the space station, including the next pair of ISS Roll Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

NASA Curiosity rover and its rocket-powered descent vehicle pose for a portrait at JPL Spacecraft Assembly Facility prior to its launch on November 26, 2011 from the Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

S67-43593 (26 Aug. 1967) --- The completely assembled Apollo Saturn 501 launch vehicle mated to the Apollo spacecraft 017 on Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center. The fully assembled vehicle was transported to the launch complex on the crawler.

Teams continue launch preparations on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy that will launch NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, inside the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. The rocket has 27 Merlin engines on its first stage and can generate more than five million pounds of thrust at liftoff. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, from Kennedy.

Teams continue launch preparations on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy that will launch NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, inside the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. The rocket has 27 Merlin engines on its first stage and can generate more than five million pounds of thrust at liftoff. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, from Kennedy.

Teams continue launch preparations on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy that will launch NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, inside the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. The rocket has 27 Merlin engines on its first stage and can generate more than five million pounds of thrust at liftoff. NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, from Kennedy.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rises to space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. The milestone begins the observatory’s journey to explore the large‑scale structure of the universe. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Liftoff occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

STS-26 Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, rises into a cloudy sky and heads for Earth orbit atop the external tank (ET) as exhaust plumes billow from the two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) during liftoff from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Launch Complex (LC) pad 39B. STS-26 marks OV-103's first flight since September 1985 and NASA's first manned mission since 51L Challenger accident, 01-28-86.

Several manatees swim in the turn basin of Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. NASA Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife National Refuge and is home to more than 1,500 species of plants and animals on 140,000 acres.

Several manatees swim in the turn basin of Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. NASA Kennedy shares a boundary with the Merritt Island Wildlife National Refuge and is home to more than 1,500 species of plants and animals on 140,000 acres.

The Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission arrives at SpaceX’s hangar at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Feb. 19, 2023. The capsule arrived at the launch complex after making the short journey from its nearby processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, commander; Warren “Woody” Hoburg, pilot; and mission specialists astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev wil lift off aboard Endeavour – on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket – from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than 2:07 a.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 26.

The Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission arrives at SpaceX’s hangar at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Feb. 19, 2023. The capsule arrived at the launch complex after making the short journey from its nearby processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, commander; Warren “Woody” Hoburg, pilot; and mission specialists astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev wil lift off aboard Endeavour – on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket – from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than 2:07 a.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 26.

The Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission arrives at SpaceX’s hangar at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Feb. 19, 2023. The capsule arrived at the launch complex after making the short journey from its nearby processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, commander; Warren “Woody” Hoburg, pilot; and mission specialists astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev wil lift off aboard Endeavour – on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket – from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. Liftoff is targeted for no earlier than 2:07 a.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 26.

S71-41810 (26 July 1971) --- The 363-feet tall Apollo 15 (Spacecraft 112/Lunar Module 10/Saturn 510) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 9:34:00.79 a.m., July 26, 1971, on a lunar landing mission. Aboard the Apollo 15 spacecraft were astronauts David R. Scott, commander; Alfred M. Worden, commander module pilot; and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot. Apollo 15 is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) fourth manned lunar landing mission.

S71-41409 (26 July 1971) --- Astronaut David R. Scott, commander of the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission, goes through suiting up operations in the Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Manned Spacecraft Operations Building (MSOB) during the Apollo 15 prelaunch countdown. Minutes later astronauts Scott; Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot; and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, rode a special transport van over to Pad A, Launch Complex 39, where their spacecraft awaited them. The Apollo 15 space vehicle was launched at 9:34:00:79 a.m. (EDT), July 26, 1971.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida sixth-grade students watch a video presentation about a future rocket launch. Between Nov. 26 and Dec. 7, 2012, about 5,300 sixth-graders in Brevard County, Florida were bused to Kennedy's Visitor Complex for Brevard Space Week, an educational program designed to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics STEM careers. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs

NASA astronaut Bob Hines speaks to members of the news media during crew arrival for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 18, 2022. Hines, along with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket on April 23, 2022. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro, far left, greets the crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission after their arrival at the center’s Launch and Landing Facility in Florida on Oct. 26, 2021. From left are European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer, and NASA astronauts Tom Marshburn, Raja Chari, and Kayla Barron. Crew-3 will launch aboard the Crew Dragon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Launch is targeted for 2:21 a.m. EDT on October 31 from Launch Complex 39A.

A pathfinder test article of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket is seen at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Aug. 26, 2021. The pathfinder booster is undergoing a series of fueling tests to validate the infrastructure in place at the launch pad and allow the launch team to rehearse countdown operations before the Vulcan’s first flight.

A pathfinder test article of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket is seen at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Aug. 26, 2021. The pathfinder booster is undergoing a series of fueling tests to validate the infrastructure in place at the launch pad and allow the launch team to rehearse countdown operations before the Vulcan’s first flight.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti speaks to members of the news media during crew arrival for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 18, 2022. Cristoforetti, along with NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, and Jessica Watkins, will launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket on April 23, 2022. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins speaks to members of the news media during crew arrival for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 18, 2022. Watkins, along with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Bob Hines, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket on April 23, 2022. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

A pathfinder test article of United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket is seen at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Aug. 26, 2021. The pathfinder booster is undergoing a series of fueling tests to validate the infrastructure in place at the launch pad and allow the launch team to rehearse countdown operations before the Vulcan’s first flight.

SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts arrive at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 18, 2022. From left are Jessica Watkins, Kjell Lindgren, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, and Bob Hines. The astronauts will enter quarantine at the center’s astronaut crew quarters, as they await launch aboard the Crew Dragon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA astronaut Bob Hines speaks to members of the news media during crew arrival for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 18, 2022. Hines, along with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket on April 23, 2022. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren speaks to members of the news media during crew arrival for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 18, 2022. Lindgren, along with NASA astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, will launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket on April 23, 2022. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts, from left, Jessica Watkins, Bob Hines, and Kjell Lindgren, along with ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, pause for a photograph after arriving at the Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 18, 2022. The astronauts will enter quarantine at the center’s astronaut crew quarters, as they await launch aboard the Crew Dragon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Launch is targeted for 5:26 a.m. EDT on April 23, 2022, from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The canister is lifted off the Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-B) in the gantry on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-B is scheduled to launch June 26 at one of two available times, 12:27:31 a.m. EDT or 1:08:45 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers maneuver the cylindrical payload canister into place around Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-B). Once secure inside the canister, the rover will be transported to Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, for mating with the Delta rocket. The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-B is scheduled to launch from Pad 17-B June 26 at one of two available times, 12:27:31 a.m. EDT or 1:08:45 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility secure the lower panels of a payload canister around Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-B). The rover will be transported to Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, for mating with the Delta rocket. The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-B is scheduled to launch from Pad 17-B June 26 at one of two available times, 12:27:31 a.m. EDT or 1:08:45 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the gantry on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-B) is revealed after removal of the canister. The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-B is scheduled to launch June 26 at one of two available times, 12:27:31 a.m. EDT or 1:08:45 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the cylindrical payload canister is lowered around Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-B). Once secure inside the canister, the rover will be transported to Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, for mating with the Delta rocket. The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-B is scheduled to launch from Pad 17-B June 26 at one of two available times, 12:27:31 a.m. EDT or 1:08:45 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the gantry on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-B) is revealed after removal of the canister. The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-B is scheduled to launch June 26 at one of two available times, 12:27:31 a.m. EDT or 1:08:45 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the gantry on Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, workers start removing the canister from around the Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-B). The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-B is scheduled to launch June 26 at one of two available times, 12:27:31 a.m. EDT or 1:08:45 a.m. EDT.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, workers secure the cylindrical payload canister to the lower panels surrounding Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-B). Once secure inside the canister, the rover will be transported to Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, for mating with the Delta rocket. The second of twin rovers being sent to Mars, it is equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow it to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans can't yet go. MER-B is scheduled to launch from Pad 17-B June 26 at one of two available times, 12:27:31 a.m. EDT or 1:08:45 a.m. EDT.

NASA teams monitor the countdown inside Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with NASA’S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, in Florida. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Launch occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT. Photo Credit (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Megan Cruz, NASA Communications, moderates a Crew-4 press briefing April 26, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 launch. Crew-4 is the fourth crew rotation flight to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule will launch atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A to the space station on Wednesday, April 27, at 3:52 a.m. EDT.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop a mobile launcher at Launch Complex 39B, right, as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Crew-4 mission, Friday, April 22, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti are scheduled to launch no earlier than April 26, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A colorful sunset serves as the backdrop for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft on the pad at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. The crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are slated to launch to the International Space Station no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on Friday, March 1, from Launch Complex 39A.

A colorful sunset serves as the backdrop for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft on the pad at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. The crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are slated to launch to the International Space Station no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on Friday, March 1, from Launch Complex 39A.

A colorful sunset serves as the backdrop for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft on the pad at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. The crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are slated to launch to the International Space Station no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on Friday, March 1, from Launch Complex 39A.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft atop, is vertical at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 launch to the International Space Station. The eighth crew rotation mission with SpaceX and the ninth flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program is slated to carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the station from Launch Complex 39A no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on March 1, 2024.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Dragon spacecraft on top is seen at sunset on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, as preparations continue for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The eighth crew rotation mission with SpaceX and the ninth flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program is slated to carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on Friday, March 1.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft atop, is vertical at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 launch to the International Space Station. The eighth crew rotation mission with SpaceX and the ninth flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program is slated to carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the station from Launch Complex 39A no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on March 1, 2024.

A colorful sunset serves as the backdrop for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft on the pad at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. The crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are slated to launch to the International Space Station no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on Friday, March 1, from Launch Complex 39A.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft atop, is vertical at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 launch to the International Space Station. The eighth crew rotation mission with SpaceX and the ninth flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program is slated to carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the station from Launch Complex 39A no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on March 1, 2024.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Dragon spacecraft on top is seen at sunset on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, as preparations continue for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The eighth crew rotation mission with SpaceX and the ninth flight of Dragon with people as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program is slated to carry NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on Friday, March 1.

In view here is a closeup of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, ahead of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 launch to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin will fly to the station for a science expedition mission as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program from Launch Complex 39A no earlier than 12:04 a.m. EST on Friday, March 1, 2024.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches with NASA’S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope onboard from Launch Complex 39A, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Launch occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT. Photo Credit (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches with NASA’S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope onboard from Launch Complex 39A, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Launch occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT. Photo Credit (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy side booster is seen as it approaches LZ-2 following the launch of NASA’S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Launch Complex 39A, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Launch occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT. Photo Credit (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches with NASA’S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope onboard from Launch Complex 39A, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Launch occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT. Photo Credit (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches with NASA’S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope onboard from Launch Complex 39A, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Launch occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT. Photo Credit (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A pair of SpaceX Falcon Heavy side boosters perform their boost back burns following separation from the center core during the launch of NASA’S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Launch Complex 39A, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Launch occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT. Photo Credit (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy side booster is seen as it approaches LZ-40 following the launch of NASA’S Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Launch Complex 39A, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research. Launch occurred at 7:26 a.m. EDT. Photo Credit (NASA/Joel Kowsky)