Behnken and Hurley participated in the test, which included flight suit leak checks, spacecraft sound verification, display panel and cargo bin inspections, seat hardware rotations, and more. (Image Credits: NASA)

Elon Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX will soon launch its first manned mission aboard its Crew Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA will be sending astronauts off the Earth on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil for the first time since 2011.

“A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program,” NASA said in a statement.

The mission officially called the SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 or SpaceX Demo-2, will also be the first for a commercially built and operated American rocket and spacecraft to carry humans to the space station. NASA is also providing the coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the mission.

How to watch the launch

The launch is scheduled for May 27, 2020, at 1:33 pm PT that converts to May 28, 2020, at 2:03 am IST (Indian Standard Time). The space agency has confirmed that the launch, as well as other activities leading up to the launch, will air live on NASA Television and the NASA website at http://www.nasa.gov/live.

You can watch the coverage non-stop until the Crew Dragon has docked with the ISS and Behnken and Hurley have been welcomed on board.

Also, you can stream other pre and post-launch activities starting May 21 to May 29, 2020, that includes SpaceX Demo-2’s post-flight readiness review briefing, virtual crew engagement, pre-launch briefing, and administrator countdown clock briefing. The events also include a series of discussions around the launch as well as the ISS Expedition 63 crew news conference with Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley of NASA.