Crew-1 Lift Off is the first official mission to launch astronauts to the ISS onboard SpaceX’s reusable spacecraft and rocket
Discovery Channel will take viewers inside one of the most pivotal moments in space exploration by giving them access to the NASA and SpaceX launch of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, which carried the Crew-1 astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
This is the first official mission launching astronauts to the ISS onboard SpaceX’s reusable spacecraft and rocket – paving the way to commercial space travel. UAE officials have previously applauded similar missions, as the nation continues to set its sight to the stars, having launched the first Emirati astronaut into space in 2019, and as it works toward further space exploration.
The event airs in the Middle East on 19 December at 9:50pm (KSA) on Discovery Channel (OSN channel 500).
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission saw astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japan Aerospace Exploration astronaut Soichi Noguchi depart from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
The broadcast features coverage of the launch as well as commentary from current and former astronauts, including Peggy Whitson, Leland Melvin, Mike Massimino and Garrett Reisman, top engineers and other special guests, including adventurer and avid explorer Josh Gates.
In May, Discovery and Science Channel, in partnership with The Washington Post, documented the first launch of NASA astronauts from the United States since the end of the shuttle programme in 2011. This successful test mission was a partnership between NASA and SpaceX, and the first U.S. crewed mission to orbit on a privately built spacecraft. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley traveled to the ISS in the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, propelled by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Discovery and Science Channel’s coverage drove record ratings — ranking as the #1 telecast for the entire day across major demos and the highest-rated telecast in the history of Science Channel. In August, Discovery and Science Channel went live once again to simulcast of the splashdown return of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, an event that also ranked as the no. 1 telecast for the day across key demos.
Space Launch Live: Crew-1 Lift Off will air on 19 December at 9:50pm (KSA) on Discovery Channel (OSN channel 500).
