WATCH LIVE: SpaceX is about to launch its Crew Dragon spaceship into orbit for the first time — a 'critical' mission for NASA and its astronauts

NASA/Joel Kowsky

• SpaceX and NASA hope to launch Crew Dragon, a commercial spaceship designed for astronauts, for the first time on Saturday at 2:49 a.m. ET.
• The launch won't carry astronauts to the space station, but NASA says it's "a very critical mission" for proving the vehicle is safe to fly.
• NASA TV will broadcast live video and commentary of the SpaceX Demo-1 mission, as it's called, starting at 2 a.m. ET on Saturday. You can watch live below or at the agency's website.
• On Thursday, the US Air Force said there's a 20% chance that weather conditions could delay the rocket launch to Tuesday morning.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — After years of delays, SpaceX and NASA are closing in on the first experimental launch of a commercial spaceship designed to fly astronauts into orbit.

The demonstration mission, called Demo-1, is scheduled to launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on Saturday at 2:49 a.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center here in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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See Also:

• NASA says SpaceX may launch a new spaceship for the agency on Saturday — an 'absolutely critical' test to help show Elon Musk's company can safely fly astronauts
• SpaceX just launched the first private moon mission and it marks a new phase in space flight
• SpaceX just launched an Israeli mission toward the moon. If successful, it would be the world's first private lunar landing.

SEE ALSO: NASA named 9 astronauts who will fly SpaceX and Boeing's spaceships for the first time — here's who they are

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