ABC News & Nat Geo to Live Stream SpaceX Launch

ABC News and National Geographic are teaming up to present a two-hour, global live streaming and TV event covering NASA and SpaceX’s mission to the International Space Station on May 27.

Launch America: Mission to Space Live kicks off at 3 p.m. on ABC News Live and National Geographic. Live coverage continues on Thursday, May 28, when the spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS.

The mission will send astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to space aboard the Crew Dragon capsule, a first for a spacecraft designed by Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX. If successful, it will be a historic achievement for SpaceX, as it would become the first privately owned company to take humans to the ISS and meet NASA’s certification requirements.

Launch America: Mission to Space Live will feature exclusive interviews, including former NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, who completed two Space Shuttle missions and a six-month trip aboard the ISS; astronaut Christina Koch, who made four spacewalks and holds the record as the female astronaut with the longest single trip in space; ABC News Contributor Steven Ganyard; and additional scientists and NASA officials. The live event will also offer a comprehensive look at what’s on the horizon in human exploration; SpaceX and Elon Musk’s roles in the launch; personal stories of what life is like on the ISS; and profiles of Behnken and Hurley, as well as their wives, both also NASA astronauts.

“It’s very exciting to see Americans launching into space again,” said Marc Burstein, senior executive producer of special events at ABC News. “It’s an uplifting story about the American spirit and resolve, heroism, innovation and determination.”

“National Geographic has such a rich tradition of supporting and celebrating exploration that pushes the boundaries of human achievement, so we couldn’t be more excited to partner with ABC News to provide exclusive access to the country’s top experts while delivering the most up-to-the-minute, breaking coverage of this milestone event,” added Geoff Daniels, executive VP of global unscripted entertainment at National Geographic. “This is the perfect moment to remind viewers everywhere about the power of the human spirit and how science is leading the way forward.”