SpaceX Demo-2 set to make history today. If the weather cooperates, a Falcon 9 rocket scheduled to make another attempt at carrying two NASA astronauts from US soil to the space station on Saturday at 12:22 p.m. PT/3:22 p.m. ET.
In July 2011, NASA launched the space shuttle Atlantis from Florida to the International Space Station, marking the last time humans lifted off from US soil to travel into orbit. The long drought should end soon when Elon Musk’s SpaceX sends two NASA astronauts to the ISS inside a Crew Dragon capsule built for the mission. The first attempt at the historic mission was scrubbed Wednesday due to weather. The second trial scheduled for Saturday, May 30.
SpaceX Demo-2: What’s Crew Dragon?
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is a crewed spacecraft designed to fly astronauts on round trips to the International Space Station for NASA.
In 2014, NASA picked SpaceX as one of two companies (Boeing was the other) to fly astronaut taxi missions to the space station. Crew Dragon is a crewed version of SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft. An unpiloted vehicle that has been making resupply flights to the station for NASA since 2012.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will carry up to four astronauts on regular taxi trips. But the capsule itself can fit up to seven people in all. It launches into space on a Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX’s workhorse booster.
Both vehicles are reusable, with SpaceX regularly landing Falcon 9 first stages and flying them later. SpaceX has also reused several Dragon cargo vehicles and aims to do the same with Crew Dragon.
Unlike Cargo Dragon, the Crew Dragon spacecraft has an emergency abort system. This system designed to separate the capsule from its rocket in the event of a launch emergency. SpaceX demonstrated that system in a successful test earlier this year. Crew Dragon’s service module has a series of sleek fins, as well as solar arrays mounted directly to its hull, rather than in deployable panels like its cargo-only counterpart.
How to watch the mission live Saturday
NASA will stream the prelaunch activities and launch through NASA TV starting at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET on Saturday. The launch timing will depend on good weather conditions both at the launch site and out in the ocean where the crew capsule would splash down in case of an emergency during launch. SpaceX will also provide a launch webcast. NASA TV will also cover the spacecraft docking procedure. Crew Dragon will take a roughly 19-hour flight before reaching the ISS.
SpaceX Demo-2: Who’s Flying?
The crew for Demo-2 are veteran NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley. Behnken will serve as the mission’s joint operations commander while Hurley is a Crew Dragon spacecraft commander. Both men have flown to space multiple times.
Robert L. Behnken
Robert “Bob” L. Behnken, 49, has flown two space shuttle missions to the International Space Station and served as NASA’s Chief Astronaut from 2012 to 2015. He launched on the STS-123 mission to deliver Japan’s Kibo laboratory to the station in 2008, and later flew STS-130 on Endeavour to deliver the Tranquility module. Behnken has performed six spacewalks and logged more than 29 days in space to date. A native of St. Ann, Missouri, Behnken is a U.S. Air Force colonel and test pilot with a doctorate from Caltech in mechanical engineering. He joined NASA’s astronaut corps in July 2000.
Douglas G. Hurley
Douglas G. Hurley, 53, is retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel who joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 2000 in the same class as Behnken. Hurley has flown on two shuttle missions. The STS-127 mission on Endeavour in 2009 and the STS-135 mission on Atlantis in 2011. Both missions hauled fresh supplies and gear to the station. Hurley’s second shuttle flight was NASA’s final mission of the space shuttle program.
What Will They Do When They Are In The Space Station?
Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley will test the Crew Dragon’s environmental control system, the displays and controls, and the maneuvering thrusters. They will also monitor the autonomous docking system during the approach to the space station, according to Nasa.
The duo will become members of the Expedition 63 crew and perform further tests on the Crew Dragon along with other tasks related to the space station. But the pair’s main mission is to conclude the validation process that is required by Nasa to ensure the spacecraft designed to carry astronauts can operate safely.
SpaceX Demo-2: What’s Next?
If Demo-2 is successful, SpaceX will be allowed to go ahead with more manned missions to the space stations as part of their 2.6 billion US dollar contract with Nasa. Boeing also has a similar deal with the space agency, worth 4.2 billion US dollars, to send astronauts to the space station in its CST-100 Starliner crew capsule. Although its vehicle not expected to be ready until next year.
SpaceX has made agreements to fly space tourists on the spacecraft, and use a Crew Dragon to ferry passengers to the space station for another company. For the space tourist deal, SpaceX has an agreement in place with the U.S. space tourism company Space Adventures to fly four passengers on a free-flying mission Crew Dragon as early as late 2021. That mission will last five days and send up to four people an orbital experience unlike any space tourist flight to date and the cost of that flight as not been released.
SpaceX has also agreed to launch passengers to the International Space Station for the company Axiom Space, which is developing a new commercial module for the station. That mission will be a 10-day trip to the station for three private astronauts using a Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Click here to watch, starting at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET on Saturday.
Hi, I’m Mithunraj Kurunthil, an aspiring blogger with an obesession for all things tech. This blog is dedicated to helping people learn about technology.
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