[blackwasp]

NASA and SpaceX performed a dry run in preparation for the first manned space mission from US soil since 2011. Liftoff is currently scheduled for 4:33 p.m. ET (1:33 p.m. PT) on Wednesday, May 27.

NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will fly on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket as part of an extended stay at the International Space Station (ISS) for the Demo-2 mission. As the last flight test for SpaceX, this mission will validate the company’s crew transportation system. It will include testing of the launch pad, rocket and the spacecraft as well as operational capabilities. This also will be the first time that NASA astronauts will test the spacecraft systems in orbit.

Behnken will be the joint commander and his responsibilities will include rendezvous, docking and undocking, as well as Demo-2 activities while the spacecraft is docked to the space station. Hurley is the spacecraft commander for Demo-2, and will handle launch, landing and recovery.

The Crew Dragon will be accelerated to a speed of 27,354.21 km/h by the Falcon 9 rocket on lift off and put it on an intercept course with the International Space Station. While in orbit, tests will be conducted and the docking will take place after 24 hours. While the spacecraft is programmed to do the docking automatically, the crew will be constantly monitoring it.

The Crew Dragon can stay in orbit for up to 110 days but the next commercial launch will be capable of at least 210 days. After the mission is over, the spacecraft will undock automatically and reenter Earth's atmosphere with the planned splash down off Florida’s Atlantic coast. Crew will be picked up by SpaceX’s Go Navigator recovery vessel from the ocean.

Falcon 9 is a partially reusable two-stage-to-orbit medium lift launch vehicle. The first stage is capable of re-entering the atmosphere and landing vertically after separating from the second stage. The reusable system is claimed to be significantly cheaper than traditional launch vehicles where the rockets burn up in the atmosphere.





Link to the Team-BHP News

[AlphaKilo]

For all the space buffs! Here is your chance to try docking the Dragon to the ISS. It is super tough!

I managed to dock properly after my 5th attempt.

https://iss-sim.spacex.com/

[NitinDev]

After 3 attempts, I gave up

[ZenMaster]

Successful docking in the third attempt.
Or second attempt if the first can be considered a test drive

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by ZenMaster

Successful docking in the third attempt.
Or second attempt if the first can be considered a test drive
Attachment 2010446

You truly are a Zen master!!

[blackwasp]

A white Tesla Model X will chauffeur them to the launch pad, the falcon-wing doors will pop up with the usual flair, and Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will step out in specially designed sleek, one-piece, two-layer pressure suits — ready to make history for the granddaddy of space missions, NASA, and a private upstart, SpaceX.



Many firsts: At around 4.30 pm EDT Wednesday (a little after 1.30 am IST, Thursday), a Falcon 9 rocket will thrust Hurley and Behnken, sequestered in a Dragon capsule, into space for a trip to the International Space Station — in the first astronaut launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, since 2011. It will mark the return of American rockets for such missions; for nine years Russian rockets were the only ride for US astronauts. It will also be the first attempt by a private company to send astronauts into orbit. Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX, the space firm founded and headed by Elon Musk, also the CEO of Tesla — hence the neat electric ride on the tarmac before the vertical liftoff. Falcon 9 has flown over 90 missions but hasn't ferried a human into space before.

Virus, the spoiler: Yet, the milestone could pass without the throngs of space fans that otherwise line up nearby roads and beaches to see a SpaceX rocket take flight. NASA and SpaceX are urging spectators to stay at home for safety reasons and instead watch the live telecast. The local officials, however, have not issued a stay-at-home order. "If people are comfortable coming and watching the launch, "by all means, come. If they aren't, I respect that too," Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey told Associated Press. "I'm not going to tell Americans they can't watch a great piece of history. I'm just not going to do it," he said.

Global impact: A successful launch could have great implications for Russian rocket programme, says space experts. The advent of the private sector has brought the US back into the big game, making NASA less reliant on other government agencies. That this is playing out at a time world leaders — from the US to China to Russia to Japan — have rekindled their interest in "conquering space" is no coincidence.

Source

[AlphaKilo]

Hopefully the launch will happen as scheduled and the weather Gods will stay quite!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjb9FdVdX5I

[srishiva]

Really good live show. Elon seems overwhelmed or cant talk clearly and specifically when not on smoke or anything

[virajmore03]

T minus 39 minutes to go. falcon 9 they r claiming is the safest launch vehicle till date.

[blackwasp]

Launch has been postponed to Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 p.m. EDT, or 19:22 UTC due to unfavourable weather in the flight path.

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Really good live show. Elon seems overwhelmed or cant talk clearly and specifically when not on smoke or anything

He stammers a lot and doesn't care about formalities. For all what anyone says about him, he surely is a genius and the best disruptive technology creator! He also knows whom to recruit and where to put them and how to extract work from them.

[virajmore03]

Finally!! And it was a good live show to watch. However the stage 1 landing on the drone ship was missed, apparently due to loss of signal at the exact time (i mean those exact 5-10 seconds) when it was supposed to land.

[Venkatesh]

NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley take viewers on a tour of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that will take them on a 19-hour journey to their new home in orbit.

https://youtu.be/llbIzbOStt4

[mmxylorider]

It was a textbook launch and redeems 2020 to a great extent. In fact, the entire family here was watching the launch online. Got to hand it to Elon Musk on having the vision, perseverance and a great presentation for the world to see.

I especially like the quirky names to his vehicles. Next milestone in another 11 hours for the docking.

[RM Motorsports]

Launch Recap: NASA and SpaceX fly Astronauts to the Space Station.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22BXPLkyocw