Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday May 27 2020, @01:45AM   Printer-friendly
from the Up-up-and-away dept.

(NB: A timeline of events before and after the launch are at SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 Launch Timeline)

Crew Dragon Demo-2

Crew Dragon Demo-2 (officially known as SpaceX Demo-2) will be the first crewed test flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, scheduled for launch to the International Space Station on 27 May 2020 at 20:33:33 UTC (4:33:33 PM EDT). Demo-2 will be the first crewed orbital spaceflight launched from the United States since the final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135, in 2011, on which Douglas (Doug) G. Hurley was the pilot. Hurley will be spacecraft commander on Crew Dragon Demo-2, joined by Robert (Bob) L. Behnken as joint operations commander. Crew Dragon Demo-2 will also be the first two-person orbital spaceflight launched from the United States since STS-4 in 1982.

SpaceX - Crew Dragon Demo 2 Launch:

SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, May 27 for Falcon 9’s launch of Crew Dragon’s second demonstration (Demo-2) mission from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This test flight with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board the Dragon spacecraft will return human spaceflight to the United States.

The instantaneous launch window opens at 4:33 p.m. EDT, or 20:33 UTC, with backup instantaneous launch opportunities available on Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 p.m. EDT, or 19:22 UTC, and on Sunday, May 31 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, or 19:00 UTC. Tune in here[*] to watch the launch webcast. Coverage will begin about 4 hours before liftoff.

Demo-2 is the final major test for SpaceX’s human spaceflight system to be certified by NASA for operational crew missions to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX is returning human spaceflight to the United States with one of the safest, most advanced systems ever built, and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is a turning point for America’s future in space exploration that lays the groundwork for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

All Times Are Approximate

Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control and life support systems, the maneuvering thrusters, and thermal control systems, among other things. Crew Dragon will perform a series of phasing maneuvers to position itself for rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.

The spacecraft is designed to do this autonomously. However, astronauts on board the spacecraft and the space station will be diligently monitoring approach and docking, and can take control of the spacecraft if necessary.

Upon conclusion of the mission, Crew Dragon will autonomously undock with the two astronauts onboard the spacecraft and depart the Space Station. After jettisoning the trunk and conducting its deorbit burn, which lasts approximately 12 minutes, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere.

Upon splashdown just off Florida’s Atlantic Coast, Dragon and the astronauts will be quickly recovered by one of SpaceX’s recovery vessels and returned to Cape Canaveral.

[*] https://www.spacex.com/launches/index.html


Original Submission #1 Original Submission #2

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @02:44AM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @02:44AM (#999478)

    It would be more exciting if Elong Musky had the balls to risk his own life.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @02:54AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @02:54AM (#999484)

    Only a matter of time before Ash-∆-$~12 demands emancipation to another planet from his parent "Pedo Guy" after being bullied at school for an unpronounceable name.

    • (Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @03:30AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @03:30AM (#999501)

      We have yet to see whether X Æ A-12 will die of SIDS before learning to speak.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @04:45AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 27 2020, @04:45AM (#999514)

    It would be more exciting if Elong Musky had the balls to risk his own life.

    How do we know he actually has balls, anyway. He could have a vagina with a labia shaped like a balloon animal.

  • (Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Wednesday May 27 2020, @05:01AM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday May 27 2020, @05:01AM (#999518) Journal

    It would be more exciting if Elong Musky had the balls to risk his own life.

    Because that's relevant how? I think it'd be more exciting for you if you were risking your own life. Hop on that rocket, boy.