Demo-2 safely returns Bob and Doug to Earth to conclude historic start to new Commercial Era
NASA and SpaceX have successfully returned NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour. The return to Earth brought an end to the historic first private-company spaceflight of humans to Earth orbit and the commencement of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
Splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico came as expected at 2:48 pm EDT (18:48 UTC) off the southern coast of Alabama and southwest of Pensacola, Florida.
The splashdown culminated the historic Demo-2 flight which launched humans into orbit on the first-ever privately owned and operated rocket and spacecraft from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center on 30 May 2020.
The launch marked the first time since the final flight of space shuttle Atlantis in 2011 that humans launched into orbit from the United States, and this historic splashdown was the first landing of a spacecraft with humans on board in the Gulf of Mexico.
Moreso, it marked the first end of mission water landing for a U.S. human space flight since Apollo-Soyuz Test Program in July 1975 and the first global human spaceflight water landing since Soyuz 23 accidentally came down in Lake Tengiz on 16 October 1976.
Also at NASA, Space News, BBC, and Teslarati.
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Interesting side note to the SpaceX capsule recovery.
Boaters gatecrash SpaceX's 1st splashdown with astronauts. 'We need to do better,' NASA chief says.:
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour splashed down off the coast of Pensacola, Florida Sunday (Aug. 2), returning astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to Earth after their historic Demo-2 test flight. But shortly after that splashdown, private boats swarmed the space capsule, apparently hoping for a closer look.
"That was not what we were anticipating," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a post-splashdown briefing. "After they landed, the boats just came in. We need to do a better job next time for sure."
[...] Bridenstine said the U.S. Coast Guard did clear the landing zone ahead of the splashdown, and the landing itself had no issues. The SpaceX recovery ship Go Navigator recovered the capsule about 30 minutes after splashdown, but not before the private boats arrived.
"That capsule was in the water for a good amount of time and those boats just made a beeline for it," Bridenstine said. "There are things that we're going to look at, that we need to do better at, for sure."
SpaceX recovery crews in fast boats worked to push back the encroaching boaters. Still, the private boats could be seen in an arc around SpaceX's Go Navigator as the retrieval team plucked the capsule from the sea.
"The lesson learned here is that we probably need more Coast Guard assets,and maybe more SpaceX and NASA assets as well," SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said in the post-splashdown briefing. "This was a demonstration mission. This is the time that you go learn about these things, and we'll certainly be better prepared next time."
Previously:
(2020-08-02) Demo-2 Astronauts Safely Splashdown in Gulf of Mexico
(2020-08-01) More Quickly than Anyone Expected, NASA Embraces Reuse for Human Flights
(2020-05-30) Today WAS the Day -- Crew Demo 2 Launch Successful -- Heading to ISS [Updated]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Sunday August 02 2020, @09:33PM (1 child)
I know Musk has his detractors, but for this, we can overlook a helluva lot of faults. Murica is back in the Space Race!!
(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Monday August 03 2020, @03:03AM
Falcon 9 + Crew Dragon and Falcon Heavy + Dragon XL are important, but will pale in comparison to human-rated Starship Super Heavy. That is a real game changer.
Starship SN5 could do a hop within the next couple of weeks. Starship SN8 or later could fly up to 20 km within a couple of months. Orbital launch by the end of 2020 or early 2021.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday August 02 2020, @09:42PM (16 children)
SpaceX capsule swarmed by boaters after successful splashdown [theverge.com]
It sounds like at least two private boats made a "beeline" directly for the capsule after it landed. So there will probably be more Coast Guard next time around.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Sunday August 02 2020, @09:53PM (5 children)
That is pure stupid. Something bigger and heavier than my boat is going to fall out of the sky, so I'm going to park under it? DERP!! I want to be ten miles away from the target area, at least.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday August 02 2020, @10:00PM (4 children)
One of the potential problems is the toxic propellant fumes emanating from the capsule.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/08/02/spacex-return-updates/ [washingtonpost.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 4, Informative) by nitehawk214 on Monday August 03 2020, @12:27AM (3 children)
You do NOT want to inhale hydrazine [wikipedia.org].
Also, if you have not read Ignition [sciencemadness.org], please do so.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday August 03 2020, @06:19PM (2 children)
Can hydrazine be used to cure Covid-19?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2020, @07:14PM
No but intravenous injection of hydrazine will prevent you from ever catching COVID-19 and many other diseases.
(Score: 2, Informative) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday August 04 2020, @04:48PM
If you inhale a few grams of hydrazine, you will not die of COVID-19.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 1) by Catalyst on Sunday August 02 2020, @10:48PM (4 children)
Yeah, while funny, not too bright... I could see showing up nearby to watch, but to approach?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 02 2020, @11:31PM (1 child)
It should've been restricted waters, as is the airspace as per FAA regulations for any rocket launch/recovery. Either those boats were part of the team or they're in deep shit.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Monday August 03 2020, @07:16PM
According to the Coast Guard's statement on this the recovery was in international waters, so there isn't a legal mechanism for restricting them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2020, @02:49AM (1 child)
One boat was flying a Trump 2020 flag, so there is that. Not too bright.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2020, @12:39AM
I thought that was the plague flag they were flying.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Tokolosh on Monday August 03 2020, @02:45AM (4 children)
Instead of turning our attention to the geniuses that made this happen, we are using our energy and mod points on the idiots. Sad to see the priorities.
(Score: 3, Touché) by RS3 on Monday August 03 2020, @03:37AM
You must be new here.
(Score: 4, Funny) by PiMuNu on Monday August 03 2020, @09:21AM (2 children)
FTFY - I used my mod points on the person complaining about the person complaining about the idiots. k thx.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Monday August 03 2020, @02:18PM
Sounds like you're describing an Escher drawing.
(Score: 2) by Tokolosh on Tuesday August 04 2020, @02:35PM
Modded you funny, yw.