NASA & SpaceX - First Crewed Flight DM-2 Mission patch.
May 30, 2020
Liftoff!
Liftoff! The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley aboard the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft launched from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Pad 39A at 3:22 p.m. EDT, kicking off a critical final flight test of the SpaceX crew transportation system. The commercial crew era has officially begun with this launch of American astronauts on an American spacecraft from American soil.
Control of the flight has been transferred from the SpaceX launch control team at Kennedy to the mission control team at the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
SpaceX Demo-2 launch
The nine Merlin engines on the Falcon rocket’s first stage are generating more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust as the vehicle climbs away from Florida’s Space Coast. At about one minute into the flight, the rocket will pass through Max Q, the point of peak mechanical stress on the rocket.
Main Engine Cutoff; Second Stage Continues the Flight
MECO! Main engine cutoff. The nine Merlin engines powering the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage shut down as expected, followed by separation of the first stage from the second stage. The second stage’s single Merlin engine has taken over the task of delivering the Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, safely to orbit. This second-stage burn will last approximately six minutes.
‘Nominal Trajectory’
Stage 2 propulsion is performing as expected now four minutes into the flight, traveling 5600 miles per hour and 200 miles downrange from Kennedy Space Center.
Second-Stage Engine Cutoff, First Stage Begins Descent Toward Drone Ship
SECO! The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s second-stage Merlin engine shut down as planned. Separation of the Crew Dragon spacecraft from the second stage is coming up just over three minutes from now.
The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage is descending toward SpaceX’s drone ship, “Of Course I Still Love You,” waiting in the Atlantic Ocean.
Stage 1 Successfully Lands on Drone Ship
The first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has landed successfully on the company’s drone ship, “Of Course I Still Love You.”
The Falcon 9 second stage and Crew Dragon are right on track for spacecraft separation coming up shortly.
Separation! Crew Dragon, SpaceX Demo-2 Crew Arrive in Orbit
Twelve minutes into the flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, the spacecraft separated from the Falcon 9 rocket’s second stage, signaling the end of the climb to space. NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission, a final end-to-end flight test of the company’s crew transportation system, is underway with the return of human spaceflight capability to U.S. soil.
Second stage separation
The Crew Dragon, Behnken and Hurley are embarking on a 19-hour pursuit of the International Space Station.
“Thanks for flying on Falcon 9 today – we hope you enjoy the mission,” said SpaceX Chief Engineer Bala Ramamurthy.
“It was incredible. Appreciate all the hard work. Thanks for the great ride to space,” the crew responded.
The Crew Dragon’s nosecone is opening. This rounded cover at the top of the spacecraft protects the docking system and the guidance, navigation and control system. The spacecraft’s environmental control and life support system is running as well.
SpaceX Demo-2: Crew Dragon Reaches Orbit
Crew Dragon spacecraft in orbit
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley on their way to the International Space Station has safely reached orbit, and the nosecone has been opened.
At 4:09 p.m. EDT, the Crew Dragon will conduct a phase burn to put it on its trajectory to meet up with the space station tomorrow for docking at 10:29 a.m.
At 4:55 p.m., Behnken and Hurley will take control of Crew Dragon for the first of two manual flight tests, demonstrating their ability to control the spacecraft should an issue with the spacecraft’s automated flight ever arise.
Crew Dragon will perform a series of phasing maneuvers to gradually approach and autonomously dock with the International Space Station on Sunday, May 31, at approximately 10:29 a.m. EDT. Image bellow: a high-resolution version of the graphic at right, explaining the Crew Dragon’s approach to the station.
After a successful docking, hatches between the two spacecraft will be opened at 12:45 p.m. Crew members Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken will be welcomed aboard the International Space Station and become members of the Expedition 63 crew, joining astronaut Chris Cassidy and cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin. Behnken and Hurley will perform tests on Crew Dragon in addition to conducting research and other tasks with the space station crew.
Coverage will continue through Crew Dragon’s docking to the space station, scheduled for 10:29 a.m. EDT on Sunday, May 31.
Related articles:
NASA and SpaceX Target May 30 Demo-2 Launch, Continue to Monitor Weather
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasa-and-spacex-target-may-30-demo-2.html
NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2: Delta Launch Readiness Review Concludes, Teams Remain ‘Go’ for Technical Readiness
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasas-spacex-demo-2-delta-launch.html
NASA, SpaceX Prepare for Second Demo-2 Launch Attempt Tomorrow, May 30
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasa-spacex-prepare-for-second-demo-2.html
Launch of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Rescheduled for Saturday, May 30
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/launch-of-nasas-spacex-demo-2.html
NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Launch Rescheduled to Saturday Due to Weather
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasas-spacex-demo-2-launch-rescheduled.html
Related links:
NASA TV: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive
Commercial Crew Program: http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Images, Videos, Animation, Text, Credits: NASA/Anna Heiney/SpaceX/NASA TV/SciNews/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
