SpaceX - Dragon Crew-6 Mission patch.
March 2, 2023
Liftoff! Crew-6 Lights Up the Florida Early Morning Sky
Image above: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with the company’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft atop, lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission.
SpaceX Crew-6 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing
The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft roared off of Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:34 a.m. EST! Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, Sultan Alneyadi, and Andrey Fedyaev have successfully begun their approximate 24.5-hour journey to the International Space Station on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission.
The Falcon 9 rocket has reached first stage main engine cutoff (MECO). The first and second stages have separated.
The positive call came in from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Commander Stephen Bowen that trajectory is nominal. The first stage has started its descent.
Stage 1 Successfully Lands on SpaceX Drone Ship
Stage 1 of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket completed its descent and successfully landed on SpaceX’s drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, off the coast of Florida.
Image above: SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft separates from the second stage during NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Image Credit: NASA.
The Dragon Endeavour spacecraft has separated from the second stage. The spacecraft is traveling at approximately 17,500 miles per hour.
SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour interior view
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour, carrying NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, commander; Warren Hoburg, pilot; and mission specialists UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev to the International Space Station, has safely reached orbit, and the nosecone has been opened.
Crew Dragon docking at International Space Station (ISS). Animation Credit: SpaceX
After an approximate 24.5-hour transit, the crew will dock to the space-facing port of the microgravity laboratory’s Harmony module about 1:17 a.m. Friday, March 3. Hatch opening is targeted for approximately 3:27 a.m., followed by the welcome ceremony about 3:40 a.m. Arrival coverage on NASA TV and the agency’s website begins Thursday, March 2, at 11:30 p.m.
Related articles:
NASA, SpaceX Move Forward with March 2 Launch to Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2023/03/nasa-spacex-move-forward-with-march-2.html
Crew-6 ‘Go’ for Launch Following Successful Launch Readiness Review
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2023/02/crew-6-go-for-launch-following.html
NASA’s Crew-6 Heads to Space Station to Conduct Scientific Studies
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2023/02/nasas-crew-6-heads-to-space-station-to.html
Ground Systems Issue Scrubs Crew-6 Launch
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2023/02/ground-systems-issue-scrubs-crew-6.html
Related links:
NASA TV: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive
Commercial Crew: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html
SpaceX Crew-6: https://blogs.nasa.gov/crew-6/
Harmony module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/harmony
International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Animation (mentioned), Images not mentioned by Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga via NASA TV, Text Credits: NASA/James Cawley/Video Credits: NASA TV/SciNews.
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