Launch News SpaceX DM-2 Launch Scheduled for May 27!

[Thunder Chicken]

Woo hoo! Official from Jim Bridenstein:


[ame="https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/1251178705633841167"]Jim Bridenstine on Twitter: "BREAKING: On May 27, @NASA will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil! With our @SpaceX partners, @Astro_Doug and @AstroBehnken will launch to the @Space_Station on the #CrewDragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Let's #LaunchAmerica ??… https://t.co/IyfUQ4lXvM"[/ame]

 

[Urwumpe]

Nice to know that the schedule does not slip much now. :hmm:

Especially for the future of the ISS. Would be sad if this fast moving star would be gone too soon. (I really hope for a larger replacement in LEO, just to still have an easily visible manned artificial satellite.)

 

[Kyle]

A day 9 years in the making!

 

[Notebook]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52333932

 

[4throck]

Any news on specific mission parameters ?
The only think I have is ISS docking on May 28.
But no info about the launch window...

 

[Donamy]

I heard it's 110 day mission. Don't know if it's true.

 

[barrygolden]

the plan is for a 3 month plus stay

 

[Fabri91]

SpaceX CCtCap Demonstration Mission 2 (2033 GMT, May 27th)

The return of manned spaceflight (and the NASA worm logo) to the US is now only a few days away!

Mission Overview:

• Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 Block 5
• Mission: CCtCap Demo Mission 2
• Scheduled Launch Date: May 27th, 4.33 PM EDT / 2033 GMT
• Launch Location: Pad 39A, Kennedy Space Center

Mission Description:
Goal of the mission is to complete the demonstration phase for the Dragon manned spacecraft, after an unmanned test flight to the International Space Station was successfully completetd last year.

The crew will be made up of NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, with this trip being the third one for both Shuttle veterans, on what will be the first two-man crew since STS-4 in 1982.

The two astronauts will join Expedition 63 for a number of months, with the final flight duration yet to be determined after observations on how the spacecraft's solar arrays will perform. A duration between 30 and 119 days is, however, expected.

The reserve crew is made up of Michael Hopkins and Victor Glover.

Mission Highlights:

• On May 16th the Crew Dragon spacecraft was moved inside the Falcon 9 hangar for mating to the launch vehicle.
• On May 20th the crew is flying from Houston to Cape Canaveral for final launch preparations.

 

[Notebook]

Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for their historic mission next week.
The pair's flight to the International Space Station (ISS) will be made in a rocket and capsule system provided by a commercial company, SpaceX.
Nasa has traditionally always owned and operated its space vehicles.
But that is a capability it gave up in 2011 when it retired the last of the space shuttles.
The agency now intends to contract out all future crew transportation to low-Earth orbit.
Hurley and Behnken flew into Florida from the agency's human spaceflight headquarters in Texas where they have been in quarantine.
They'll continue protecting their health at Kennedy as they get ready for Wednesday's planned lift-off.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52748293

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Rocket rolled out.

SpaceX is targeting a 4:33pm EDT (2033 GMT) T-0 for the static fire Friday, the same time as liftoff May 27.

View of Dragon mated to the rocket.

Launch Readiness review

 

[dman]

Its all Trump's fault ……..

 

[llarian]

Anyone want to bet he wants a personal photo-op with the crew and won't abide by the isolation rules ... again?

 

[NukeET]

Anyone want to bet he wants a personal photo-op with the crew and won't abide by the isolation rules ... again?

How much?

Put your money where your mouth is.

 

[GLS]

 

[llarian]

What's the expected weather at the Cape today?

 

[Urwumpe]

What's the expected weather at the Cape today?

Not too favorable, strong winds at high altitude:


https://www.aviationweather.gov/windtemp

 

[4throck]

( https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1265581251412537344/photo/2 )

Ground track with abort zones. Weather must also be OK on those zones I think.

There's good info and coverage on this forum:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=46110.640

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, the sea state is fine along the ground track during the launch window, at least that should be no problem.

13 km winds look rather good for KSC and Shannon, but bad for St Johns at about 40 m/s, not sure if this might be a problem.

 

[garyw]

Anyone want to bet he wants a personal photo-op with the crew and won't abide by the isolation rules ... again?

He'll do this when they are back. Not only is it closer the election but he'll be linked with a success rather than a failure.

 

[4throck]

Weather at the cape seems uncertain from what I see on the web...
I'm not familiar with the local conditions, but living near the sea I know things can change in minutes. Coastal areas are very dynamic environments.