 |
SpaceX technicians rolled out and raised the integrated Falcon
9 and Crew Dragon vertical on Jan 22, 2019 for Demo-1 mission at historic
Launch Complex 39A in Florida ahead critical static fire test planned as soon
as Jan. 23 as they preparing to return human spaceflight capabilities to the
United States with 1st uncrewed test flight NET mid-February
2019. Credit:
Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
|
Ken Kremer --SpaceUpClose.com &
RocketSTEM –22 January 2019
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – SpaceX technicians rolled out the first integrated Falcon 9 rocket and space worthy Crew Dragon in the wee hours this morning Tuesday, Jan 22, and raised it vertical in the 8 a.m. EST hour at NASA’s historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in anticipation of the crucial static fire test planned as soon as Wednesday, Jan. 23 leading to the long awaited and long delayed return of human spaceflight capabilities to the United States.
UPDATE Jan 23: static hot fire test postponed to NET Jan 24.
Amidst the ongoing and deleterious US Government Shutdown SpaceX and NASA are ramping up activities preparing for blastoff of the new Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon on the uncrewed Demo-1 (DM-1) mission at some point NET (no earlier than) mid-February.
Space UpClose observed the combined two stage Falcon 9 and Demo-1 Crew Dragon raised erect at pad 39A shortly after going vertical this morning – as illustrated in my photos taken at a distance through the haze from Titusville, FL.
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – SpaceX technicians rolled out the first integrated Falcon 9 rocket and space worthy Crew Dragon in the wee hours this morning Tuesday, Jan 22, and raised it vertical in the 8 a.m. EST hour at NASA’s historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in anticipation of the crucial static fire test planned as soon as Wednesday, Jan. 23 leading to the long awaited and long delayed return of human spaceflight capabilities to the United States.
UPDATE Jan 23: static hot fire test postponed to NET Jan 24.
Amidst the ongoing and deleterious US Government Shutdown SpaceX and NASA are ramping up activities preparing for blastoff of the new Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon on the uncrewed Demo-1 (DM-1) mission at some point NET (no earlier than) mid-February.
Space UpClose observed the combined two stage Falcon 9 and Demo-1 Crew Dragon raised erect at pad 39A shortly after going vertical this morning – as illustrated in my photos taken at a distance through the haze from Titusville, FL.
 |
SpaceX technicians rolled out and raised the integrated Falcon
9 and Crew Dragon vertical on Jan 22, 2019 for Demo-1 mission at historic
Launch Complex 39A in Florida ahead critical static fire test planned as soon
as Jan. 23 as they preparing to return human spaceflight capabilities to the
United States with 1st uncrewed test flight NET mid-February
2019. Credit:
Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
|
Due to the government shutdown closer viewing locations at
the National Wildlife Refuge are completely closed to the public for the foreseeable
future.
Unfortunately at the moment there is no end in sight to the US government shutdown.
Thus a true target Demo-1 launch date likely remains elusive since most NASA workers remain furloughed. A small team of NASA workers assigned to the Demo-1 mission to oversee and verify the work carried out by SpaceX technicians at pad 39A remains on duty.
Unfortunately at the moment there is no end in sight to the US government shutdown.
Thus a true target Demo-1 launch date likely remains elusive since most NASA workers remain furloughed. A small team of NASA workers assigned to the Demo-1 mission to oversee and verify the work carried out by SpaceX technicians at pad 39A remains on duty.
 |
SpaceX technicians rolled out and raised the integrated Falcon
9 and Crew Dragon vertical on Jan 22, 2019 for Demo-1 mission at historic
Launch Complex 39A in Florida ahead critical static fire test planned as soon
as Jan. 23 as they preparing to return human spaceflight capabilities to the
United States with 1st uncrewed test flight NET mid-February
2019. Credit:
Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
|
Per normal practice SpaceX has not officially confirmed the timing and date of the static fire test.
The flight utilizes the new Falcon 9 booster core #B1051 and the Crew Dragon – both on their maiden missions.
The integrated stack rolled out once before in early January for pad fit checks and checkout operations.
 |
The crew access arm,
or astronaut walkway, at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, FL,
is extended to the SpaceX Crew Dragon DM-1 spacecraft soon after the Falcon 9
rocket was erected vertical on Jan. 3, 2019. Credit: SpaceX
|
The hold down static fire test is routinely carried by SpaceX to ensure all is ready with the rocket.
During the engine test all nine Merlin 1D first stage engines are briefly ignited for several seconds.
During the hold down static fire test, the rocket’s first and second stages are fueled with liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants just like an actual launch, and a simulated countdown iss carried out to the point of a brief engine ignition.
The hold down engine test with the erected Falcon 9 rocket involves the ignition of all nine Merlin 1D first stage engines generating some 1.7 million pounds of thrust at pad 39A while the two stage rocket is restrained on the pad.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner under currently development to once again ferry American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from American soil on American rockets to end our sole reliance on the Russian Soyuz since the forced shutdown of NASA's space shuttles in 2011.
The private SpaceX crew dragon will fly on the Demo-1 mission to the ISS and was developed under the auspices of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Although no astronauts will be aboard this test flight, two crew members will soar to orbit on the follow-up Demo-2 test flight several months later in June 2019 - according to current projections.
In another sign
showing progress towards astronaut launches, a mock-up of SpaceX’s privately
built Crew Dragon spaceship sailed into Port Canaveral last week on the dedicated
‘GO Searcher’ recovery ship after
conducting trails at sea as practice demonstrations to prepare the naval team for
hoisting real capsules holding NASA astronaut crews on deck after their fiery return
from space and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.
 |
SpaceX Crew Dragon mock-up
sails into Port Canaveral, FL atop the astronaut recovery ship GO Searcher on Jan. 16, 2019. The capsule is seen here atop the deck with hoisting
crane on Jan. 19 that will pluck it aboard after Atlantic Ocean splashdowns and
return from the ISS. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
|
 |
VP Mike Pence tours the SpaceX launch processing facility with
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell to visit the Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket
on Dec. 18, 2018. Credit: SpaceX
|
Pence
received a personally guided tour from SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and met
with SpaceX employees.
“Incredible
opportunity to see @SpaceX's Dragon 2 Capsule - an important part of the
future of American human space exploration as we aim to return American
astronauts to space on U.S. rockets from U.S. soil!” VP Pence tweeted on Dec. 18,
2018 from Launch Complex 39A at KSC.
The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is to restore America’s capability to launch human spaceflight missions from the U.S. to low Earth orbit (LEO) and the International Space Station (ISS) on American capsules with American rockets from American soil - and thereby end our 100% reliance on the Russian Soyuz capsules.
The US became solely dependent on Russia due to the forced shutdown of NASA’s Space Shuttles back in 2011 when both political parties failed to provide sufficient US Federal budget funding support to NASA’s human spaceflight programs.
Target timelines for return US human spaceflight capability have been pushed back repeatedly since 2015 due to endless mindless political squabbling as well as technical challenges.
SpaceX will have to accomplish all this critical work and do it safely for NASA with significantly fewer staff after the company announced a 10% reduction in workforce earlier this month – as I reported here.
Here’s a link to my Fox News 35 Orlando interview and commentary about the negative impact of the US Government shutdown on NASA- as seen on Jan 8:
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science
and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter
@ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist,
journalist and photographer based in the KSC area.
………….
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
No comments:
Post a Comment