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SpaceX Crew Dragon hoisted aboard SpaceX GO Searcher
recovery vessel at approx. 9:50 a.m. EST March 8, 2018 using hydraulic lifting crane
from the Atlantic Ocean at a spot located approximately 230 miles northeast of the coast of Cape Canaveral,
Florida
Credit: NASA TV
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – SpaceX’s commercially built Crew Dragon spacecraft concluded its historic first unmanned test flight with a successful return to Earth and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean Friday morning, March 8, paving the way to a resumption of human launches from American soil as soon as this summer - and a ‘new era’ in spaceflight spurred by public-private partnerships and investments.
The six day SpaceX mission of the inaugural Crew Dragon spaceship dubbed ‘Demo-1’ was ‘fully successful’ and marks a major milestone in NASA’s overarching goal to restore America’s capability to launch American astronauts in American capsules on American rockets to low Earth orbit (LEO) and the International Space Station (ISS).
A two person crew of NASA astronauts are already selected and trained and will launch on the first mission with humans aboard on the ‘Demo-2 mission’ sometime later this year- in the July timeframe or later depending on the outcome of post flight technical reviews of the Demo-1 mission.
Based on today’s outstanding success, NASA is a significant step closer towards resumption of American human spaceflight.
Crew Dragon splashed down at 8:45 a.m. EST (1345 GMT) Friday in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 230 miles northeast of the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida - some six hours after undocking from the forward port of the ISS Harmony module at 2:31 a.m. EST (0731 GMT).
The splashdown took place as planned on time and on target as the SpaceX recovery fleet watched and waited nearby within a few miles, under exceptionally good weather conditions and calm sea states – as shown live on NASA TV.
Four giant orange and white parachutes unfurled to slow the Dragons descent and complete the first end-to-end uncrewed test flight. One of the parachutes unexpectedly covered the capsule and had to be pulled off by the recovery team.
“It was a picture perfect conclusion to a picture perfect mission,” said Steve Stich, deputy manager of NASA’s commercial crew program.
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SpaceX Crew Dragon hoisted aboard SpaceX GO Searcher
recovery vessel at approx. 9:50 a.m. EST March 8, 2018 using hydraulic lifting crane
from the Atlantic Ocean at a spot located approximately 230 miles northeast of the coast of Cape Canaveral,
Florida
– as seen on video monitor at the Kennedy Space Center press site. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Looking a lot like a toasted marshmallow, it was placed on a restraining cradle on rails that can be moved back and forth below the heliport that sits atop Go Searcher.
Orange colored scorch marks from the blazing heats of reentry at 17,000 mph were visible from top to bottom on portions of the capsule.
NASA’s requirement is to have the Dragon onboard within 1 hours and for the crew to be transported to a nearby airport within 3 hours.
Under normal circumstances the crew would remain onboard Go Searcher – unless there is a medical need to evacuate earlier.
GO Searcher is now under way transporting Dragon back to home base in Port Canaveral, Florida. It is expected to arrive about 30 hours after ocean retrieval- thus sometime Saturday afternoon.
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SpaceX Crew Dragon parachutes to Earth and completes
mission at splashdown at 8:45 a.m. EST March 8, 2018 in the Atlantic Ocean at a
spot located approximately
230 miles northeast of the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida – as seen
on video monitor at the Kennedy Space Center press site. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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“This counts as the first successful test flight of NASA’s commercial crew program.”
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Completing an end-to-end
uncrewed flight test, Demo-1, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon departed the International
Space Station at 2:32 a.m. EST Friday, March 8, 2019, and splashed down at 8:45
a.m. in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 nautical miles off the Florida coast. Credits: NASA Television
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“I want to once again congratulate the NASA and SpaceX teams on an incredible week. Our Commercial Crew Program is one step closer to launching American astronauts on American rockets from American soil. I am proud of the great work that has been done to get us to this point.”
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SpaceX Crew Dragon recovery in progress after splashdown at
8:45 a.m. EST March 8, 2018 in the Atlantic Ocean at a spot located approximately 230 miles northeast
of the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida – as seen on video monitor at
the Kennedy Space Center press site. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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SpaceX was awarded a $2.6 Billion contract while Boeing received $4.2 Billion. Boeing hopes to fly its maiden unmanned Starliner mission later this spring atop a ULA Atlas V rocket followed by a manned mission later in the year.
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SpaceX Crew Dragon hoisted aboard SpaceX GO Searcher
recovery vessel at approx. 9:50 a.m. EST March 8, 2018 using hydraulic lifting crane
from the Atlantic Ocean at a spot located approximately 230 miles northeast of the coast of Cape Canaveral,
Florida
– as seen on video monitor at the Kennedy Space Center press site. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Ripley became an instant internet sensation and is outfitted with sensors to provide data about potential effects on future astronauts who will travel in the Crew Dragon.
The cargo included more than “400 pounds of crew supplies and equipment to the space station, including bulk overwrap bags containing more than 1,000 food and drink packages for the crew.”
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Up Close view of SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft bolted atop Falcon
9 rocket with Crew Access Arm astronaut walkway in position after being raised
vertical at NASA’s historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida on March 1, 2019 ahead
of liftoff March 2 at 2:49 a.m. EST on critical unpiloted test flight on Demo-1
mission. This will lead to return human spaceflight capabilities to the United
States on Demo-2 mission with 2 NASA astronauts later this year. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The cargo also included radiation monitors, science
sample packages and crew clothing.
Also aboard was an Earth plush toy that instantly became famous and a world-wide sensation when shown off by Expedition 58 crew member and NASA astronaut Anne McClain - and became known as as ‘Little Earth.’
For the return trip to Earth, the Expedition 58 crew loaded Dragon with about 300 pounds of cargo including 2 cold stowage bags packed with important science research samples.
The Expedition 58 trio crew currently aboard station comprises NASA astronaut Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, and Russian cosmonaut and Expedition 58 commander Oleg Kononenko.
The physical separation of Crew Dragon from the ISS took place 250 miles over Sudan, Africa this morning at 2:31 a.m. as 2 hook sets were unlatched. The Dragon was also commanded to fire thrusters to initiate the separation with two quick separation burns of 1.5 seconds each in duration.
Two more burns were commanded later.Also aboard was an Earth plush toy that instantly became famous and a world-wide sensation when shown off by Expedition 58 crew member and NASA astronaut Anne McClain - and became known as as ‘Little Earth.’
For the return trip to Earth, the Expedition 58 crew loaded Dragon with about 300 pounds of cargo including 2 cold stowage bags packed with important science research samples.
The Expedition 58 trio crew currently aboard station comprises NASA astronaut Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency, and Russian cosmonaut and Expedition 58 commander Oleg Kononenko.
The physical separation of Crew Dragon from the ISS took place 250 miles over Sudan, Africa this morning at 2:31 a.m. as 2 hook sets were unlatched. The Dragon was also commanded to fire thrusters to initiate the separation with two quick separation burns of 1.5 seconds each in duration.
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SpaceX Crew Dragon undocks and pulls away from ISS on March
8, 2019 with nose cone open prior to re-entry and splashdown. Credit: NASA TV
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Water reflection launch view as SpaceX
Falcon 9 soars off Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:49 a.m. EST Saturday,
March 2, 2019 carrying the company’s first commercially-built and operated Crew Dragon
spacecraft to orbit for docking with the International Space Station (ISS) - as seen from VAB roof. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Crew Dragon is the first commercially built American spacecraft designed to carry humans to the orbiting laboratory that has actually docked.
“If you just think about the enormity of this flight and all of the prep that went into it – getting the pad refurbished, getting the flight control room set up, getting the vehicle built, getting the Falcon 9 ready, all of the analysis and mission support that went into it – it’s just been a tremendous job. Our NASA and SpaceX teams worked seamlessly not only in the lead-up to the flight but in how we managed the flight,” said Steve Stich, deputy manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
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Elated Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO after successful Demo-1 launch 2:49 AM on Falcon
9 rocket historic from
Launch Complex 39A - flanked by elated NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and NASA Demo-2
mission Astronaut Bob Behnken
at post launch briefing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Press Site. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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· First commercially-built and operated American crew spacecraft and rocket to launch from American soil on a mission to the space station.
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First commercially-built
and operated American crew spacecraft to dock with the space station.
·
First autonomous docking
of a U.S. spacecraft to the International Space Station.
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First use of a new,
global design standard for the adapters
that connect the space station and Crew Dragon, and also will be used for the
Orion spacecraft for NASA’s future mission to the Moon.
The Demo-1 Crew Dragon successfully attached
to the forward facing port on the International
Space Station’s Harmony module for a “soft capture” Sunday, March 3,
at 5:51 a.m. EST while the station was traveling more than 250 miles over the
Pacific Ocean, just north of New Zealand. The gumdrop shaped vessel operated in a fully autonomous mode after completing 18 orbits of Earth since launching in the middle of the night Saturday morning.
SpaceX successfully landed the Falcon 9 first
stage on the OCISLY droneship 9 minutes after liftoff.
It was towed into Port Canaveral 3 days later on March 5. My story and photos here at Space UpClose.
It was towed into Port Canaveral 3 days later on March 5. My story and photos here at Space UpClose.
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Dr. Ken Kremer of Space UpClose interviewed live on BBC Breakfast
TV News about the successful SpaceX Crew Dragon launch and implications for future
spaceflight. Credit: BBC/Space UpClose
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Dr. Ken Kremer of Space UpClose interviewed live on BBC
World News about the successful SpaceX Crew Dragon launch and implications for
future spaceflight. Credit: BBC/Space UpClose
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Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of
NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and
mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
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
and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly
on TV and radio about space topics.
………….
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
Learn
more about the upcoming/recent ULA
Delta 4 WGS-10, SpaceX Demo-1, Falcon 9 Nusantara
Satu launch, USAF GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-16 launch
to ISS, NASA missions, ULA Atlas &
Delta launches, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville,
FL, evenings:
Mar 9/12: “ULA
Delta 4 WGS-10 launch, SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 and Nusantara Satu launch, Dragon
CRS-16 resupply launch to ISS, SpaceX Falcon GPS 3-01, SpaceX Falcon Heavy
& Falcon 9 launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 USAF GP3 3-01, NRO & USAF
Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex,
Juno at Jupiter, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars,
NH at Pluto, Kuiper Belt and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn,
Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for
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Ken’s
upcoming talks:
Apr 3: “Exploring Mars; The Search for Life
& A Journey in 3-D.” 7 PM, Lawton C Johnson Middle School, Summit, NJ. Open to
the public. Details upcoming. Latest results from Mars & Ultima Thule
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UpClose view into the rear of SpaceX astronaut recovery
ship GO Searcher with Crew Dragon mock-up in Port
Canaveral, FL in March 2019. The capsule is seen here atop the deck with hoisting crane that
will pluck the real Crew Dragon aboard after Atlantic Ocean splashdowns upon return
from the ISS. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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