Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Information from NASA News Emails
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#1 Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by Commander »

May 26, 2020
MEDIA ADVISORY M20-061
Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Grammy Award Winner Kelly Clarkson to Perform National Anthem


NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight on Wednesday, May 27, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 4:33 p.m. EDT May 27 for the launch of the first commercially-built and operated American rocket and spacecraft carrying astronauts to the space station. NASA and SpaceX will provide joint, live coverage from launch to arrival at the space station.
NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley, left, and Robert Behnken, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Demo-2 mission launch, Saturday, May 23, 2020.<br />Credits: NASA/ Bill Ingalls
NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley, left, and Robert Behnken, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Demo-2 mission launch, Saturday, May 23, 2020.
Credits: NASA/ Bill Ingalls
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Full mission coverage will air live on NASA Television and the agency’s website, as well as numerous other platforms. The launch broadcast commentators are Marie Lewis, Dan Huot, Gary Jordan, Derrol Nail, and Tahira Allen from NASA, and Lauren Lyons, John Insprucker, and Jessie Anderson from SpaceX, with special guest host and former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin. Postlaunch coverage commentators are Leah Cheshier, Courtney Beasley, Gary Jordan and Dan Huot from NASA, and Kate Tice, Siva Bharadvaj, and Michael Andrews from SpaceX.

Prelaunch coverage also includes a special performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Grammy Award-winning singer Kelly Clarkson.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and is scheduled to dock to the space station at 11:39 a.m. Thursday, May 28.

This will be SpaceX’s final test flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and will provide critical data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft, and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, and landing operations.

The test flight also will provide valuable data toward certification of SpaceX’s crew transportation system for regular flights carrying astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX currently is readying the hardware for the first space station crew rotational mission, which would happen after data from this test flight is reviewed for certification.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, all media participation in news conferences will be remote. Only a limited number of media will be accommodated at Kennedy. For the protection of media and Kennedy employees, the Kennedy Press Site News Center facilities will remain closed to all media throughout these events.

To participate in the briefings by phone, reporters must e-mail ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov no later than two hours prior to each event.

Live NASA coverage is as follows. All times are EDT:

Wednesday, May 27

12:15 p.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins (continues through docking)
4:33 p.m. – Liftoff
5:22 p.m. – Crew Dragon phase burn
6:05 p.m. – Far-field manual flight test
7:05 p.m. – Astronaut downlink event from Crew Dragon
7:30 p.m. – Administrator postlaunch news conference at Kennedy
Administrator Bridenstine
Kathy Lueders
SpaceX representative
Kirk Shireman
NASA Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester

A media phone bridge will be available for this event. Launch commentary will switch to NASA TV’s Media Channel.

Thursday, May 28

7:20 a.m. – Astronaut downlink event from Crew Dragon
11:39 a.m. – Docking
1:55 p.m. – Hatch Open
2:25 p.m. – Welcome ceremony
4:15 p.m. – Post-Arrival News Conference at Johnson
Administrator Bridenstine
Mark Geyer, director, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
NASA Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester

Friday, May 29

11:05 a.m. – Space Station crew news conference, with NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken, and Doug Hurley
12:50 p.m. – SpaceX employee event and Class of 2020 Mosaic presentation, with NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy, Bob Behnken, and Doug Hurley

The deadline for media to apply for accreditation for this launch has passed, but more information about media accreditation is available by emailing ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.

This test flight is a pivotal point in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which is working with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil to the space station for the first time since 2011.

The goal of the Commercial Crew Program is to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This could allow for additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration, including preparation for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

-end-
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#2 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by Commander »

Yippeee!!!

:USA: :USA: :USA:
:~salud:
:)~(:
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#3 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by luke strawwalker »

T-28 minutes and change... Looking good, except the weather. Although it's looking better *visually* at the pad than the rain they were getting earlier. Of course it's a lot more weather than just at the pad itself that comes into play...

Weather update in 3 minutes... OL J R :)
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#4 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by luke strawwalker »

Good presentation between Elon and Jim Bridenstine earlier in the NASA TV coverage I'm watching on roku streaming... Maybe this will shut up some of the naysayers that have been blowing the "only NASA can do this stuff!" horn for the last 10+ years, ever since commercial resupply and then commercial crew was first announced. Also good to see that the "red headed stepchild" is getting there first (hopefully) with their OWN design (though some of the early Merlin engine tech DID come from the NASA FASTRAC engine, but that was basically the first iteration of Merlin, back when it was an ablatively cooled engine. They switched to regeneratively cooled pretty early on and so basically they share about as much in common as the Model T engine and the newest GM engine... they both have pistons and valves and that's about it.

Looks like a scrub... weather just keeps violating a couple of the constraints...

Yep, it's a scrub... OL J R :)
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#5 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by luke strawwalker »

John Glenn had what, 6 scrubs before he finally flew??

Interesting to see their suit-up and closeout procedures, and how they've changed the tower and crew access arm, etc. REALLY modernized... That seems to be the main theme everyone is commenting on-- the modernity and new way of doing business. The really smooth slick looking new ascent pressure suits (they're not "space suits" per se, just a modernized version of the "pumpkin suits" pressure suits that the astronauts wore on the later shuttle missions... though SpaceX has developed an actual EVA suit, which they launched with the Tesla Roadster as "Starman" on the Falcon Heavy first launch). The "glass cockpit" with touch-screen a just a small bar with a handful of actual switches to control override functions... all very slick. They interviewed a shuttle astronaut who was saying how slick and modern it all is compared to the "clunky" stuff inside the shuttle-- they even used to use the old pilot "kneeboards" with their hard-copy procedures flip-books attached, where Crew Dragon uses the center screen to display the procedures. All very slick and modern. Not sure how I feel about that, actually.... as a guy who works on his own farm machinery and vehicles, I appreciate and feel very strongly that the "KISS" principle should apply, simpler is always more robust and has fewer chances of faults or problems. These modern vehicles with the "electronic everything" like automatic temperature control, auto-seat and mirror adjustments, computer-controlled locks and latches on the doors or hatchbacks, even electrically operated tailgates now on modern pickups... Well, all that crap works good WHEN IT'S NEW but given a few years, when it quits or starts going wonky, that's when you really HATE that crap... Personally if I was flying into space, while the touch-screen stuff and tv displays instead of actual instruments might be nice, I'd sure want at least the basic, essential things to be operable by actually closing a switch or circuit breaker or valve, and by actually looking at a gauge or physical indicator... I guess they do since they DO have a switch panel and abort handle just below the touch screens, but it sure doesn't look like much. Course modern spacecraft design is so automated, basically I guess one switch can now do what took an entire bank of switches in Apollo or even the shuttle...

Later! OL J R :)
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#6 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by luke strawwalker »

The Tesla's are a nice touch LOL:) I guess... personally I'd think a Tesla truck would be more appropriate, but I guess they work. Gull wing doors are a nice touch LOL:) Later! OL J R :)
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#7 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by Commander »

You knew Elon would get a Tesla plug in.
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Elon Musk and Jim Bridenstine also did an one (two?) on one interview with the youtuber Everyday Astronaut I found interesting.
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#8 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by Commander »

Elon Musk and Jum Bridenstine in suit up room.png
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Some of the footage was extraordinary. Having grown up in the Apollo era, this is stuff you would only see in a documentary long after the mission ended.
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#9 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by Commander »

Crew Dragon on the Falcon 9.png
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In the end though, it was the weather who ruled the day :(

We shall just have to wait till Saturday when we will try it again.
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#10 Re: Here we go folks, USA in space, Part Two Coverage of Landmark NASA SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight

Post by Commander »

There did seem to be a lot of interest in the launch, at one point #launchamerica was the number one trending item on the social medias. Here was my contribution.
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If you look closely, you may notice my NAR 5 year pin. :shock:
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