NASA HQ PHOTO SpaceX Demo-2 Launch Attempt (NHQ202005270039) NASA astronaut Robert Behnken is seen on the fixed service structure of Launch Complex 39A before boarding SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket with fellow NASA astronaut Douglas Hurley during a launch attempt of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission, Wednesday, May 27, 2020, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission is the first launch with astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The test flight serves as an end-to-end demonstration of SpaceX’s crew transportation system. Today’s launch of Behnken and Hurley was scrubbed due to weather and is now scheduled for 3:22 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 30, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. A new era of human spaceflight is set to begin as American astronauts once again launch on an American rocket from American soil to low-Earth orbit for the first time since the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
What’s happening with tomorrow’s #LaunchAmerica mission? Watch Administrator @JimBridenstine give an update LIVE from @NASAKennedy's countdown clock that has provided backdrops for many rocket launches from the Space Coast. 🚀Tune in at 10am ET: nasa.gov/live
Highlights of that press conference:• This is a test flight• Watching the weather, another briefing later today• This is a test flight• Maybe could launch on June 2 or 3 if this weekend is scrubbed• Did you know this is a test flight?
NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2: Delta Launch Readiness Review Concludes, Teams Remain ‘Go’ for Technical ReadinessThe delta Launch Readiness Review for NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station has concluded at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The review covered the preparations for the second launch attempt for the Demo-2 test flight including the status of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, Falcon 9 rocket and the ground systems at Launch Complex 39A. This review focused on the technical readiness for launch, and mission teams were “go” for a second launch attempt.NASA and SpaceX now will turn attention to the weather around the launch site and the entire fight path for the Crew Dragon spacecraft. During the upcoming discussions, launch teams will hear the latest weather projections from the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron, SpaceX and the Spaceflight Meteorology Group at the Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Teams will consider all options that give the best opportunities for a successful mission, including evaluating technical readiness, weather around the launch pad, weather and sea states in the flight path of Crew Dragon, the location of the space station for mission phasing, and ensuring the launch teams and astronauts get the needed rest between launch attempts. Together, teams will look to find the best possible opportunities for a successful launch and docking of the Crew Dragon to the space station. The next available attempts are on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31. SpaceX also has requested a backup launch opportunity on Tuesday, June 2, to protect for the additional opportunity, if needed.Demo-2 will be SpaceX’s final test flight to validate its crew transportation system, including the Crew Dragon, Falcon 9, launch pad and operations capabilities. During the mission, the crew and SpaceX mission controllers will verify the performance of the spacecraft’s environmental control system, displays and control system, maneuvering thrusters, autonomous docking capability, and more.Author Anna HeineyPosted on May 29, 2020Categories Commercial Spaceflight, International Space Station, Kennedy Space Center, NASA, NASA Astronauts, SpaceX
No decision on weather right now for Saturday’s test flight of @SpaceX’s #CrewDragon spacecraft. Will reassess in the morning. #LaunchAmerica
