SpaceX F9 / Crew Dragon : Crew-2 : 22 April 2021 - DISCUSSION

[SMS]

http://flic.kr/p/2kAgKRz

The official portrait of SpaceX Crew-2 (Uploaded on February 9, 2021)

jsc2021e007778 (Feb. 23, 2021) --- The official portrait of the SpaceX Crew-2 crew members. From left are, NASA astronaut and Pilot Megan McArthur; European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet; JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide; and NASA astronaut and Commander Shane Kimbrough.

[SMS]

http://flic.kr/s/aHsmSyJjXu

more individual  photos (Uploaded on February 9, 2021):

jsc2020e034230_alt (Aug. 18, 2020) --- Portrait of NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough.

jsc2020e042697_alt (Sept. 29, 2020) --- Portrait of NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-2 Commander Shane Kimbrough.

jsc2020e042654_alt (Sept. 29, 2020) --- Portrait of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut and SpaceX Crew-2 Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide.

jsc2020e042824_alt (Sept. 29, 2020) --- Portrait of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and SpaceX Crew-2 Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet.

jsc2020e053345_alt (Dec. 9, 2020) --- Portrait of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and SpaceX Crew-2 Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet.

jsc2020e043271_alt (Nov. 19, 2020) --- Portrait of NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-2 Pilot Megan McArthur.

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/astro_kimbrough/status/1359564417692626947

[High Bay 4]

Can someone explain why Megan McArthur has a Mach 26 patch on her flight suit while the rest of her crewmates are sporting Mach 25 patches?  Does it have to do with STS-125 being a Hubble servicing mission?

[ddspaceman]

Can someone explain why Megan McArthur has a Mach 26 patch on her flight suit while the rest of her crewmates are sporting Mach 25 patches?  Does it have to do with STS-125 being a Hubble servicing mission?

Explained here:
http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum18/HTML/000823.html

The incremental increase in Mach number is due to the nature of their mission; to service the Hubble Space Telescope, Atlantis' crew flew to an altitude between 300 and 360 miles, about 100 miles above the International Space Station. As such, their reentry velocity on the way back to Earth was greater.

[AstroWare]

Its a shame that SpaceX doesn't produce a the helmet with just clearcoat (That black helmet looks great)

Sourced from https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/

Also - is Megan McArthur's flight suit actually going to be different? (No pinstriping is the main thing)

Or is that a training only suit, kinda like the black helmet? Not important.  Kinda like it better.

Just curious!

[IntoTheVoid]

I realize that it seems there's little firsts all over the place these days, but is the handover the first time that JAXA will have two astronauts in orbit at the same time? And is it a big deal for them?

[kdhilliard]

I realize that it seems there's little firsts all over the place these days, but is the handover the first time that JAXA will have two astronauts in orbit at the same time? And is it a big deal for them?

Soichi Noguchi was Flight Engineer 3/1 for Expeditions 22/23, with Soyuz TMA-17 docked from 22 December 2009 to 12 May 2010, when STS-131 visited from 7 to 17 April 2010, carrying Mission Specialist 4 Naoko Yamazaki.  I believe that was the first and only time two JAXA astronauts have been in space at the same time.

Edit: Wikipedia links.

[Jansen]

Applications for Crew-2 mission have been filed.

0207-EX-ST-2021
https://fcc.report/ELS/Space-Explorations-Technologies/0207-EX-ST-2021

This application extends the frequencies in previous grant 1695-EX-ST-2020. This STA is necessary for Dragon2 capsule command and recovery for the upcoming commercial crew mission to the International Space Station.

Requested Period of Operation
Operation Start Date:   03/30/2021
Operation End Date:   09/30/2021



0194-EX-ST-2021
https://fcc.report/ELS/Space-Exploration-Technologies-Corp/0194-EX-ST-2021

This application extends the frequencies in grant 1694-EX-ST-2020. This STA is necessary for Dragon2 capsule telemetry and tracking for the upcoming SpaceX Commercial Crew mission to the International Space Station. The launch and re-entry licensing authority is the FAA. Launch is also to be coordinated with the Eastern Range. On-orbit rendezvous with the ISS is to be coordinated with the NASA.

Requested Period of Operation
Operation Start Date:   03/30/2021
Operation End Date:   09/30/2021

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1362449235589890052

NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel says it "will be closely monitoring" the work SpaceX does to prepare the Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour and Falcon 9 rocket for reuse on the upcoming Crew-2 mission – as it is the first time a capsule will be reused for a crew mission.

[jacqmans]

February 22, 2021
MEDIA ADVISORY M21-027

NASA to Host Briefings, Interviews for Next Crew Rotation Mission with SpaceX

NASA will highlight the second crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft with astronauts to the International Space Station with a pair of news conferences beginning 12:30 p.m. EST Monday, March 1. The briefings, which will take place at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. The full astronaut crew flying on the mission also will be available for interviews.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission will carry astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur of NASA, Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket to the space station. The mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than April 20 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

All media participation in these news conferences and interviews will be remote; no media will be accommodated at any NASA site. To participate in the briefings by phone or to request an interview with the crew members, reporters must contact Johnson's newsroom at 281-483-5111 or [email protected] no later than 12 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25.

Briefings and participants include (all times Eastern):

12:30 p.m. – Crew-2 Mission Overview News Conference with the following participants:

Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations, NASA Headquarters
Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station, JAXA
David Parker, director, Human and Robotic Exploration, ESA
2 p.m. – Crew News Conference with the following participants:

Astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission
Astronaut Megan McArthur, pilot, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission
Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission
Astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission
3:30 p.m. – Round Robin Crew Interviews

Crew-2 astronauts will be available for a limited number of remote interviews following the news conference.
Shane Kimbrough is commander of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Crew-2 mission. Kimbrough is responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry. He also will serve as an Expedition 65 flight engineer aboard the station. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004, Kimbrough first launched aboard space shuttle Endeavour for a visit to the station on the STS-126 mission in 2008, then aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft for Expedition 49/50 in 2016. He has spent a total of 189 days in space, and performed six spacewalks. Kimbrough also is a retired U.S. Army colonel and earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and a master’s degree in operations research from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

Megan McArthur is the pilot of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and second-in-command for the mission. McArthur is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance. She also will be a long-duration space station crew member, making her first trip to the space station. Selected as an astronaut in 2000, McArthur launched on space shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist on STS-125, the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, in 2009. McArthur operated the shuttle’s robotic arm over the course of the 12 days, 21 hours she spent in space, capturing the telescope and moving crew members during the five spacewalks needed to repair and upgrade it. She holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a doctorate in oceanography from the University of California, San Diego.

Akihiko Hoshide is a mission specialist for Crew-2. As a mission specialist, he will work closely with the commander and pilot to monitor the vehicle during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. Once aboard the station, Hoshide will become a flight engineer for Expedition 65. Hoshide joined the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA, currently JAXA) in 1992 and was selected as an astronaut candidate in February 1999. Hoshide is a veteran of two spaceflights. In June 2008, he flew to the International Space Station on the STS-124 mission to deliver the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" to the International Space Station. From July to November 2012, he stayed on the space station for 124 days as a flight engineer for the Expedition 32/33 mission. The Crew Dragon will be the third spacecraft that Noguchi has flown to the orbiting laboratory.

Thomas Pesquet will also be a mission specialist for Crew-2, working with the commander and pilot to monitor the vehicle during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. Pesquet also will become a long-duration crew member aboard the space station. He was selected as an astronaut candidate by ESA in May 2009 and worked as a Eurocom, communicating with astronauts during spaceflights from the mission control center. He previously flew as part of Expeditions 50 and 51, launching aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and spending 196 days in space. His mission also included two spacewalks to maintain the station: one to replace batteries on an electrical channel, and one to fix a cooling leak and service the robotic arm.

Follow Kimbrough on social media at:

https://twitter.com/astro_kimbrough

Follow McArthur on social media at:

https://twitter.com/Astro_Megan

Follow Hoshide on social media at:

https://twitter.com/Aki_Hoshide

Follow Pesquet on social media at:

https://twitter.com/Thom_astro

Learn more about the Commercial Crew Program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

[Jansen]

Mission paperwork has been filed with the FCC for communications during Falcon 9 launch and recovery operations.


0249-EX-ST-2021

This application uses information from previous grant 1335-EX-ST-2020. This STA is necessary to authorize launch vehicle communications for SpaceX Mission 1402 launching from LC-39a at KSC, and the experimental recovery operation following the Falcon 9 launch. The application includes a sub-orbital first stage, and an orbital second stage. Trajectory data shall be provided directly to NTIA, USAF, and NASA. All downrange Earth stations are receive-only. All operations are pre-coordinated with the Launch Range. Launch licensing authority is FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/nasa_johnson/status/1366403318793273346

We're hosting two briefings today on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the @Space_Station.

📺: 12:30 p.m. ET | With Crew-2 leaders from NASA, @SpaceX, and @JAXA_en

📺: 2 p.m. ET | With @astro_kimbrough, @Astro_Megan, @Aki_Hoshide, and @Thom_astro

Send questions using #askNASA!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[FutureSpaceTourist]

[zubenelgenubi]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1366445151250481158

NASA’s Steve Stich says Crew-2 is still no earlier than April 20, but may adjust date to optimize orbital mechanics. Still  looking to fly between Soyuz missions in early April and beta cutout in May.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/1366446443960160258

NASA's Steve Stich confirms all remains on track to fly a used first stage for the Crew-2 mission in April. Completed a certification review last Friday.

This is a huge milestone for reusable rockets—NASA putting its most valuable missions on them.

[theonlyspace]

Do we have written transcripts of these two mission briefings from March 1 ?Please

[zubenelgenubi]

Following on:

NASA’s Steve Stich says Crew-2 is still no earlier than April 20, but may adjust date to optimize orbital mechanics. Still  looking to fly between Soyuz missions in early April and beta cutout in May.

Update of March 3:

http://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html

FALCON 9
<snip>The next Crew Dragon carrying four astronauts to the International Space Station is targeted for late April around 6am EDT. Sunrise is 6:49am. The launch time gets 22-26 minutes earlier each day.

[Jimmy10]

Hope it's ok to ask a question on an update thread?  Is it now likely that (think I've seen slippage notification somewhere) this flight will take place before the Boeing next test flight?  i.e. SpaceX will have flown 3 crewed flights, one reusing both a booster and capsule before Boeing have flown once (un-crewed) to the ISS.