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

[Rondaz]

Yesterday #Crew2 completed our final proficiency training in the @SpaceX Crew Dragon cockpit simulator. Per tradition, we zapped it with our mission decal. Many thanks to our outstanding training team for getting us ready. Tomorrow, we depart for Kennedy Space Center!

https://twitter.com/Astro_Megan/status/1382763952392658945

[Rondaz]

7 days away from launching to the @Space_Station with this amazing group of people!

https://twitter.com/astro_kimbrough/status/1382757632788746241

[Rondaz]

#AlphaTrainingRecap 4/12The Crew Dragon is a new spacecraft for all of us and we spent many weeks as #Crew2 training on it
@SpaceX headquarters. A big thanks to the instructors who worked tirelessly and made us ready to tame the Dragon

https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1382728176238014468

[Rondaz]

UPDATE The media teleconference following the Flight Readiness Review for @NASA's @SpaceX Crew-2 mission is now targeted for 6:30 p.m. ET.

https://twitter.com/Commercial_Crew/status/1382813598246838276

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/Commercial_Crew/status/1382823012748070913

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/Astro_Raja/status/1382826988059054081

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1382835505872650246

Couple notes from Crew-2 br[ief]ing so far:
- Still “go” for launch, but working one issue involving LOX loading of the Falcon 9
- No new date for Boeing’s OFT-2 Starliner test flight; vehicle is almost ready but doing add’l software testing while waiting.

Edit to add:

https://twitter.com/emrekelly/status/1382839496857763845

During testing, teams found a difference in loaded LOX versus what readouts showed. Has likely always been the case without adverse effect, but needs to be studied.

"Propellant level in the tank was about three to four inches different than what we had anticipated it would be."

https://twitter.com/spcplcyonline/status/1382833710379245570

Crew-2 past FRR bfg underway.  With Bill Gerstenmaier as the Space X rep! He's now SpX VP Build and Reliability, succeeding Hans Koenigsmann who held that job for so long and just "retired."

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/stephenclark1/status/1382834777418502148

NASA’s Steve Stich says rollout of the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon to pad 39A is planned a bit after midnight, followed by a static fire at 6:11am EDT (1011 GMT) Saturday ahead of launch next Thursday.

Teams are assessing one issue before static fire, related to LOX loading.

https://twitter.com/spcplcyonline/status/1382834592714006533

Stich:  Crew-2 hot fire on Saturday about 6:11 am ET, then a dry dress rehearsal on Sunday about same time.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spcplcyonline/status/1382841650519670784

Stich: if can't do Apr 22nd, can launch on Apr 23, 26 or 27. Landing of Crew-1 would slip commensurately to maintain 5-day handover.

[Rondaz]

NASA's @SpaceX Crew-2 mission is GO for launch to the @Space_Station!

Four astronauts are set for liftoff aboard their Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft on Thurs., April 22 at 6:11am ET from
@NASAKennedy. Watch live starting at 2am

https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1382850050422882309

[Ken the Bin]

NASA replaced the original FRR teleconference YouTube video.  Here's the new version:

[jacqmans]

SpaceX Crew-2 Flight Readiness Review

[jacqmans]

[Rondaz]

NASA SpaceX Crew-2 ‘Go’ for April 22 Launch

Linda Herridge Posted on April 15, 2021

The Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station has concluded, and teams are proceeding toward a planned liftoff at 6:11 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA will hold a media teleconference at approximately 7 p.m. EDT today, April 15, at Kennedy to discuss the outcome of the review. Listen live on NASA’s website.

Participants in the teleconference are:

Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations, NASA Headquarters
Steve Stich, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA
Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA
Randy Repcheck, acting director, Operational Safety, Federal Aviation Administration

Crew-2 mission astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, are scheduled to arrive at Kennedy on Friday, April 16, for their flight to the International Space Station. This is the second crew rotation flight of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and the first with two international partners.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2021/04/15/nasa-spacex-crew-2-go-for-april-22-launch/

[Rondaz]

NASA to send ISS crew on reusable spacecraft and rocket for the first time.

03:25 16.04.2021 (updated: 10:13 16.04.2021)

WASHINGTON, April 16 - RIA Novosti. NASA will use a reusable spacecraft and a reusable first stage of a launch vehicle for the first time next week for a manned launch to the International Space Station (ISS), Katie Luders, head of the manned flight program, told a NASA press conference.

"For the first time, we will be using both a reusable capsule and a reusable first stage," Luders said at the launch briefing.

Earlier it was reported that on April 22, the Crew Dragon spacecraft will launch to the ISS on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle. NASA astronauts Robert Kimbrough and Megan MacArthur, as well as French astronaut Toma Peske and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, will go into orbit on board the spacecraft .

According to a NASA spokesman, preparations for the April 22 launch are going according to plan and during the final analysis, only one problem was identified, which specialists hope to eliminate before the flight. As explained in the company SpaceX , experts have identified a deviation in the indicators recorded during the loading of fuel into the rocket, but hope to resolve it before the upcoming launch.

NASA stressed that with the arrival of Crew Dragon, two American manned spacecraft will be simultaneously on the ISS for the first time. Crew Dragon Resilience, which arrived on the ISS in November, will leave the station on April 28, according to NASA's timetable. Astronauts Shannon Walker, Michael Hopkins , Victor Glover and Soichi Noguchi will go to Earth on it .

https://ria.ru/20210416/nasa-1728508135.html

[nalawod]

The fact that I can't find anything about the booster landing seems to indicate this is 100% NOT an RTLS.  Anybody know for sure yet?

[Rekt1971]

The fact that I can't find anything about the booster landing seems to indicate this is 100% NOT an RTLS.  Anybody know for sure yet?

All crew dragon missions will be lading on droneships.

[jacqmans]

[Rondaz]

L-6 As we are preparing for #MissionAlpha launch I think back to 2008 and what would have happened if I didn't apply to be an astronaut The most selective phase in the selection... is whether you choose to apply or not (it’s true!). After that the rest is easy... or almost.

https://twitter.com/Thom_astro/status/1383062169152028675

[Rondaz]

Departure breakfast this morning prior to heading to @NASAKennedy!

https://twitter.com/astro_kimbrough/status/1383066933088559108