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

[wjbarnett]

Primary use is to assist with eustachian tube equalization during pressure changes. You can't use your fingers to pinch your nose though the helmet. Some people (e.g. my wife) does this just moving her jaw. I require pinching.

[SMS]

So we have now:

(GMT/UTC)
launch: = = = =  = docking with ISS:
April 23                    April 24
9:49:02                   9:10
and for future?

According to: https://www.spacex.com/launches/

a backup opportunity available on Monday, April 26 at 4:38 a.m. EDT, 8:48 UTC!

April 26                  April 27
8:?8                     8:??

Backup #1
Launch: 4/23 09:49:01 UTC Dock: 4/24 09:10:00 UTC
Backup #2
Launch: 4/26 08:38:10 UTC Dock: 4/27 08:00:00 UTC
Backup #3
Launch: 4/27 08:15:37 UTC Dock: 4/28 07:40:00 UTC

[kdhilliard]

I wonder why Megan is the only one with a valsalva maneuver plug [1] in her helmet?

edit: Derp, was informed that not all people can equalize with just jaw.

Good catch!  Is that the first SpaceXsuit helmet we've seen with a one?
I'm surprised they aren't more common, as an astronaut who might normally be able to equalize with jaw movements could have unexpected difficulty due to nasal congestion on deorbit day.
Wikipedia's Valsalva device discusses several incidents involving them, but doesn't indicate how often they are included in spacesuits.

[sghill]

I watched ISS glide silently overhead this morning at exactly 6:11am. It would have been terrific to see another bright light rising up to chase it from my vantage point here in Florida. Oh well, coffee maker is set for a little earlier tomorrow!

[Comga]

The timeline for tomorrow's Crew 2 launch has been posted.
It includes the usual "2nd stage LOX loading begins" at T-16:00.
One thing not on the list is helium loading.
Given all of the interesting physics learned from the Amos-6 incident they must have modified that procedure.
SpaxeX may also have switched some or all of the COPVs on the cew flights to titanium (although we saw the debris from the recent Starlink launch second stage was a COPV.)
Do we have any details on the He load?

[SMS]

Updated timeline for April 23 and docking for April 24:

[Jansen]

Advance team enroute to pad 39A

They are in the white room

There is an advance team of NASA and SpaceX personnel at the pad, preparing for the crew’s arrival.

It is a specific LD callout.

[Jansen]

National anthem.

It was America the Beautiful, not the anthem.

[1]

National anthem.

I wish. What he played was 'America the Beautiful', which is a better song IMO.

That was Wynton Marsalis

Branford_Marsalis. Wynton is the trumpeter in the family.

[RocketLover0119]

National anthem.

It was America the Beautiful, not the anthem.

Fixed, just woke up an hour ago and it’s 3am here, running on 1 brain cell 

[WannaWalnetto]

Going back over the video around the hatch closing time, it looks like some of the SpaceX Ninjas still have their patches on over their left breast.  I thought that all of the close out crew sent their patches along with the astronauts. 

I was able to see them still on Ninja 1, 20, 26 and 30, but missing (removed) from 9, 10, 11 and 19.

Not sure about the photographer (#23).

Perhaps there is some tradition around this, but if it was said I missed it.  My guess is that the 4 patches pulled matches up with the 4 astronauts — their personal ninjas ??

[tesh90]

Hi all,

did anyone else notice the object that flew by at separation?  Seems a bit close for comfort - would that have been tracked and known?

[freda]

Screen image attached.  Interesting message on the NSF social media (twitter) embed feed.  I wonder what their algorithm flagged as being too sensitive to see?

And... thank you to NSF for the good coverage!

[Scylla]

2nd stage passing North Carolina

[webdan]

We usually leave around 5:45am, but this time I stopped her and said let's wait a few minutes... She gave me "that look".

A remarkably beautiful launch from CLW, but after first stage shutdown she says "Ok, see you tonight!". Grabbed her left arm and pulled her closer. "Let the show begin".

First stage aftermath. Next time I need to setup the DSLR. Noctilucent view.

[eeergo]

Hi all,


did anyone else notice the object that flew by at separation?  Seems a bit close for comfort - would that have been tracked and known?

Doesn't appear significant: it seems like a small plug or other smooth part, but the key word here is "small": it was closer to the camera than the 2nd stage-to-Dragon interface (see fourth screenshot):

[MadameConcorde]

Thank you all at NASA SpaceFlight for providing us with this wonderful live streaming.

I hope I am posting this in the right section. You all did a fantastic job with your  awesome images and comments once again. Best team all around.

[stcks]

Rocket launches are cool, pre-dawn rocket launches are super cool, but you know whats cooler? Astronauts riding the rockets uphill. Why don't we ever see onboard video from inside Dragon during uphill flight? They are the real star of the show, lets see more of them!

[lucspace]

Nice tour of Endeavour by Crew2. Less great of commander Kimbrough to call his friends at the ISS "a couple of Russians and Mark Vande Hei"... Are relations cooling down up there too now?

[Jansen]

Nice tour of Endeavour by Crew2. Less great of commander Kimbrough to call his friends at the ISS "a couple of Russians and Mark Vande Hei"... Are relations cooling down up there too now?

It was a joke.