Category: International Space Station

NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission passed a significant milestone this evening as the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station at 7:35 p.m. EDT after more than two months of docked operations in orbit. Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, traveling aboard the spacecraft they named “Endeavour,” will spend one more night in space before beginning their journey back to Earth on Sunday in the first return of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft carrying astronauts from the space station.

With the spacecraft on its path home, the astronauts will settle in for an eight-hour sleep period. While they’re asleep, a six-minute departure phasing burn at 1:48 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 2 will set the Dragon Endeavour on the proper orbital path to a planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

It was an honor and privilege to be part of Expedition 63. Thanks to @Astro_SEAL, Anatoly, & @ivan_mks63 for making our stay on @Space_Station an incredible experience. Now it’s time to finish our DM-2 test flight in order to pave the way for future Dragon crews. Go Endeavour! https://t.co/9zTMPhc7kw

— Col. Doug Hurley (@Astro_Doug) August 2, 2020

The deorbit burn, which slows the spacecraft’s forward speed enough to begin its descent, is scheduled for 1:51 p.m. EDT on Sunday, with splashdown at 2:48 p.m. EDT. Teams continue to closely monitor Hurricane Isaias and evaluate impacts to the landing sites in the Gulf of Mexico along the Florida Panhandle. Teams have several weather decision milestones ahead of and after undocking to adjust the splashdown location and time based on the forecasted conditions for recovery.

Follow along with the return and recovery activities here on the blog and on NASA Television.

Behnken and Hurley arrived at the orbiting laboratory on May 31, following a successful launch on May 30 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During their 63 days aboard the station, Behnken and Hurley contributed more than 100 hours of time to supporting the orbiting laboratory’s investigations, participated in public engagement events, and supported four spacewalks with Behnken and Cassidy to install new batteries in the station’s power grid and upgrade other station hardware.

These activities are a part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which has been working with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil the International Space Station for the first time since 2011. This is SpaceX’s final test flight and is providing data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, splashdown and recovery operations.

The test flight also is helping NASA certify SpaceX’s crew transportation system for regular flights carrying astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX is readying the hardware for the first rotational mission, which would occur following NASA certification.

The fourth and final departure burn, helping to send the Crew Dragon spacecraft along on its journey back to Earth, is complete. Coming up next, in a little over an hour, Crew Dragon’s Draco thrusters will begin the departure phasing burn.

Crew Dragon has now completed three out of a series of four departure burns – the count starting at departure burn zero while undocking from the International Space Station – moving the spacecraft below and in front of the space station’s orbit.

 

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft has exited the approach ellipsoid, an imaginary boundary surrounding the International Space Station. Four kilometers long, two kilometers wide, and two kilometers deep, the approach ellipsoid governs all vehicles coming or going from the orbiting laboratory.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is departing the International Space Station, and NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Benhken are officially beginning their journey home. The spacecraft undocked from International Docking Adapter-2 at the forward end of the station’s Harmony node at 7:35 p.m. EDT. Two short firings of Dragon Endeavour’s Draco thrusters gently push the spacecraft away from the orbiting laboratory. Later, a series of four departure burns will further increase the distance between the two vehicles.

Just moments ago, NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 crew got the word that Crew Dragon is “Go” to undock from the International Space Station, beginning the journey home. Anna Menon, the SpaceX Crew Operations and Resources Engineer (CORE) for Crew Dragon’s departure from the International Space Station, shared the decision with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley.

In the next few minutes, the vestibule between Crew Dragon and the station will be depressurized. The spacecraft will autonomously undock from the orbiting laboratory at 7:34 p.m. EDT.

NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley are back aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft in preparation for undocking from the International Space Station. Behnken and Hurley are strapped into their seats and the hatches between the two vehicles have been closed. The final “Go-No Go” for undocking is coming up at about 7:20 p.m. EDT.

If the “Go” is given, undocking is targeted for 7:34 p.m. EDT. Behnken and Hurley will spend the night in orbit before beginning the journey home. Splashdown is scheduled for 2:48 p.m. EDT on Sunday.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying Hurley and Behnken lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30 and arrived at the space station the following day. The Demo-2 test flight is helping NASA certify SpaceX’s crew transportation system for regular flights carrying astronauts to and from the orbiting laboratory. SpaceX is readying the hardware for the first rotational mission, which would occur following NASA certification.

More details about the return can be found in the Top 10 Things to Know for NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Return and the splashdown weather criteria fact sheet.

 

Behnken and Hurley have received the ‘go’ for donning their SpaceX spacesuits. These suits provide them with breathable gasses for their return trip home and also allow them to communicate with teams here on Earth via microphones contained in the helmets.

The Crew Dragon’s hatch officially closed at 5:36 p.m. EDT. The next major milestone for astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will be the spacecraft’s undocking from the International Space Station after a two-month stay at the orbiting laboratory during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission.

With assistance from Expedition 63 commander Chris Cassidy, and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, Behnken and Hurley have made their way into the Crew Dragon. Hatch closure will occur in the next couple of minutes.