Tag: Commercial Crew Program; SpaceX; Crew-2; Crew Dragon; Falcon 9 rocket; International Space Station; Launch Complex 39A; Kennedy Space Center; NASA

Crew-2 Astronauts Handed off to SpaceX

The crew for the second long-duration SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2, are pictured during a training session at the SpaceX training facility in Hawthorne, California. From left are, Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet of the (ESA (European Space Agency); Pilot Megan McArthur of NASA; Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA; and Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
The crew for the second long-duration SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2, are pictured during a training session at the SpaceX training facility in Hawthorne, California. From left are, Mission Specialist Thomas Pesquet of the (ESA (European Space Agency); Pilot Megan McArthur of NASA; Commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA; and Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Photo credit: SpaceX

Crew-2 astronauts have received their weather briefing. The NASA team that has worked with Commander Shane Kimbrough, Pilot Megan McArthur, and Mission Specialists Akihiko Hoshide with JAXA, and Thomas Pesquet with ESA, throughout their quarantine at Kennedy Space Center has handed over the astronauts to the team of SpaceX suit technicians, who will help them suit up.

 

Designed for safety and functionality, SpaceX spacesuits also provide modern comfort and style. The spacesuit provides pressurization, protecting from potential

depressurization. A port on the suit’s thigh connects to life support systems, including air and power. The suits also include touchscreen-compatible gloves and a flame-resistant outer layer. The helmet is custom manufactured using 3D printing technology and includes integrated valves, mechanisms for visor retraction and locking, and microphones.

A Look at Today’s Key Milestones for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 Mission

The Crew-2 mission patch.Below are some key milestones for today’s Crew-2 mission. Launch is targeted for 5:49 a.m. EDT.

  • 1:29 a.m. Crew weather brief
  • 1:39 a.m. Crew handoff
  • 1:49 a.m. Suit donning and checkouts
  • 2:29 a.m. Crew walkout from Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building
  • 2:34 a.m. Crew transportation to Launch Complex 39A
  • 2:54 a.m. Crew arrives at pad
  • 3:14 a.m. Crew ingress
  • 3:29 a.m. Communication check
  • 3:34 a.m. Verify ready for seat rotation
  • 3:52 a.m. Suit leak checks
  • 3:54 a.m. Hatch close
  • 5:04 a.m. SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
  • 5:07 a.m. Crew access arm retracts
  • 5:11 a.m. Dragon spacecraft launch escape system is armed
  • 5:14 a.m. RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins; first stage liquid oxygen loading begins
  • 5:33 a.m. Second stage liquid oxygen loading begins
  • 5:42 a.m. Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
  • 5:44 a.m. Dragon transitions to internal power
  • 5:48 a.m. Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks;
    propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
  • 5:48:17 a.m. SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
  • 5:48:59 a.m. Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
  • 5:49:02 a.m. Liftoff!
  • 5:50 a.m. Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
  • 5:51:38 a.m. First stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
  • 5:51:41 a.m. First and second stages separate
  • 5:51:49 a.m. Second stage engine starts
  • 5:56 a.m. First stage entry burn
  • 5:57:49 a.m. Second stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
  • 5:58:05 a.m. First stage entry burn
  • 5:58:32 a.m. First stage landing
  • 6:01 a.m. Crew Dragon separates from second stage
  • 6:02 a.m. Dragon nosecone open sequence begins