Did you miss watching history on Saturday or just miss the thrill of SpaceX sending NASA astronauts to space for the first time ever? You’ll want to set aside five hours (or at least a few minutes) to watch the newest footage from Elon Musk’s space exploration company.
SpaceX has published a 4 hour 49 minute long replay of the Crew Demo 2 test flight mission launch from Saturday, May 30, including the first 25 minutes of flight.
All systems were go for launch on Wednesday as SpaceX prepared to send astronauts to space on its rocket for the first time in history. Weather conditions around Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, had other plans in mind, however.
With roughly 15 minutes before liftoff, SpaceX scrubbed the May 27 launch out of an abundance of caution due to “too much electricity in the atmosphere,” as NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine put it.
Despite the anti-climatic end to a launch day that had the attention of the nation, SpaceX delaying the flight of NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station tested two challenges.
NASA will close a nearly decade long chapter next month when SpaceX sends American astronauts to space on an American rocket from American soil.
Since the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011, American’s space agency has relied on leasing seats from Russian rockets in Kazakhstan to send NASA astronauts to space.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced today that the mission, called Demo-2 or DM-2, officially has a launch date scheduled.
Update 4/21/20: SpaceX says the launch today is now set for 3:30 p.m. EDT.
Update 4/20/20 5:13 p.m. EDT: Citing a more favorable weather forecast on Wednesday, SpaceX is now targeting Wednesday, April 22, at 3:37 p.m. EDT.
Update 4/20/20: Launch windows are hard, but this change is positive. SpaceX is once again targeting Thursday, April 23, at 3:16 p.m. EDT.
Update 4/15/20: SpaceX is now targeting Friday, April 24, 2020.
Update 4/14/20: SpaceX is now targeting Thursday, April 23, 2020.
Update 4/13/20: The launch target has slipped from April 16; no new date yet.
SpaceX is targeting Thursday, April 16, for its next Starlink mission to deploy a batch of 60 satellites to low Earth orbit.
The mission will mark SpaceX’s seventh Starlink launch and sixth deployment of operational satellites. Starlink will provide satellite internet access to North America and around the world as the constellation of small satellites is built out.
NASA astronaut Christopher Cassidy will make the journey from Earth to the International Space Station on Thursday, April 9. Astronaut Cassidy, who is also a U.S. Navy SEAL, will fly with Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.
The crew will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan using a Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft, joining NASA flight engineers Andrew Morgan and Jessica Meir and Roscosmos Expedition 62 Commander Oleg Skripochka.
Astronaut Cassidy, who is returning to space for his third spaceflight, will take on the role of Expedition 63 Commander once the crew of Expedition 62 leaves the ISS on Friday, April 17.
Astronaut Jessica Meir made history during her time on the ISS by completing the first all-female space walk with Astronaut Christina Koch.
Update: A revised NOTAM has now been issued for Monday through Thursday of next week.
SpaceX is hard at work on its ambitious Starship spacecraft in South Texas, and the next static fire test appears to be planned for this week.
A static fire test includes a wet dress rehearsal which means engines are fueled; a static fire test adds the additional step of firing engines in place at full thrust (i.e. a launch without launching).
Elon Musk has documented recent Starship activity at SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility over the last few days, and the FAA has filed a NOTAM (Notices to Airmen) for the upcoming test.
Thursday, March 26, 2020 is launch day at Space Launch Complex-41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. United Launch Alliance is completing the Sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency, or AEHF-6, mission for the United States Space Force.
SpaceX will attempt to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center this morning at 8:16 a.m. EDT. SpaceX is sending its next batch of 60 Starlink satellites to space. These satellites will be used for a new global broadband service that will focus on bringing internet connectivity to rural areas.
Wednesday’s launch attempt follows a failed attempt on Sunday caused by an engine failure. Falcon 9’s flight computer correctly prevented the rocket from taking off at T-0.
Falcon 9’s first stage will attempt to land 8 minutes 35 seconds after liftoff. Starlink satellites will be deployed in space 14 minutes 48 seconds after T-0.
Watch the launch, landing, and deployment below.
SpaceX is preparing to launch a Dragon supply capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket tonight at 11:50 p.m. ET. I drove down to Titusville, Florida, from South Mississippi last night to attend the launch from a boat thanks to Star Fleet Tours.
The objective is a resupply and payload return flight to and from the International Space Station. Here’s an idea of some of the payload being delivered.
For me, this will be my first time viewing a nighttime launch; I saw CRS-19 during the day in December. I’ll also be positioned well to see the booster landing if they successfully return.
