SpaceX Crew Dragon Launch Is Set To Make History

2020 begins a new era of human spaceflight. We are on the verge of a truly historic event as the NASA and SpaceX are set to make history with Crew Dragon Launch. This is for the very first time in the records that the Crew Dragon capsule will be carrying two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and the mission is known as Demo-2.

The launch attempt was supposed to be made on Wednesday, May 27, from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida but due to unfavorable weather conditions, the flight got postponed. Now, the Demo-2 test flight is scheduled for 3:22 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 30, if everything goes according to the program.

Humans have made great strides in spaceflight and space exploration in a relatively short amount of time since such feats were first achieved.

Landing humans into space is an inspiring, yet daunting task. It takes years of planning, labor, brave participants, and of course enormous rockets.

For decades, this unique endeavor has stayed within the confines of the government bodies. The last time anyone was launched from the U.S. was in 2011 when the space shuttle program retired.

But this is the first time ever, the SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space company, in partnership with NASA, will fly its first crewed mission, send NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station on a Crew Dragon capsule and revolutionize the future of space exploration.

“Our hope is that SpaceX then is able to continue to serve other customers, commercial customers, as we build a lower earth orbit economy,” Kjell Lindgren, a NASA Astronaut said. “We’re doing science on the ISS to extend our presence in the solar system and to improve life back here on earth.”

Bringing launches back after a decade awakens a sense of pride for the U.S.A.

Robert Behnken, one of the astronauts that will be on board for Demo-2, says “I think we have a different perspective of the importance of coming to Florida, launching again on an American rocket from the coast. And generations of people who may don’t get a chance to see a space shuttle launch, getting the chance again, to see human spaceflight, in our own backyard, if you will, is pretty exciting to be a part of.”

The crew dragon is a state of the art

The Crew Dragon is a totally autonomous vehicle that will launch on one of the reusable Falcon-9 rockets.

Falcon-9, with 82 successful missions under its belt. The public has become accustomed to its spectacular launches and landings.

Elon Musk says SpaceX rocket launch is a “dream come true”

Crew Dragon Mechanism

On the exterior, the Crew Dragon is split down into two sections:

1-the capsule, which is designed to carry a decisive pressurized cargo and people

2- The trunk, which is an unpressurized service module.

Outside the capsule, the Draco thruster is there that helps to propel a vehicle and around the trunk, you can find a solar array that powers the spacecraft.

Now moving inside the crew dragon, you commence getting A Space Odyssey vibes. Unlike the other space shuttles with buttons lining on the walls, the Crew Dragon is a minimalist design equipped with seats for the passengers who face touchscreen displays.

The craft has an Environmental Control & Life Support System that helps keep a stabilized pressure for human and other life on board as well, keeping the temperature between a comfortable 18 to 27 Degree Celsius.

As the Crew Dragon is completely autonomous, the vehicle parks itself on the ISS, and the Demo-2 will be the first time that the spacecraft will be able to do so with crew on board. Wow!

The Mission Timeline

Behnken and Hurley have been in quarantine since May 13th, until launch which is currently scheduled. At countdown marks, the duo will be launched into the atmosphere for a few minutes at an acceleration of 28,163 km. At that point, the Falcon-9 booster will detach and attempt to land on one of the company’s off-coast drone ships.

Once in orbit, the crew will unloose, conduct the first series of testing on board, rest, and wait less than 24 hours until they reach the ISS.

Once arrived, the crew will test out the new touchscreen controller for manual docking, just in case in the future, the automation goes out. If that’s clear, the system will return to autonomous control and dock Behnken and Hurley securely.

They will remain in space for about 110 days or more, for the Crew Dragon to go through more remote testing from the ground as well as monitor the degradation of the solar arrays on the craft.

For return, the Crew Dragon will break from orbit autonomously, and tear away the trunk since it won’t need it.  It will re-enter the atmosphere and minutes later, the MrK3 parachutes will deploy and land Crew Dragon into the Atlantic Ocean near Florida to be retrieved from the ground team.

Behnken & Hurley will, though, be carrying some familiar cargo: an American flag. It flew on the first shuttle mission and the last. It has been waving at the space station for years, just waiting for a crew to launch from the U.S. and bring it back home.

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NASA is advising witnesses to stay home and watch the event online.

The Wrap Up

Demo-2 is a tremendous mission. If it goes triumphant, the launch will not only break the US’s nine-year drought of crewed launches to the ISS, but it will also make history as the first time a private spacecraft has carried people into orbit.

Success means it will continue to push the boundaries of human exploration. This is why NASA opened its door for the commercial program in the first place, to get innovative designs to not only reach the ISS but to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

SpaceX is just one launch away from making curiosity into reality.

Liked it? Take a second to support on Patreon!