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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the first privately-developed spacecraft designed to carry American astronauts into orbit since the NASA Shuttle was removed eight years ago on track for takeoff on a pilotless flight test early saturday. The mission will help pave the way for the first commercial crew launch this summer.
With an astronaut test dummy nicknamed "Ripley" attached in one of the models Dragon CrewTakeoff of Kennedy Space Center's historic platform 39A with four seats is scheduled for Saturday at 14:49 EST (GMT-5). Forecasters predict 80% chance of good weather.
"This is an absolutely crucial first step as we plan to bring back to the US a crew launch capability," said Bill Gerstenmaier, director of space operations at NASA headquarters.
How to watch the launch of SpaceX Crew Dragon
Saturday morning, SpaceX will launch its new spacecraft on a critical test flight, marking the first time that a spaceship built and operated commercially capable of a day of transport of people will visit the space station.
- What: SpaceX Falcon 9 flight test of the new Dragon Crew capsule
- When: Saturday, March 2, 2019
- Location: Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center of NASA Florida
- Time: 2:49 pm Eastern Time (GMT-5)
- Online current: CBSN live on your mobile device or in the video player above at the beginning of the event.
Why is the SpaceX Crew Dragon launched at 14:49 EST?
The launch is scheduled to coincide with the moment when the rotation of the Earth causes the plateau in the plane of the International Space Station's orbit. As the rocket does not have the power to navigate the orbit of the station before or after this fleeting target "in the plane", the Falcon 9 must take off at the scheduled time or the flight will be delayed until March 5th.
What should happen after takeoff?
Assuming the takeoff unfolds as planned on Saturday, the spaceship Crew Dragon, carrying a few hundred pounds of supplies, and the Ripley space suit, named after the heroine of the sci-fi thriller "Alien" – will travel independently to the International Space Station earlier. Sunday.
By performing a series of tests along the way, the 13-tonne capsule will approach the outpost directly, slowly moving to the laboratory's attack port around 6 am while the two craft space orbit in tandem at almost five miles per hour. second.
Anne McClain, station astronaut, Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko will be present inside the station, closely monitoring the automated approach, ready to open the hatches and to welcome the new addition to the laboratory.
NASA
After a five-day stay, the spacecraft will be disarmed on Friday, March 8, to dive into the atmosphere for a parachute drop into the Atlantic Ocean about 230 km east of Cape Canaveral.
What is the purpose of the mission?
The long-awaited mission of "Demo 1" is the most important milestone in NASA's $ 8 billion investment to replace the shuttle with commercially developed ferry-boats designed to put an end to the resort's exclusive appeal. agency to Russian spacecraft Soyuz to transport American astronauts and partners to space station.
"Great nations should be able to launch their own astronauts into space," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine says CBS News. "And with our investment in the international space station, it's as important to us as anyone in the world."
The goal is to prove that it can safely dock and disarm the space station, return to the Earth's atmosphere and slip off the coast of Florida.
The technical data collected during the flight will serve to clarify various known technical issues, ranging from capsule parachute performance to temperature issues with its maneuver propellers and certification of redesigned high pressure helium tanks. which must be: addressed before the first astronauts fly this summer.
What is SpaceX?
SpaceX, founded in 2002 by a contractor Elon Musk, is a private company that designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. Its headquarters are in Hawthorne, California.
Boeing is also in the commercial run to transport astronauts from the space station. His first Starliner demo is scheduled for April-May, and the second, with a crew of three astronauts, is expected this fall.
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