[ad_1]
It’s a busy time at the International Space Station, with not only the arrival of a new Russian module this week, but also the start of preparations for the Boeing Starliner’s orbital test flight later this month. To prepare for the arrival of the unmanned mission, astronauts aboard the station must move the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which is currently docked.
If you want to watch the astronauts move around the SpaceX spacecraft, we have the details on how to watch the event live online.
Why the Crew Dragon is moving
The Crew Dragon must be moved to the side of the station facing space to make room for the new Boeing Starliner to dock at the station’s forward port. The Starliner will conduct an unmanned test mission called Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) for use as a crew capsule, transporting astronauts between Earth and the ISS.
The OFT-2 mission is slated for launch on July 30, after a series of delays due to both the coronavirus pandemic and other issues. This will be its second orbital flight test, after the first test in December 2019 failed to reach the ISS and subsequent investigations revealed a number of potentially serious issues.
The OFT-2 will be launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, and if all goes well, the first crewed test flight is scheduled for later this year, called the Boeing Crew Flight Test.
How to monitor the move
The Crew Dragon’s move will be broadcast live on NASA TV. You can watch this channel online either using the embedded video link at the top of this page or by going to the NASA website.
Relocation coverage begins at 6:30 a.m. ET (3:30 a.m. PT) on July 21.
Four astronauts will board the Crew Dragon early that morning at 4:30 a.m. ET (1:30 a.m. PT). They will be NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, as well as JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet. They will undock the Crew Dragon from the Space Station Harmony module at 6:45 am ET (3:45 am PT).
The astronauts will then move the Crew Dragon to the space-oriented port of the station and re-dock, which is scheduled for 7:32 am ET (4:32 am PT).
Editor’s recommendations
[ad_2]
Source link