Crew Dragon Demo-2

(Redirected from SpaceX Demo-2)

Crew Dragon Demo-2 (officially Crew Demo-2, SpaceX Demo-2, or Demonstration Mission-2)[a] was the first crewed test flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The spacecraft, named Endeavour, launched on 30 May 2020[7][11][12] on a Falcon 9 rocket, and carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station in the first crewed orbital spaceflight launched from the United States since the final Space Shuttle mission in 2011, and the first ever operated by a commercial provider.[13] Demo-2 was also the first two-person orbital spaceflight launched from the United States since STS-4 in 1982. Demo-2 completed the validation of crewed spaceflight operations using SpaceX hardware and received human-rating certification for the spacecraft,[14][15] including astronaut testing of Crew Dragon capabilities on orbit.[15]

Crew Dragon Demo-2
Clockwise from top left: Falcon 9 with Endeavour launches from LC-39A, Endeavour approaches the ISS, recovery of Endeavour
Names
  • Crew Demo-2
  • SpaceX Demo-2
  • Demonstration Mission-2
Mission typeFlight test
OperatorSpaceX
COSPAR ID2020-033A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.45623Edit this on Wikidata
Mission duration63 days, 23 hours, 25 minutes, 21 seconds
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCrew Dragon Endeavour
Spacecraft typeCrew Dragon
ManufacturerSpaceX
Launch mass12,519 kg (27,600 lb)[1]
Landing mass9,616 kg (21,200 lb)[1]
Crew
Members
ExpeditionExpedition 63
Start of mission
Launch date30 May 2020, 19:22:45 (30 May 2020, 19:22:45) UTC (3:22:45 pm EDT)[2]
RocketFalcon 9 Block 5 (B1058.1)
Launch siteKennedy, LC-39A
End of mission
Recovered byMV GO Navigator
Landing date2 August 2020, 18:48:06 (2 August 2020, 18:48:06) UTC (1:48:06 pm CDT)[3]
Landing siteGulf of Mexico, near Gulf Shores, Alabama (29°47′43″N 87°31′47″W / 29.79528°N 87.52972°W / 29.79528; -87.52972)[2]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination51.66°
Docking with ISS
Docking portHarmony forward[4]
Docking date31 May 2020, 14:27 UTC[5][6]
Undocking date1 August 2020, 23:35 UTC
Time docked62 days, 9 hours, 8 minutes

NASA and SpaceX mission patches

Behnken and Hurley

Docking was autonomously controlled by the Crew Dragon, but monitored by the flight crew in case manual intervention became necessary.[16] The spacecraft soft docked with the International Space Station on 31 May 2020, nineteen hours after launch. Following soft capture, 12 hooks were closed to complete a hard capture 11 minutes later.[5] Hurley and Behnken worked alongside the crew of Expedition 63 for 62 days, including four spacewalks by Behnken with fellow American astronaut Chris Cassidy to replace batteries brought up by a Japanese cargo vehicle. Endeavour autonomously undocked from the station on 1 August 2020 and thirteen hours later returned the astronauts to Earth in the first water landing by astronauts since 1975.[17]

Background

edit

After the Space Shuttle program was brought to an end in 2011, NASA no longer had a spacecraft system capable of sending humans to space. As a result, it was forced to fly its astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Russian Soyuz space vehicle, at a cost of up to US$80 million per astronaut. As an alternative, NASA contracted with private companies such as SpaceX for the Commercial Crew Program, which is expected to cost 50% less than Soyuz once in regular operation.[18] Up to the launch, NASA has awarded a total of US$3.1 billion for the development of the Dragon 2.[19] The Demo-2 mission was SpaceX's last major test before NASA certified it for regular crewed spaceflights.[13] Prior to that, SpaceX had sent twenty cargo missions to the ISS, but never a crewed one.[19] Boeing was separately working on crewed orbital spaceflight under the same NASA effort.[13]

Crew

edit

Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were announced as the primary crew on 3 August 2018.[20] Both astronauts are veterans of the Space Shuttle program,[21] and the Demo-2 flight was the third trip to space for both of them. The lead flight director for this mission was Zebulon Scoville.[22]

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren was the sole backup crew member for the flight, backing up both Hurley and Behnken for the mission.[23]

Prime crew
Position[16] Astronaut
Spacecraft commander   Doug Hurley
Expedition 63
Third and last spaceflight
Joint operations commander   Bob Behnken
Expedition 63
Third and last spaceflight
Backup crew
Position Astronaut
Commander   Kjell Lindgren

Insignia and livery

edit

The mission insignia was designed by artist Andrew Nyberg from Brainerd, Minnesota, a nephew of spacecraft commander Hurley.[24] The insignia features the logos of the Commercial Crew Program, Falcon 9, Crew Dragon, and the red chevron of NASA's "meatball" insignia. Also depicted are the American flag and a graphic representation of the ISS. The words NASA, SPACEX, FIRST CREWED FLIGHT and DM-2 are printed around the border along with the surnames of the astronauts. The insignia outline is in the shape of the Crew Dragon capsule.[25]

The Falcon 9 rocket used to launch Endeavour displayed NASA's "worm" insignia, the first time the logo had been used officially since it was retired in 1992.[26] NASA TV and media coverage of the launch was branded as "Launch America", with its own logo.[27][28]

The SpaceX patch shows the top of the company's spacesuit, with the ISS and North America portrayed on the helmet shield and a white star denoting the launch site at Cape Canaveral. Behind the suit are the American flag, and around the insignia's black border SPACEX DRAGON and NASA DEMO-2 are written in white, alongside the names of the two astronauts at the bottom; with a cloverleaf between the two names.

Pre-launch processing

edit
 
Falcon 9 and Dragon rolls out to the launch pad, bearing the NASA "worm" logo.
 
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine greet Behnken and Hurley at Kennedy, while wearing face masks and practicing social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

NASA calculated the loss-of-crew (LOC) probability for the test flight as 1-in-276, better than the commercial crew program requirement threshold of 1-in-270. The 1-in-276 number included mitigations to reduce the risk, such as on-orbit inspections of the Crew Dragon spacecraft once it was docked to the space station to look for damage from micrometeoroids and orbital debris (MMOD). NASA pegged the overall risk of a loss of mission (LOM) as 1-in-60, covering scenarios where the Crew Dragon does not reach the space station as planned, but the crew safely returns to Earth.[29]

The Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission was initially planned for launch in July 2019 as part of the Commercial Crew Program contract with a crew of two on a 14-day test mission to the ISS.[30][20] The Crew Dragon capsule from the Crew Dragon Demo-1 mission was destroyed while its SuperDraco thrusters were undergoing static fire testing on 20 April 2019, ahead of its planned use for the in-flight abort test.[31][32] SpaceX traced the cause of the anomaly to a component that leaked oxidizer into the high-pressure helium lines, which then solidified and damaged a valve. The valves were since switched for burst discs to prevent another anomaly.[33] On 19 January 2020, a Crew Dragon capsule successfully completed an in-flight abort test.[34] NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said on 9 April 2020 that he was "fairly confident" that astronauts could fly to the ISS aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship at the end of May or in early June 2020, pending final parachute tests, data reviews and a training schedule that could escape major impacts from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[35]

 
SpaceX DM-2 Promotional Poster

On 17 April 2020, NASA and SpaceX announced the launch date as 27 May 2020.[15] The arrival of the Crew Dragon will have raised the station's crew size from three to five. Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley will have performed duties and conducted experiments as crew on board the ISS for several months. Hurley and Behnken were expected to live and work aboard the space station for two or three months, and then return to Earth for a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean east of Cape Canaveral.[15][35] NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine urged space enthusiasts not to travel to the Kennedy Space Center to view the launch and asked people to instead watch the launch on television or online. Bridenstine explained that maintenance crews were working in cohesive shifts, to mitigate workers' exposure to SARS-CoV-2.[36] On 1 May 2020, SpaceX successfully demonstrated the Mark 3 parachute system, a critical milestone for the mission approval.[37] Crew Dragon Demo-2 marked the first crewed United States spaceflight mission not to include the presence of the public at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[38] As the mission was previously delayed, the Visitor Complex opened as of 28 May 2020 with limited capacity for publicly viewing the launch. Admissions sold out almost immediately.[39] To engage the public, notably the Class of 2020, who were unable to attend their graduations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both NASA and SpaceX invited students and graduates to submit their photos to be flown to the ISS.[40]

Behnken and Hurley arrived at Kennedy Space Center on 20 May 2020 in preparation for the launch. On 21 May 2020, the Falcon 9 rocket was rolled out to the launch pad, and a static fire test was conducted on 22 May 2020, a major milestone ahead of the launch.[41] The mission used a Tesla Model X to transport Hurley and Behnken to LC-39A.[42]

Launch attempts

edit

An official launch weather forecast for Dragon Crew Demo-2 by the 45th Weather Squadron of the U.S. Space Force, for the original launch time at 20:33:33 UTC on 27 May 2020, predicted a 50% probability of favorable conditions. The launch was scrubbed at T−16:53 minutes due to thunderstorms and light rain in the area caused by Tropical Storm Bertha.[43][44] The second launch attempt also faced a 50% probability of favorable conditions, but was successful and took place on 30 May 2020 at 19:22:45 UTC.[45][46] The other launch windows were 31 May 2020 at 19:00:07 UTC, with a 60% probability of favorable conditions and 2 June 2020 at 18:13 UTC with a 70% probability of favorable conditions.[47][48]

Launch attempt summary

edit

Note: times are local to the launch site (Eastern Daylight Time).

Attempt Planned Result Turnaround Reason Decision point Weather go (%) Notes
1 27 May 2020, 4:33:33 pm Scrubbed Weather 27 May 2020, 4:16 pm ​(T−00:16:53) 50 Rocket generated lightning risk (field mill rule violation).[49]
2 30 May 2020, 3:22:45 pm Success 2 days 22 hours 49 minutes 50

Mission

edit

Launch and orbit

edit
 
Vice President Mike Pence and President Donald Trump watch the Crew Dragon Demo-2 Falcon 9 rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center.

Three days after the first launch attempt was scrubbed, the Crew Dragon Endeavour launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A at 19:22:45 UTC on 30 May 2020.[50][51] The first stage booster (serial number B1058) landed autonomously on the floating barge Of Course I Still Love You, which was prepositioned in the Atlantic Ocean.[52] President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, with their wives, were at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to see the launch attempt on 27 May 2020,[53] and returned for launch on 30 May 2020.[48][54] The launch live stream was watched online by 3 million people on NASA feeds,[55] and the SpaceX feed peaked at 4.1 million viewers. NASA estimated roughly 10 million people watched on various online platforms, approximately 150,000 people gathered on Florida's space coast[56] in addition to an unknown number watching on television.[55]

Hurley and Behnken described Falcon 9 as a "very pure flying machine", and the ride on SpaceX Merlin engines as much smoother than with Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters. Hurley said that the Merlin Vacuum upper-stage engine was rougher than Space Shuttle Main Engines, "kind of like driving fast on a dirt road".[57] They revealed the name of their Crew Dragon capsule 206, Endeavour, shortly after launch, reviving the tradition from the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs where astronauts would name their spacecraft.[58] It was the third U.S. spacecraft named Endeavour, after Space Shuttle Endeavour, built in 1991 to replace Space Shuttle Challenger, which was destroyed in 1986,[59] and the Apollo command and service module used for the Apollo 15 mission in 1971.[60] Hurley said that they chose Endeavour as both his and Behnken's first flights to space were on the Shuttle Endeavour.[6]

Nineteen hours into the mission, Endeavour arrived at the ISS. Behnken and Hurley greeted the crew of Expedition 63 shortly after the hatch was opened three hours later.

Each crew member brought along a toy from their family; an Apatosaurus dinosaur named "Tremor" and a Ty plush toy. As in past space missions, the plush toy was used as an indication of zero gravity for the strapped-in astronauts. Behnken and Hurley said, "That was a super cool thing for us to get a chance to do for both of our sons, who I hope are super excited to see their toys floating around with us on board".[61][62]

The crew were awakened on the second day of the flight with Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan".[63] NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program, and first used music to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15. Each track is specially chosen, often by the astronauts' families, and usually has a special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities.[64]

Approach, docking, and activities aboard the ISS

edit

Nineteen hours later, Endeavour approached the ISS. Hurley demonstrated the ability to pilot the spacecraft via its touchscreen controls until it reached a distance of 220 metres (720 ft), after which Endeavour autonomously soft-docked to the pressurized mating adapter PMA-2 on the Harmony module of the ISS at 14:16 UTC on 31 May 2020.[6][65] Following soft capture, 12 hooks were closed to complete a hard capture at 14:27 UTC.[5] Approximately two hours after docking, the last of three hatches between Endeavour and ISS was opened, and Hurley and Behnken boarded the ISS at 17:22 UTC, welcomed by and joining the Expedition 63 crew, consisting of NASA astronaut and station commander Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner.[6][66][67][68]

Over their time aboard the ISS, Hurley and Behnken spent over 100 hours completing science experiments, while traveling 27 million miles over their 1024 orbits of the Earth. Behnken also completed 4 spacewalks with Chris Cassidy.[69]

Undocking and return

edit

NASA mission managers had evaluated additional sites off Panama City, Florida, Tallahassee, Tampa, and Daytona Beach to provide more options in the event of stormy tropical weather.[3] The United States Coast Guard advised against entering a 10 nmi (19 km; 12 mi) square defined in its Notices to Mariners for the hours leading up to splashdown noting "hazardous space operations" and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restricted air traffic in the area in a NOTAM.[70]

Endeavour stayed docked to the ISS for 62 days, 9 hours and 8 minutes, undocking at 23:35 UTC on 1 August 2020.[71] At the time of undocking, Endeavour weighed approximately 12,520 kg (27,600 lb).[72] The capsule completed four departure burns to move away from the ISS, followed by a phasing burn lasting over six minutes to place the capsule on a trajectory to return to Earth. The crew was awakened on the final day of the flight with prerecorded voice messages from their sons. A yaw maneuver occurred at 17:51 to separate the "claw" umbilical mechanism from the trunk.[73]

The deorbit burn of 11 minutes and 22 seconds occurred shortly after 17:56 UTC. Just before reentry at 18:11 UTC, the nose cone was closed. Drogue chutes deployed at 18:44 UTC for approximately one minute, drawing out main parachute deployment approximately one minute later. A maximum of 4 g was experienced by Dragon capsule and its crew during the re-entry period.[73] Endeavour returned to Earth with 150 kg (330 lb) of cargo including 90 kg (200 lb) of science cargo, mostly kept in freezers.[74]

Sixty-three days, 23 hours, 25 minutes and 21 seconds after launch, at 18:48:06 UTC on 2 August 2020, Endeavour splashed down off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, marking the first splashdown in 45 years for NASA astronauts since the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, as well as the first splashdown of a crewed spacecraft in the Gulf of Mexico.[75][76][77][78][79] After splashdown, a crew in one fast boat approached the capsule, checking the air quality for any traces of highly toxic hypergolic propellant which could indicate a leak, while a crew in another fast boat collected the four parachutes which had disconnected from the capsule. While crews worked, many private boats entered the hazardous area defined by the Coast Guard despite earlier warnings. Some moving close to the capsule even passing between the capsule placing themselves and recovery crews themselves in danger. After radioed warnings, the boats dispersed to form a more distant ring around the capsule. The United States Coast Guard said in a statement later that evening that previous warnings were advisory in nature; the three patrol boats in the area were stationed within their jurisdiction and did not provide sufficient resources to board vessels interfering with the recovery. The statement added that they would be reviewing events with NASA and SpaceX.[70][73] Later SpaceX and NASA confirmed that their next mission will have a 16 km (9.9 mi) enforceable keep-out zone patrolled by the U.S. Coast Guard. There will be more boats to assist in enforcing the keep-out zone.[80][81]

The MV GO Navigator, with the assistance of a fast boat crew, attached to the capsule using a retracting A-frame device over the back to place the capsule on the "nest". The "nest" was then pulled further on board the ship where a 30-minute purge of the service section took place, as there were abnormally high levels of dinitrogen tetroxide detected around the capsule.[17][82] Hurley and Behnken were then greeted by crew aboard GO Navigator and were subsequently helped out of the capsule and onto stretchers where they were taken into the onboard medical facility, before taking a helicopter back to land.[73]

Post-flight analysis of the Dragon's heat shield revealed higher-than-expected erosion at four points where the capsule bolts to the trunk of the vehicle using tension ties. SpaceX stated that the erosion was likely caused by airflow phenomena that were not expected to occur around the ties. The heat shield design was changed to include more erosion-resistant materials at the ties.[80] One of four ties was noted to have deep erosion. Though it could not be determined why this was not seen during SpaceX Demo-1, Hans Koenigsmann speculated that it may be related to different masses and trajectories flown by the spacecraft.[83] In addition, SpaceX noted that the parachutes were deployed lower than expected, but still within the allowable range. To address the issue, the instrument used to measure barometric pressure which determines altitude was replaced.[80]

Timeline

edit

Note: all times in UTC

  • T+00:00:00 (19:22:45, 30 May 2020) – the Crew Dragon spacecraft launches from Launch Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral, Florida.[11][84]
  • T+00:01:01 (19:23:46) – Max-Q[85]
  • T+00:02:38 (19:25:23) – MECO[85]
  • T+00:02:40 (19:25:25) – Stage separation of the Falcon 9.[85]
  • T+00:08:50 (19:31:35) – SECO[85]
  • T+00:12:08 (19:34:53) – Endeavour separates from the second stage.[85]
  • T+17:54 (13:56, 31 May 2020) – Crew Dragon reaches Waypoint 1 for docking with the ISS.
  • T+18:54 (14:16) – Initial soft docking with the ISS.
  • T+19:05 (14:27) – Hard docking with the ISS.[5]
  • T+21:39 (17:01) – Hatch opening.[6][66][67]
  • T+21:59 (17:22) – Behnken and Hurley board the ISS.
  • T+27 days (26 June 2020) – First spacewalk.
  • T+32 days (1 July 2020) – Second spacewalk.
  • T+47 days (16 July 2020) – Third spacewalk.
  • T+52 days (21 July 2020) – Fourth spacewalk.
  • T+63 days, 09:08 (23:35, 1 August 2020) – Undocking from ISS.
  • T+63 days, 23:25:21 (18:48:06, 2 August 2020) – Capsule return to Earth, splashdown, mission ends.
  • T+64 days, 00:36 (19:59, 2 August 2020) – Crew recovery by GO Navigator.

Follow up mission of the capsule

edit

Endeavour was refurbished and reused for the SpaceX Crew-2 mission that launched on 23 April 2021.[86] Alongside, Bob's seat of the Crew Dragon Endeavor is used by his wife, K. Megan McArthur in Crew-2 mission.[87] The intervening Crew Dragon mission, SpaceX Crew-1 SpaceX's first operational astronaut flight launched four Expedition 64 astronauts aboard Crew Dragon Resilience on 16 November 2020 at 00:27:17 UTC.[88]

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ This mission has multiple official names. Mission operator SpaceX refers to the mission as "Crew Demo-2",[7] while customer NASA refers to the mission as "SpaceX Demo-2",[8][9] and the United States Space Force refers to the mission as "Dragon Crew Demo-2".[10] Unless otherwise noted, this article uses "Demo-2" to refer this mission

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Heiney, Anna (23 July 2020). "Top 10 Things to Know for NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 Return". nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020. At the time of undock, Dragon Endeavour and its trunk weigh approximately 27,600 pounds   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b "Crew Dragon SpX-DM2". Spacefacts. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Astronauts gear up for spacewalks amid planning for August Crew Dragon return". Spaceflight Now. 24 June 2020. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  4. ^ Navin, Joseph (2 May 2020). "NASA, SpaceX enters the critical month of May on track to end the gap". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d "Crew Dragon Docks to Space Station". blogs.nasa.gov. NASA. 31 May 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ a b c d e Grush, Loren (31 May 2020). "SpaceX's Crew Dragon successfully docks with the space station". The Verge. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  7. ^ a b "SpaceX launches: DEMO-2 LAUNCH". SpaceX. 26 May 2020. Archived from the original on 24 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  8. ^ Mclendon, Tori (23 May 2020). "NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 Astronauts Rehearse for Launch Day". NASA. Archived from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2022. ...ahead of NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission [...] favorable weather conditions for the SpaceX Demo-2 mission  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. ^ Cawley, James (25 May 2020). "NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 "Go" for Liftoff Wednesday After Today's Launch Readiness Review". blogs.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020. ...in advance of NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 flight test [...] NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission passed its final major review today...   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  10. ^ "Launch Mission Execution Forecast". 28 May 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. ^ a b Wattles, Jackie (27 May 2020). "Next attempt: Saturday at 3:22 pm EDT". CNN. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  12. ^ "Upcoming Missions". SpaceX Now. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  13. ^ a b c "SpaceX Speeding Astronauts to Space Station in Landmark Trip". Bloomberg News. 30 May 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  14. ^ Etherington, Darrell (1 May 2020). "SpaceX and NASA break down what their historic first astronaut mission will look like". Techcrunch. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d Clark, Stephen (17 April 2020). "NASA, SpaceX set May 27 as target date for first crew launch". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  16. ^ a b "NASA DM-2". Archived from the original on 24 April 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  17. ^ a b Foust, Jeff (2 August 2020). "Crew Dragon splashes down to end successful test flight". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  18. ^ Oberhaus, Daniel (30 May 2020). "SpaceX Launched Two Astronauts – Changing Spaceflight Forever". Wired (magazine). Archived from the original on 4 June 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  19. ^ a b Kessenides, Dimitra (27 May 2020). "SpaceX's First Crewed Flight: What you need to know". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  20. ^ a b Lewis, Marie (3 August 2018). "Meet the Astronauts Flying SpaceX's Demo-2". Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  21. ^ Stimac, Valerie. "NASA Announces First Astronaut Test Flight Date Aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon". forbes.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  22. ^ Moran, Norah (21 May 2020). "Ep 145: SpaceX Demo-2". nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  23. ^ Mosher, Dave (17 April 2020). "NASA and SpaceX plan to launch the first astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade on 27 May 2020 – Business Insider Singapore". businessinsider.sg. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  24. ^ Murray, Robb. "Mankato native designed patch for upcoming NASA mission to the International Space Station". mankatofreepress.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  25. ^ "Astronauts debut mission patch for SpaceX Dragon crewed flight test | collectSPACE". collectspace.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  26. ^ Dunbar, Brian (31 March 2020). "The Worm is Back!". nasa.gov. NASA. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  27. ^ "NASA rolls out "Launch America" campaign". KCBD. CNN. 8 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  28. ^ "Launch America: NASA and SpaceX Demo-2 Test Flight". U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna. 20 May 2020. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  29. ^ "All systems go for launch after final Crew Dragon readiness review". Spaceflight Now. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  30. ^ "NASA's Commercial Crew Program Target Test Flight Dates". 6 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  31. ^ Baylor, Michael (20 April 2019). "SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft suffers an anomaly during static fire testing at Cape Canaveral". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  32. ^ Berger, Eric (2 May 2019). "Dragon was destroyed just before the firing of its SuperDraco thrusters". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  33. ^ "Faulty valve blamed for Crew Dragon test accident". SpaceNews. 15 July 2019. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  34. ^ Clark, Stephen. "Live coverage: SpaceX successfully performs Crew Dragon abort test". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  35. ^ a b Clark, Stephen. "Bridenstine says Crew Dragon could launch with astronauts at end of May". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  36. ^ "Citing coronavirus, NASA urges public not to travel for launch of astronauts". Spaceflight Now. 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  37. ^ Wall, Mike (May 2020). "SpaceX aces final parachute test ahead of historic May 27 crew launch". space.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  38. ^ "The Mission NASA Doesn't Want to Postpone". The Atlantic. 13 April 2020. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  39. ^ "Rocket Launch: May 30, 2020". 27 May 2020. Archived from the original on 1 June 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  40. ^ "Hey, Class of 2020! SpaceX and NASA want to launch your photo on historic Dragon flight". space.com. 15 May 2020. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  41. ^ Clark, Stephen (22 May 2020). "NASA confirms May 27 as crew launch date; SpaceX test-fires rocket". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  42. ^ Chelsea Gohd (27 May 2020). "For the astronauts on SpaceX's Crew Dragon, space travel is all in the (NASA) family". space.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  43. ^ Bogage, Jacob; Davenport, Christian (27 May 2020). "SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch is scrubbed due to weather". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  44. ^ Sheetz, Michael (27 May 2020). "SpaceX crew launch Wednesday: Launch is postponed, NASA to try again Saturday". cnbc.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  45. ^ Chang, Kenneth (30 May 2020). "SpaceX Lifts NASA Astronauts to Orbit, Launching New Era of Spaceflight". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  46. ^ Wattles, Jackie (30 May 2020). "SpaceX Falcon 9 launches two NASA astronauts into the space". CNN. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  47. ^ "Launch Mission Execution Forecast". www.patrick.spaceforce.mil. 30 May 2020. Archived from the original on 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  48. ^ a b "Stormy weather delays Crew Dragon launch to Saturday". 27 May 2020. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  49. ^ WRAL (28 May 2020). "How a coffee can sized weather instrument kept SpaceX on the ground". wral.com. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  50. ^ "Upcoming Spaceflight Events". nextspaceflight.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  51. ^ Potter, Sean (20 April 2020). "NASA to Host Preview Briefings for First Crew Launch with SpaceX". NASA. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  52. ^ "SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 Key Launch Information". launch360.space. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  53. ^ Clark, Stephen (22 May 2020). "Trump to visit Kennedy Space Center for crew launch". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  54. ^ "Trump hails SpaceX's 1st astronaut launch success for NASA". space.com. 31 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  55. ^ a b "SpaceX, NASA make history by launching astronauts from US soil". 9news.com. 30 May 2020. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  56. ^ Gohd, Chelsea (28 May 2020). "SpaceX's historic astronaut launch try draws huge crowds despite NASA warnings". Space.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  57. ^ Clark, Stephen (12 June 2020). "Astronauts say riding Falcon 9 rocket was "totally different" from the space shuttle". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  58. ^ Clark, Stephen (23 May 2020). "Astronauts have a surprise name for their Crew Dragon spacecraft". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 25 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  59. ^ "NASA astronauts launch from U.S. soil for first time in nine years". spaceflightnow.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  60. ^ "Jonathan's Space Report – Latest Issue". planet4589.org. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  61. ^ "NASA Live: Official Stream of NASA TV". youtube.com. NASA. 31 May 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  62. ^ Griggs, Mary Beth (30 May 2020). "A cute stuffed dinosaur hitched a ride on SpaceX's historic launch". The Verge. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  63. ^ Bartels, Meghan (31 May 2020). "SpaceX's 1st Crew Dragon with astronauts to dock at space station today. Here's how to watch". space.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  64. ^ "Chronology of Wakeup Calls". NASA. 2 August 2005. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  65. ^ "Dragon docks at International Space Station 19 hours after NASA-SpaceX launch". abcnews.go.com. ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  66. ^ a b "NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station after Dragon capsule successfully docks". The Washington Post. 31 May 2020. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  67. ^ a b Wattles, Jackie (31 May 2020). "Second hatch opens as Crew Dragon astronauts arrive at International Space Station". cnn.com. Warner Media. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  68. ^ "SpaceX and NASA set to launch astronauts after weather all-clear". Express & Star. 30 May 2020. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  69. ^ "NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley's Scientific Journeys aboard the Space Station". NASA. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  70. ^ a b WRAL (4 August 2020). "Boating dangers in SpaceX splashdown area". wral.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  71. ^ "SpaceX Crew Dragon astronauts undock for historic Sunday splashdown". cbsnews.com. August 2020. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  72. ^ Heiney, Anna (23 July 2020). "Top 10 Things to Know for NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 Return". NASA. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  73. ^ a b c d Bogage, Jacob; Davenport, Christian (3 August 2020). "NASA astronauts aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule splash down in the Gulf of Mexico". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  74. ^ "SpaceX Crew Dragon undocks from space station to bring NASA astronauts home for 1st time". space.com. 2 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  75. ^ Sheetz, Michael (2 August 2020). "SpaceX's Crew Dragon splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico, completing a historic NASA mission". cnbc.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  76. ^ "NASA confirms SpaceX Crew Dragon will splashdown in Pensacola". August 2020. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  77. ^ "NASA's SpaceX Demo-2: Weather Remains "GO" for Return, Live Coverage Tomorrow". blogs.nasa.gov. 31 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  78. ^ "Top 10 Things to Know for NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 Return". nasa.gov. 23 July 2020. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  79. ^ "SpaceX twitter update". Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  80. ^ a b c Foust, Jeff (29 September 2020). "NASA and SpaceX wrapping up certification of Crew Dragon". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  81. ^ McFall-Johnsen, Morgan (1 October 2020). "SpaceX has a new plan to keep boats away during its next astronaut landing – a response to the unsafe crowd it faced last time". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  82. ^ Neal, Mihir; Gebhardt, Chris (2 August 2020). "Demo-2 safely returns Bob and Doug to Earth to conclude historic start to new Commercial Era". nasaspaceflight.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  83. ^ Morgan, McFall-Johnsen (29 September 2020). "SpaceX found unexpected 'erosion' on its spaceship's heat shield after its first NASA astronaut mission, so it revamped the system". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  84. ^ O'Callaghan, Jonathan. "SpaceX Makes History With First-Ever Human Rocket Launch For NASA". forbes.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  85. ^ a b c d e NASA (30 May 2020). Making History: NASA and SpaceX Launch Astronauts to Space! (YouTube). Archived from the original on 30 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  86. ^ Clark, Stephen (31 August 2020). "Launch Schedule". spaceflightnow.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  87. ^ "Megan to reuse Bob's demo-2 seat in crew-2 mission". aljazeera.com. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  88. ^ "Astronauts fly with SpaceX in landmark launch for commercial spaceflight". Spaceflight Now. 16 November 2020. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
edit

Extended video series from SpaceX

edit

Launch, coast, approach, and docking

edit

Departure, return coast, and splashdown

edit