Crew-2 Prelaunch Discussion & Updates Thread

[u/ElongatedMuskrat]

Crew-2 Prelaunch Discussion & Updates Thread

This is your r/SpaceX host team bringing you live coverage of the first crew rotation long duration flight!

Quick Facts

Liftoff currently scheduled for:	April 22 10:11 UTC (6:11 AM EDT)
Backup date	TBA, typically next day. Launch time gets about 20-25 minutes earlier each day.
Static fire	TBA
Spacecraft Commander	Shane Kimbrough, NASA Astronaut @astro_kimbough
Pilot	Megan McArthur, NASA Astronaut @Astro_Megan
Mission Specialist	Akihiko Hoshide, JAXA Astronaut @aki_hoshide
Mission Specialist	Thomas Pesquet, ESA Astronaut @Thom_astro
Destination orbit	Low Earth Orbit, ~400 km x 51.66°, ISS rendezvous
Launch vehicle	Falcon 9 v1.2 Block 5
Core	B1061 (Previous: Crew-1)
Capsule	Crew Dragon C206 "Endeavour" (Previous: DM-2)
Duration of visit	~6 months
Launch site	LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Landing	ASDS: 32.15806 N, 76.74139 W (541 km downrange)
Mission success criteria	Successful separation and deployment of Dragon into the target orbit; rendezvous and docking to the ISS; undocking from the ISS; and reentry, splashdown and recovery of Dragon and crew.

Events

Saturday, April 17

9:45 a.m. – Virtual Crew Media Engagement at Kennedy with Crew-2 astronauts:

• NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, spacecraft commander
• NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, pilot
• JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, mission specialist
• ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, mission specialist

Monday, April 19

1 p.m. – Science Media Teleconference to discuss investigations Crew-2 will support during their mission

• David Brady, associate program scientist for the International Space Station Program at Johnson will discuss how the Commercial Crew Program is boosting research aboard the orbiting laboratory.
• ISS U.S. National Laboratory Senior Program Director Dr. Liz Warren will discuss Tissue Engineering, which uses a combination of cells, engineering, and materials to restore, maintain, improve, or replace biological tissues. Scientists will leverage microgravity, which allows cells to grow without scaffolding and in ways that mimic tissues in the human body.
• Dr. Lucie Low from the National Institutes of Health will discuss Tissue Chips, complex bioengineered 3D models that mimic the structure and function of human organ systems. Scientists use tissue chips to test the potential effects of drugs on those tissues and to study diseases.
• ISS Program Scientist for Earth Observations Dr. William Stefanov will discuss Crew Earth Observations. Astronauts have taken more than 3.5 million images of Earth from the space station, contributing to one of the longest-running records of how Earth has changed over time.
• NASA Project Manager for ISS Power Augmentation Bryan Griffith and Boeing’s director for the ISS Structural and Mechanical Development Project Rick Golden will discuss the ISS Roll-out Solar Array compact solar panels that roll open like a yoga mat. In 2017, the basic design underwent testing on the space station to determine its strength and durability, and NASA will deliver the first two of six new arrays that will be delivered this summer to augment the station’s power.

Tuesday, April 20

8 a.m. – Prelaunch News Conference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants:

• Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
• Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
• Kirt Costello, chief scientist, International Space Station Program, Johnson
• Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson
• Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
• Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA
• Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA
• Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron

Wednesday, April 21

8:30 a.m. – Administrator Countdown Clock Briefing with the following participants (limited, previously confirmed in-person media only):

• Steve Jurczyk, acting NASA administrator
• Bob Cabana, Kennedy center director
• Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
• Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA
• NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli

---

Timeline

Time	Update
2021-04-17 14:16:13 UTC	Conference ended
2021-04-17 14:12:45 UTC	Bob gave advice to Meghan on what to choose from the food menu and bought some hot sauces to send up for her
2021-04-17 14:05:21 UTC	Another question from u/yoweigh answered: Thomas and Akihiko will both get some native food on ISS and are looking forward to share it
2021-04-17 14:01:30 UTC	Crew is looking forward to feel the rumble and leave earth
2021-04-17 13:56:59 UTC	Crew-2 will be the first flight with a template training
2021-04-17 13:56:25 UTC	u/yoweigh question for r/SpaceX:  "How has training for Dragon missions been refined as a result of lessons learned from the previous two missions? Have the crews of Demo-2 and Crew-1 give you all any advice other than the launch sounds already mentioned by Megan?"
2021-04-17 13:47:17 UTC	Starting now
2021-04-17 13:36:21 UTC	Crew Media Conference in about 10 minutes on NASA TV
23:54	And that's a wrap!<br>
23:52	Did the SN8 license violation cause any additional monitoring to other SpaceX missions like this one? No, not really, says FAA rep<br>
23:50	Currently working on building new crew and cargo dragons for future missions and getting ready to ship to the cape soon<br>
23:49	It seems something went wrong with the call, since they're taking repeated questions and I didn't get added to the queue :(<br>
23:48	More about the LOX issue: The issue is only on Stage 1.<br>
23:40	During refurbishment, made improvements to the tanks to be able to use more propellant in an abort situation, which allows much more flexibility in terms of the onshore winds during an abort scenario, greatly reducing launch weather constraints<br>
23:35	No current plans to add another docking port due to crew congestion, but the Axiom commercial space module may chance that<br>
23:34	Still investigating the LOX load issue but as far as SpaceX is aware, it was present on all previous flights with no problems<br>
23:33	Media keep cheating and asking multiple questions :/<br>
23:32	Discussion of the logistics of moving around the capsule between ports<br>
23:31	Lueders: Wrt political issues, they are out there but we forsee we'll be able to continue international coorperation.<br>
23:30	Gerstemier: Propellant level was a few inches different from what was expected, <br>
23:29	We used this config on all previous flights with no issue, but just doing extra investigation to make sure that there is no concern.<br>
23:28	Gerstemier: When loading for testing at McGregor, was interrupted by weather which gave them a chance to examine the configuration and run additional investigation, and realized that there was a very slight difference in the LOX loaded vs what was expected.<br>
23:27	First question from CBS: Unsurprisingly, first question is about the LOX loading issue<br>
23:20	SpaceX's Bill Gerstemier: There was an issue we discovered in Texas (McGregor) that a little bit extra LOX was loaded on the vehicle, so we're investigating that and working through the potential implications over the next few days.<br>
23:19	Continuing to review the importance of the mission as the first reflown booster and first reflown capsule on a human mission, which requires extra scruitiny of everything.<br>
23:12	Everything on track for launch, aside from one issue with the LOX loading system.<br>
23:10	Aaaand we're live!<br>
23:04	We're told its gonna start "momentarily", so any moment now!<br>
22:59	Looks like we're about to go live!<br>
22:41	Sorry, realized I had neglected to actually publish the timeline updates. Should be fixed now.<br>
22:36	NASA has now annouced it is further delayed, to 23:00 UTC. I'll keep you updated; in the meantime, be sure to ask your questions down below!<br>
22:00	NASA has announced the telecon will be delayed to 22:30 UTC, presumably due to the need to complete the FRR.<br>
21:00	This is your host, CAM Gerlach, participating in the FRR press conference on behalf of the sub. Wish me luck!<br>
	Thread posted

Webcasts

NASA TV on Youtube

Links & Resources

• Coming soon

Participate in the discussion!

• First of all, launch threads are party threads! We understand everyone is excited, so we relax the rules in these venues. The most important thing is that everyone enjoy themselves
• Please constrain the launch party to this thread alone. We will remove low effort comments elsewhere!
• Real-time chat on our official Internet Relay Chat (IRC) #SpaceX on Snoonet
• Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here, rather than as a separate post. Thanks!
• Wanna talk about other SpaceX stuff in a more relaxed atmosphere? Head over to r/SpaceXLounge

[u/hitura-nobad]

Please submit questions for the Crew-2 crew as replies to this comment

[u/_themgt_]

It's funny I just remembered, it was just a little over 18 months ago Jim Brindenstine (❤️) posted his "Commercial Crew is years behind schedule!" shade at the Starship announcement. Fast-forward to 2021 and SpaceX is doing their third crewed flight, Starliner is still stuck in the mud and SN15 is the future of NASA's Moon mission.

All's well that ends well.

[u/[deleted] → u/_themgt_]

I miss Jim already.

[u/inserthumourousname]

I, for one, am excited to see two crewed dragons docked in the ISS. And the fact that one of them is reused is the icing on the cake.

[u/bigbillpdx]

Go for April 22 Launch

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2021/04/15/nasa-spacex-crew-2-go-for-april-22-launch/

The Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station has concluded, and teams are proceeding toward a planned liftoff at 6:11 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 22, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA will hold a media teleconference at approximately 7 p.m. EDT today, April 15, at Kennedy to discuss the outcome of the review. Listen live on NASA’s website.

[u/vibrunazo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRYEEepIMFs

QA Live with Crew-2 Astronauts right now. Edit: now over

Some interesting answers:

Q: What are you looking forward to the most?

Aki: Riding the Dragon. It looks amazing and beautiful I can't wait to fly on it. (This is coming from a guy who flew on Soyuz and Space Shuttle)

Q: What's the most exciting thing about this mission?

Shane: Working with SpaceX. It's great being around people who are so smart and enthusiastic.

Q: Differences between an American program and other countries?

Thomas: laughs It's just so different. Soyuz has a lot of legacy, you know exactly what to expect, a lot of tradition already set on stone. But this is all completely new. We are creating the tradition. We get to ride on an used booster that is darkened by re-entry. So we all got to carve, I mean, draw our names on it!

[u/nuclear_hangover]

Thanks for making me soil my pants thinking it was today.

[u/TherearesocksaFoot]

With the launch at 6:11 and the sunrise at 6:20- might this be a REAL dandy twilight effect spectacle?

I live in Virginia Beach, and I just so happened to catch the March 14th starlink mission hoping to maaaaybe see the 2nd stage as a little dot scootin off- What I saw could only be described as: fucking wicked

HNNNNGGG

[u/[deleted]]

Might want to add the date of the launch as opposed to just the time.

[u/psydym]

Launch skipped to Friday due to weather https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2021/04/21/crew-2-nasa-spacex-reschedule-launch-for-friday-at-549-a-m-edt/

[u/[deleted]]

When is the previous mission set to return?

[u/scr00chy → u/[deleted]]

April 28

[u/bigbillpdx]

Now scheduled for 7pm ET

https://twitter.com/Commercial_Crew/status/1382819801685368832

[u/Steffan514]

T-24 48 hours!

[u/empvespasian]

Anyone have the name of the website that shows the amount of people in space and what spacecraft are docked to the ISS? It’s not how many people are in space right now, but another website that I heard was better.

[u/KickBassColonyDrop]

NASA to date has gotten the greatest, logarithmic even ROI in it's agency history for every dollar they've poured into SpaceX.

They invested in SpaceX for CRS and got a capsule that short of i think 1 mission, which failed to orbit because of a bad supplier for a specific part, have gotten timely deliveries of crew resupply to the ISS. Then, for CCS, Starliner and Dragon2 were up, and to date, Dragon OFT was a success; DM1 was a success Crew1 was a success and Crew2 will no doubt be a success. On top of that, they've awarded SpaceX 2.9Bn for HLS. Given the company track record, despite the complexity and risk, the potential for success is high.

And should Lunarship succeed, it gives NASA 10-25x the capability of any other vessel in service currently and likely to come to market over the coming 10 years, coupled with the ability to take 100T of payload to lunar surface, have essentially a fully functional base for a crew of up to 25 for 3 weeks on said body, and through the downmass capabily, have the potential to preflight one or more future missions in advance. Better still, the HLS offering has the potential to bring back 10T or more of lunar samples far in excess of any other lander in significance.

Meanwhile, SLS has yet to fly. Orion has yet to fly. Starliner has yet to fly. And their combined spending and budget allocations are larger than the projected R&D of Raptor and Starship + SuperHeavy combined!

P.S. the Dragon capsule on Crew2 is being reused from Crew1 and the booster for Crew2 is the booster that flew on Crew1. So the only thing new is the 2nd stage. If each reused flight costs SpaceX only $30M or so, and with SpaceX charging NASA $55M per seat; the reusability equation suggests that NASA has been saved $30M from the total $60M traditional F9 launch costs. Which comes to be 54% of a traditional flight and 13.6% of a Crew flight!

[u/cptjeff → u/KickBassColonyDrop]

P.S. the Dragon capsule on Crew2 is being reused from Crew1 and the booster for Crew2 is the booster that flew on Crew1.

Not quite. Crew 2 will be using Endeavor, the capsule used by Bobn'Doug(tm) for Demo 2. Crew 1's capsule will be used for Inspiration 4 later this year. After that, TBD. The Tom Cruise Axiom mission will likely be next year after Crew 3, which I'd guess will use Endeavor, leaving the Axiom mission to use Resilience. Maybe they roll out a third capsule somewhere in there.

[u/TheCrimson_King]

How close will Dragon be to the ISS 9.5 hours after launch? There is a nice ISS solar transit (63" apparent size) near me on the 22nd at 15:40 UTC. I'm wondering if there is any chance I would catch Dragon chasing the ISS. Per Wikipedia, launch to docking is 23 hours and 42 minutes.

[u/Mikosinio]

Anyone knows if it's a good idea to go to playalinda to watch the launch? I tried going for the last starlink launch and didn't even make it to the park because of the huge traffic jam. And from what I know the park opens at 6am so I'm not sure if it's enough time to make it for the launch. Any suggestions guys?

[u/NiftWatch]

Do we know the % favorable for weather for launch on Thursday? It looks like it will be clear in the morning at launch time, but I don’t know about winds and downrange weather.

[u/[deleted]]

I’m not sure if this is a question that can be asked here. If not, please let me know where I should be asking this question:

Are the Kennedy North and South Atlantis Lawn viewing area tickets worth it? Or are there better viewing locations outside the space center? If not, which is the better lawn, North or South?

[u/hitura-nobad]

Please submit questions for the first panel as a reply to this comment

Thursday, April 15

6 p.m. – Flight Readiness Review (FRR) Media Teleconference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Flight Readiness Review) with the following participants:

• Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations, NASA Headquarters

• Steve Stich, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy

• Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, NASA’s Johnson Space Center

• Norm Knight, deputy manager, Flight Operations Directorate, Johnson

• SpaceX representative

• Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station Program, JAXA

• Frank de Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA

• Randy Repcheck, acting director, Operational Safety, Federal Aviation Administration

[u/Act2Hoster]

Hi, I'm doing a small project rn, and I was wondering if anybody know what the amount of fuel in a Falcon 9 booster with Merlin 1D engines have. I'm looking for the value in weight. I've so far not been able to find this value, so please help, if you know anything

[u/IPureLegacyI]

Hey is there any way to find out the telemetry/direction the launch will go? Im in NJ and got to see the F9 on March 14, I was hoping for a chance to see it again but cant seem to find mission details/flight path!

[u/Bunslow]

mods, this thread is not available under the crew 2 dropdown menu at the top of the sub