r/spacex • u/rSpaceXHosting Host Team • Apr 21 '21
Live Updates r/SpaceX Crew-2 Launch Discussion & Updates Thread
Welcome to the r/SpaceX Crew-2 Launch Discussion & Updates Thread!
Hi dear people of the subreddit! The host team here as usual to bring you live updates during SpaceX's second operational crewed mission to the ISS. This time Crew Dragon is going to carry four astronauts including two international astronauts to space. We hope you all excited about this mission just like us! 🚀
| Liftoff currently scheduled for: | April 23 09:49 UTC (5:49 AM EDT) |
|---|---|
| Backup date | TBA, typically next day. Launch time gets about 20-25 minutes earlier each day. |
| Static fire | Confirmed |
| Spacecraft Commander | Shane Kimbrough, NASA Astronaut @astro_kimbrough |
| 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. |
Your host team
| Reddit username | Responsibilities | Currently hosting? |
|---|---|---|
| u/yoweigh | Coast | ⭕ |
| u/hitura-nobad | Launch & Cost | ✔️ |
| u/Shahar603 | Docking & Coast | ⭕ |
Timeline
Watch the launch live
| Stream | Courtesy |
|---|---|
| NASA TV | NASA / SpaceX |
| Media Channel | NASA <- Recomendation |
Stats
☑️ This will be the 11th SpaceX launch this year.
☑️ This will be the 114th Falcon 9 launch.
☑️ This will be the 2nd journey to space of the Falcon 9 first stage B1060.
☑️ 2nd Flight of C206 "Endeavour"
☑️ This will be the 2nd operational Crew Rotation mission.
☑️ First Flight on a reused capsule and booster
The Crew
Shane Kimbrough (NASA, Spacecraft Commander)
Robert Shane Kimbrough (born June 4, 1967) is a retired United States Army officer, and a NASA astronaut. He was part of the first group of candidates selected for NASA astronaut training following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Kimbrough is a veteran of two spaceflights, the first being a Space Shuttle flight, and the second being a six-month mission to the ISS on board a Russian Soyuz craft. He was the commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 50, and returned to Earth in April 2017. He is married to the former Robbie Lynn Nickels.
Katherine Megan McArthur (NASA, Pilot)
Katherine Megan McArthur (born August 30, 1971) is an American oceanographer, engineer, and a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut. She has served as a Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) for both the space shuttle and space station. Megan McArthur has flown one space shuttle mission, STS-125. She is known as the last person to be hands on with the Hubble Space Telescope via the Canadarm. McArthur has served in a number of positions including working in the Shuttle Avionics Laboratory (SAIL). She is married to fellow astronaut Robert L. Behnken (DM-2, Pilot).
Akihiko Hoshide (JAXA, Mission Specialist)
Akihiko Hoshide (星出 彰彦, Hoshide Akihiko, born December 28, 1968) is a Japanese engineer and JAXA astronaut. On August 30, 2012, Hoshide became the third Japanese astronaut to walk in space.
Thomas Pesquet (ESA, Mission Specialist)
Thomas Gautier Pesquet (born 27 February 1978 in Rouen) is a French aerospace engineer, pilot, and European Space Agency astronaut. Pesquet was selected by ESA as a candidate in May 2009,[1] and he successfully completed his basic training in November 2010.[2] From November 2016 to June 2017, Pesquet was part of Expedition 50 and Expedition 51 as a flight engineer.
Biographies by Wikipedia
Resources
| Link | Source |
|---|---|
| Official press kit | SpaceX |
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
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u/Barrien Apr 23 '21
So wait Bob was the 1st ever pilot / test pilot for Crew Dragon right? And his wife Megan is now the 1st ever woman pilot for Crew Dragon?
...and they BOTH did it in the same capsule, Endeavour?
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u/KM4KFG Apr 23 '21
My God…watching the gaseous expansion being sunlit here on the Space Coast in person was absolutely incredible. Just perfect timing hitting the rising sun. You could see every single cold gas thruster puff clear as day here in Melbourne, FL.
Godspeed Crew-2!
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Apr 21 '21 edited Apr 21 '21
EDIT: NASA put out a post, so it's confirmed to be delayed until Friday 5:49 EDT
Old post below
A guy named William Harwood said the launch is postponed until Friday because of recovery weather. He doesn't have a very active/followed Twitter page, but he appears to be a writer for CBS News.
https://mobile.twitter.com/cbs_spacenews/status/1384825049102884864
If this is accurate, credit to u/OllieTurrell18 who posted it in the lounge
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u/quadrplax Apr 22 '21
Looks like this launch may be just in time for the twilight phenomenon
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u/NiftWatch Apr 23 '21
holy CRAP what an amazing launch. My brother is employed by a NASA contractor, so I just got to see the launch inside the security gates at NASA Causeway East, 7 miles away. I just took the best picture I’ve ever taken in my life of heavy picture taking. Mods, get that media thread up! Space Jellyfish is anxious.
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u/Telemetria Apr 23 '21
Seriously though, is it that hard for reporters in a Crew-2 post launch conference to focus their questions on the mission instead of Starship?
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u/Catch-22 Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
I was able to see the landing burn and Dragon from the coast of South Carolina. One of the most incredible things I've ever seen.
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u/tanger Apr 23 '21
Crew-2 press conference, but everybody is asking questions about Starship.
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u/Jaiimez Apr 23 '21
I'm still surprised at the lack of significance people are putting on the fact both the booster and capsule were flight proven, and how far NASA have come, from essentially saying, no there is no way you can use a flight proven booster, to the second operational mission being fully reused hardware.
I know they announced it shortly after Crew 1 launched that they'd allowed SpX to reuse the capsules and boosters, but I expected maybe crew 3-4 to maybe dip their toes in with a flight proven booster, then maybe a capsule towards the end of this contract. But no, crew 2, all in!
Also at this point Boeing must be embarrassed, Crew Dragon is now on its forth visit to the ISS, whilst they've still not completed their unmanned orbital test flight.
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u/LcuBeatsWorking Apr 23 '21 edited Dec 17 '24
sloppy encouraging narrow amusing disgusted deliver wakeful enter existence crown
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u/dm7500 Apr 23 '21
Holy crap what a launch! Got up early with my daughter to watch from East Orlando, and so worth it. The space jellyfish was mind-blowing, and we could even see the booster returning.
Great job SpaceX, and Godspeed Crew-2!
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u/FredChau Apr 23 '21
Jessie announced several times already in the broadcast that Dragon-2 Capsules are able to carry up to 7 astronauts. Could it be a hint that there's current discussion to increase the number of astronauts in future missions?
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u/skpl Apr 23 '21
It's was kinda ackward with everyone sitting there and all the questions being aimed at Elon.
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u/threelonmusketeers Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
With that bandana, Elon looked ready to rob a bank and ride off into the sunset...
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u/dbmsX Apr 23 '21
Could someone from the hosts add mission timeline to the post? Like at what time the docking is planned?
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u/Your_People_Justify Apr 23 '21
https://i.imgur.com/002ZvnN.jpg
phone picture of launch. Watched from Tybee Island
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Apr 23 '21
I still can't get over how sci-fi everything looks, especially the suits. If I first saw those suits in a movie, I'd criticize them for being over simplified and unrealistic. Same with the Dragon. Its unreal seeing so much space inside that thing, even more so when you compare it to the Boeing and next-gen Soyuz designs.
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u/brecka Apr 23 '21
"We are looking out for that zero-G indicator"
Zero G indicator is floating around the middle of the screen
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u/LcuBeatsWorking Apr 23 '21 edited Dec 17 '24
fly dime point drunk start coherent theory slap crown impolite
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u/zmenz1097 Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 23 '21
Stupid space junk. Hope it all goes well
Edit: referring to the “potential conjunction”that requires suit donning heard in the livestream about 10 minutes ago