Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were tied to Crew Dragon before the May 27 launch.
SpaceX
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission has been easy so far for NASA. Commercial Crew Program. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley successfully launched and traveled to the International Space Station in late May, and now they are ready to return early Sunday if the weather cooperates.
Returning to Earth takes some time, and NASA will be there on the way with a live broadcast on NASA television.
Stormy weather at potential splash sites in the Atlantic could complicate the schedule. “We are going to watch the weather very carefully. We have a number of sites and many days. If we do not undock on Saturday to return home on Sunday, we would move to undocking for Monday,” said the manager of the Commercial Crew Program. from NASA Steve. Stich said in a statement Wednesday.
While timing details may change, NASA has established the following coverage schedule for major milestones:
Saturday August 1:
- Coverage of the ISS farewell ceremony at 6:10 am PT.
- Decoupling coverage begins at 2:15 p.m. PT before departure at 4:34 p.m.
Sunday, August 2:
- The dip in the Atlantic Ocean is directed at 11:42 a.m. M. PT.
- The post-splash press conference is scheduled for 2 pm PT.
The reentry process is dramatic. “Crew Dragon will travel at orbital speed prior to reentry, moving at approximately 17,500 miles per hour. The maximum temperature it will experience at reentry is approximately 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit,” NASA said in a statement on July 24.
A SpaceX recovery ship will meet Crew Dragon (which the astronauts called Endeavor) to collect the spacecraft and parachutes from the water. Endeavor will be hoisted on the ship and Behnken and Hurley will be greeted by a medical team.
Crew Dragon has a long way to go in a safe and uneventful return. “This is SpaceX’s final test flight and provides data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft, and ground systems, as well as in orbit, dock, splash, and recovery operations,” NASA said in a statement.
If Crew Dragon passes these final tests, SpaceX will be able to provide regularly, operational flights to the ISS starting this year. And it would end NASA’s reliance on Russian spacecraft for the first time since the shuttle era.
