After nine years, thirty-six expeditions, and one mass global pandemic, the United States is finally prepared to launch its own astronauts into space once more. The Demo-2 mission’s launch, using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Block 5, has just been set for 4:32pm (EDT) May 27th, and will end the longest period that the USA has spent without a crewed launch capability.
On the Demo-2 mission will be pilot Robert Behnken and commander Douglas Hurley, both veterans from the Space Shuttle Program. They will be onboard the Crew Dragon, the latest iteration of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, for its rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS), and will run a series of tests on the spacecraft on the way there. These tests will include, amongst other systems, the spacecraft’s propulsion, controls, life support and display systems. Then, during the rendezvous with the ISS, there will be (another) chance to test the Dragon’s docking capabilities (after the successful Demo-1 mission).
Following this (presumably successful) rendezvous and docking, Hurley and Behnken will make an “extended stay”, which will last for a “to be determined” duration. However, this flight can be expected to return within 110 days, as the specific capsule is only qualified to remain in space that long, while future versions will be able to last the full length of 180 days (long enough for a full ISS Expedition). This wait in space will allow for complete checks on the Crew Dragon’s ability to survive in space for an extended period (as nothing can beat the real thing). Then, the Dragon will attempt to successfully bring it’s crew home safely.
This mission, if successful, will be momentous for NASA’s manned space program. As with the first flight of the Space Shuttle, Demo-2 will help to define the future era. In addition, a successful mission will finally end the USA’s dependence on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, opening up more possibilities for NASA and companies alike. Finally, by making this flight, (the first crewed orbital mission on a commercial vehicle,) NASA will definitively prove that its new approach, of buying transport as a service, is viable and profitable.
However, there remain some obstacles; an engine failure on the last Falcon 9 launch led to the vehicle crashing during its landing attempt, the fifth of that specific booster. While this is suspected to be related to the unprecedented experience of the booster itself, and a landing is not mission-critical, investigations still have to be made into this failure. Schedules also have a tendency to be pushed back in spaceflight, so May 27th is by no means a firm date; it is merely a goal. But the fact that this date is so close implies that a crewed launch, COVID-19 or not, will take place within the next few months.
The wait is almost over.
Featured image courtesy of SpaceX
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2020-04-19 19:20:24Z
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