Crew Dragon: Crew-2 mission

[DocM]

Yup, the same booster (B1061) for Crew-1 and Crew-2. Whodathunk NASA would do this a few years ago?

 

Date: April 22, 2021

Time: 0611 Eastern (10:11 UT)

Pad: LC-39A

Booster: B1061.2 (Crew-1)

Booster recovery: yes

Spacecraft: C206.2 Endeavour (DM-1)

 

Crew

 

Commander: Shane Kimbrough (NASA)

Pilot: K. Megan McArthur (NASA)

Mission Specialist 1: Akihiko Hoshide (JAXA)

Mission Specialist 2: Thomas Pesquet (ESA)

 

 

[DocM]

A little Scotch Brite, a few replacement panels, and a new skim coating does wonders....

 

 

[DocM]

Marcia Smith is with Space Policy Online

 

https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/1382833710379245570

 

 

[DocM]

NASA webcast

 

https://youtu.be/WeIVJyufJrE

 

 

[Skiver Veteran]

So both the Falcon 9 and the Dragon module have flown before? 

I did not expect Nasa to be so on board with this so quickly, man that's so awesome. 

[DocM]

8 hours ago, Skiver said:

So both the Falcon 9 and the Dragon module have flown before? 

I did not expect Nasa to be so on board with this so quickly, man that's so awesome. 

 

NASA has been allowing reused Cargo Dragon and F9's for CRS missions for some time. That experience, plus seeing up close how good the DM-1 and DM-2 vehicles & F9's looked after 1st use, brought on the policy change for Commercial Crew.  

 

Telling is Kathy Leuders* management score for SpaceX in the Starship HLS Source Selection Statement. Minds have changed in the upper floor offices of NASA.

 

Blue Origin's team included Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper Labs.

 

* NASA Associate Administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate

 

[Skiver Veteran]

15 hours ago, DocM said:

 

NASA has been allowing reused Cargo Dragon and F9's for CRS missions for some time. That experience, plus seeing up close how good the DM-1 and DM-2 vehicles & F9's looked after 1st use, brought on the policy change for Commercial Crew.  

 

Telling is Kathy Leuders* management score for SpaceX in the Starship HLS Source Selection Statement. Minds have changed in the upper floor offices of NASA.

 

Blue Origin's team included Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper Labs.

 

* NASA Associate Administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate

 

<snip>

That's a good point actually, I didn't consider the use of Dragon in the CRS missions as any form of evidence in terms of reuse. 

Yep, it was hard to believe the before and after in the picture you posted were of the same dragon module, we've all seen the slightly sooty Falcon 9s when they've been re-used. I know it doesn't make so much sense to get those back to pristine condition but I can understand why they probably spent a bit more time on Dragon to make it look brand new.

 

It's hard to imagine things going much quicker but I wonder if winning this bid will speed up anything with regards to starship development. Whether that's somehow throwing a bit more money at the building of Starship/Super Heavy or more work happening at the overall site build in Boca Chica.

[DocM]

3 hours ago, Skiver said:

That's a good point actually, I didn't consider the use of Dragon in the CRS missions as any form of evidence in terms of reuse. 

 

It goes beyond Dragon. Both NASA and DoD contracted with SpaceX to get "special insight" into their construction and refurbishment processes, and how they evolve vehicles based on refurbishment data. Both liked what they saw, a lot.

 

Quote

Yep, it was hard to believe the before and after in the picture you posted were of the same dragon module, we've all seen the slightly sooty Falcon 9s when they've been re-used. I know it doesn't make so much sense to get those back to pristine condition but I can understand why they probably spent a bit more time on Dragon to make it look brand new.

 

Not that much time. Dragons are skinned using screwed-on cast panels made of SPAM; SpaceX Propriatory Ablative Material, a very inexpensive heat shield "wallboard" SpaceX developed.

 

In most cases removal, inspection, and a Scotch Brite scrub and re-coating with a SPAM based "whitewash" is enough.  If there's too much damage to a panel they just replace it and re-spray the livery. They use a SPAM putty to cover the screw heads.

 

Quote

It's hard to imagine things going much quicker but I wonder if winning this bid will speed up anything with regards to starship development. Whether that's somehow throwing a bit more money at the building of Starship/Super Heavy or more work happening at the overall site build in Boca Chica.

 

Yes, it'll speed things up. Starship will very likely use adapted versions of the Crew Dragon hard and soft-ware - no need to totally  reinvent the wheel. Chromium based multi-screen UI, etc. 

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Pushed back due to unfavorable weather.  Weather is projected to be 90% go on Friday

 

 

[DocM]

Scrub reason: downrange weather

[DocM]

Crew Dragon Crew-2

 

Date: April 23 (Friday)

Joint NASA/SpaceX  webcast begins: 0130 Eastern 

Time:  0549 Eastern (0949 UT)

 

 

[DocM]

Beautiful launch!!

 

Crew 2 was a pre-dawn launch, so wet have "jellyfish UFO" pics...

 

 

[DocM]

Approach, docking, and a portrait of other Visiting Vehicles (Crew-1 above, Soyuz below). Had to do some color correction & processing on the docked image.