SpaceX’s historic Demo-2 launch is slated to take place tomorrow — here’s what you need to know.
Additionally, the astronauts are expected to have to manually control the spacecraft for little of the spaceflight. Even the very careful docking process when Crew Dragon reaches the ISS is expected to be done autonomously.The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket emblazoned with the famous NASA "worm" logo for the Demo-2 mission/SpaceX's Falcon 9 is the workhorse of the company's growing fleet of rockets.
The pair officially entered a pre-flight quarantine on May 13, although the astronauts said they've been self-isolating since mid-March. While astronauts typically enter a quarantine ahead of a mission, the protocol has been additionally strict for Demo-2 due to the coronavirus. NASA commercial spaceflight director Phil McAlister earlier this month said that "direct interaction with the crew is not permitted without appropriate protective gear.
Even the mission control room will look different than in years past, NASA said. The agency will use different rooms to keep people safely distant from each other, with NASA looking to add plexiglass between seats and stations for Demo-2.Four hours before liftoff, Behnken and Hurley will suit up. About a half an hour later, the crew will walk out to their Tesla Model X, complete with NASA logos, and drive from the astronaut quarters out to the launchpad.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule stand upright on the launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center ahead of the Demo-2 launch. A rendering shows SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule firing its emergency escape engines during the company's test flightThe Demo-2 mission has only just begun after Crew Dragon reaches orbit. As the final flight test for SpaceX's capsule, NASA said Demo-2 "will validate the company's crew transportation system, including the launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities.
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