{"id":12293,"date":"2020-08-02T01:25:37","date_gmt":"2020-08-01T17:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/crew-dragon-astronauts-pack-up-for-return-to-earth\/"},"modified":"2020-08-02T01:25:37","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T17:25:37","slug":"crew-dragon-astronauts-pack-up-for-return-to-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/crew-dragon-astronauts-pack-up-for-return-to-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Crew Dragon astronauts pack up for return to Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_46730\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46730\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-46730\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2crew1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2crew1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2crew1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2crew1-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2crew1-678x451.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46730\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner tweeted this photo Saturday of Crew Dragon astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken placing their mission patch on the space station docking port where the Dragon is attached. Credit: Ivan Vagner\/Roscosmos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Crew Dragon astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken thanked their space station crewmates for a productive two-month visit, readied their SpaceX capsule for departure and stood by for a final \u201cgo\u201d from flight controllers to undock Saturday night, setting up a Gulf of Mexico splashdown Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll my bags are packed, I\u2019m ready to go,\u201d Behnken tweeted.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 76px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1289576302333145089&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2020%2F08%2F01%2Fcrew-dragon-astronauts-pack-up-for-return-to-earth%2F&amp;sessionId=e1bd57fa725d8f4e9c822c6f1509f885340f6c33&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1289576302333145089\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782696951420699507=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">All my bags are packed, I\u2019m ready to go\u2026 #LandAmerica pic.twitter.com\/FvyzeA58sb<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) August 1, 2020<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It will be the first splashdown for U.S. astronauts in 45 years and the first entry, descent and landing of a piloted Crew Dragon spacecraft, one of the final steps before NASA can certify the SpaceX ferry ships for operational six-month flights to the space station.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re about to embark on the the final portion of the journey,\u201d Behnken said in a brief departure ceremony Saturday morning. \u201cThe hardest part was getting us launched. But the most important part is bringing us home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI look forward to the test objectives of not only separating from the International Space Station smoothly, but then coming down to a nice splashdown off the Florida coast to come full circle with bringing that capability to launch astronauts again to the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With Hurricane Isaias threatening Florida\u2019s East Coast, effectively ruling out a splashdown off the coast from Jacksonville to Cape Canaveral, NASA and SpaceX mission managers focused on four landing sites in the Gulf located off shore near Panama City, Pensacola, Tallahassee and Tampa.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_46713\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46713\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-46713\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/landingzones.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/landingzones.jpg 900w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/landingzones-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/landingzones-768x427.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/landingzones-678x377.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46713\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This map shows the Crew Dragon\u2019s seven landing zones. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With good weather expected at more than one of the Gulf sites, Hurley and Behnken looked forward to undocking around 7:30 p.m. Leaving the station behind, the astronauts plan to monitor a series of computer-orchestrated thruster firings to fine-tune their orbit before going to bed around 12:30 a.m. Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>After a 7:30 a.m. wakeup call, the astronauts will work through a detailed pre-entry checklist before the Crew Dragon jettison\u2019s its no-longer-needed trunk section at 1:46 p.m., exposing the capsule\u2019s protective heat shield.<\/p>\n<p>Then, starting at 1:51 p.m., the Crew Dragon\u2019s forward thrusters are scheduled to fire for nearly 10 minutes, slowing the craft by about 105 mph, just enough to drop the far side of its orbit deep into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p>Twenty-six minutes later, approaching the Gulf of Mexico from the southwest, the Crew Dragon is expected to plunge back into the discernible atmosphere, quickly slowing down as the heat shield endures temperatures higher than 3,000 degrees. Small drogue parachutes will then stabilize the capsule before four main parachutes unfurl at an altitude of about 6,000 feet.<\/p>\n<p>Splashdown is expected at 2:42 p.m. The SpaceX recovery ship \u201cGo Navigator\u201d will be stationed nearby carrying initial responders with \u201cfast boats\u201d to quickly reach the spacecraft, medical personnel and support crews. Within the hour, they are expected to stabilize and \u201csafe\u201d the capsule, haul it on board, open the side hatch and help Hurley and Behnken out as they begin re-adjusting to gravity after two months in space.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_46731\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46731\" style=\"width: 2500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-46731\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/issgraphic_desktop.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/issgraphic_desktop.jpg 2500w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/issgraphic_desktop-300x139.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/issgraphic_desktop-768x355.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/issgraphic_desktop-678x314.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46731\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Credit: SpaceX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Both astronauts said they expect a bit of nausea and possibly vomiting as they bob about in the capsule awaiting recovery. During an earlier interview aboard the station, Hurley joked, \u201cthere\u2019s a pretty good likelihood that we may see breakfast twice on that particular day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In any case, after initial medical checks aboard the Go Navigator, the astronauts will be flown by helicopter to a nearby airport where a NASA jet will be waiting to fly them back to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for debriefing and reunions with family members.<\/p>\n<p>Since the space shuttle\u2019s retirement in 2011, NASA has relied on Russia\u2019s Soyuz spacecraft to ferry U.S. and partner agency astronauts to and from the station at some $80 million per seat.<\/p>\n<p>The Crew Dragon and, eventually, Boeing\u2019s Starliner CST-100 capsules are intended to end that sole reliance on Russia while opening up low-Earth orbit to private-sector development.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX launched and recovered an unpiloted Crew Dragon capsule last year and carried out a dramatic in-flight abort, again unpiloted, earlier this year. That cleared the way for Hurley and Behnken to blast off on the program\u2019s first piloted mission, a test flight known as Demo 2, on May 30.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe DM-2 test flight is in some ways just two thirds complete,\u201d Hurley said Saturday. \u201cWe did the ascent, the rendezvous and the docking, we completed our docked objectives and now is the entry, descent and splashdown phase.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During the departure ceremony, space station commander Chris Cassidy presented Hurley and Behnken with an American flag the crew of the final shuttle mission left aboard the lab complex in 2011. Hurley was the pilot of shuttle Atlantis for that final flight and \u201ccapturing the flag\u201d marked a special moment.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_46732\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46732\" style=\"width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-46732\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2flag.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2flag.jpg 900w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2flag-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2flag-768x428.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/dm2flag-678x378.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46732\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crew Dragon spacecraft commander Doug Hurley holds the U.S. flag that will return from the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV\/Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The flag first flew in space aboard Columbia during the first shuttle mission in 1981 and if all goes well, it will be aboard NASA\u2019s Orion capsule during a flight to the moon in the next few years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis flag has spent some time up here, on the order of nine years since we dropped it off on STS-135,\u201d Hurley said. \u201cSo very proud to return this flag home and see what\u2019s next for it on its journey to the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Also coming home: \u201cTremor,\u201d the toy dinosaur that served as an ever-present zero-gravity indicator during the crew\u2019s stay aboard the station. It was given to them by their sons, six-year-old Theo Behnken and 10-year-old Jack Hurley.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy son and Doug\u2019s son are really excited, not only to get their fathers back, but to get our apatosaurus, our zero-G indicator that they nominated to go with us on this historic mission,\u201d Behnken said. \u201cFor Jack and Theo: Tremor, the apatosaurus, is headed home soon and he\u2019ll be with your dads.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Both men are married to astronauts. Hurley\u2019s wife, Karen Nyberg, is retired from the astronaut corps, but Behnken\u2019s wife, Megan McArthur, is in training to fly to the space station next year aboard the same Crew Dragon bringing her husband home Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner tweeted this photo Saturday of Crew Dragon astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken placing their mission patch on the space station docking port where the Dragon is attached. Credit: Ivan Vagner\/Roscosmos Crew Dragon astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken thanked their space station crewmates for a productive two-month visit, readied their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2125,524,291,235,2126,2127,2034,1545],"class_list":["post-12293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-bob-behnken","tag-commercial-crew","tag-commercial-space","tag-crew-dragon","tag-crew-dragon-demo-2","tag-doug-hurley","tag-expedition-63","tag-human-spaceflight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12293"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12293\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}