{"id":17707,"date":"2020-05-25T17:37:11","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T09:37:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasa-signs-off-on-historic-spacex-crewed-launch-leaving-weather-as-final-uncertainty\/"},"modified":"2020-05-25T17:37:11","modified_gmt":"2020-05-25T09:37:11","slug":"nasa-signs-off-on-historic-spacex-crewed-launch-leaving-weather-as-final-uncertainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasa-signs-off-on-historic-spacex-crewed-launch-leaving-weather-as-final-uncertainty\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA signs off on historic SpaceX crewed launch, leaving weather as final uncertainty"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_565436\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-565436\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full-width wp-image-565436\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/200525-spacex1-630x420.jpg\" alt=\"SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule at sunrise\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/200525-spacex1-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/200525-spacex1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/200525-spacex1.jpg 1050w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption data-nosnippet=\"\" id=\"caption-attachment-565436\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sun rises with SpaceX\u2019s Crew Dragon capsule sitting atop a Falcon 9 rocket at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (SpaceX Photo \/ Ben Cooper)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mission managers have cleared the final paperwork for SpaceX\u2019s first-ever crewed launch, aimed at sending two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.<\/p>\n<p>The stage is now set for the first NASA mission to send humans into orbit from U.S. soil since the retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>Only one big question remained after today\u2019s launch readiness review, which looked at all the technical issues surrounding Wednesday\u2019s scheduled liftoff from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re burning down the final paper,\u201d Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA\u2019s commercial crew program, told reporters during a teleconference. \u201cAll the teams were \u2018go,\u2019 and we\u2019re continuing to make progress toward our mission. Now the only thing we need to do is figure out how to control the weather.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Today\u2019s weather forecast called for a 60% chance of scrubbing the launch&nbsp;due to concerns about rain and clouds at the launch site. The weather was rainy at the Cape today, but Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer for the 45th Weather Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base, said the outlook was improving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I was to issue the forecast today, right now, we would probably be down to a 40% chance of violation. \u2026 So we have some hope for launch day,\u201d McAleenan said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"SpaceX Crew Dragon Is the Most Anticipated Launch of the Year\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xEJi3ewHV1g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-width=\"800\" data-height=\"450\" style=\"display: block; margin: 0px; width: 800px; height: 450px;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In addition to the conditions at the launch site, mission managers have to consider what the weather is like at sea, in case an emergency comes up and the astronauts have to abort the flight. That part of the forecast is also iffy, McAleenan said. He said the backup days for launch, May 30 and 31, had a \u201cbetter probability of launching, and lower risk numbers across the Atlantic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The countdown clock officially begins running on Tuesday morning \u2014 but the two astronauts who are due to ride the Dragon, Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, will have a relatively light day, consisting of technical briefings mixed with rest and relaxation.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday, they\u2019ll get a wakeup call at 9 a.m. ET, have breakfast and then receive a weather briefing at about 12:20 p.m. ET. After the briefing, they\u2019ll put on their custom-fitted SpaceX spacesuits, walk out from the Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at about 1:15 p.m., climb into the Dragon capsule at 2 p.m., and close the hatch at 2:38 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>Lueders said launch-pad workers have been \u201cnose-swabbed and tested\u201d to check for COVID-19, and they\u2019ll be outfitted in a way that\u2019s meant to protect Hurley and Behnken from infection. \u201cThey look like ninjas there \u2014 because, you know, with the SpaceX folks, you\u2019ve got to have it be looking cool,\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n<p>Hans Koenigsmann, SpaceX\u2019s vice president for build and flight reliability, said the launch team will be closely monitoring the weather forecast for the launch site as well as the ocean recovery zones as the clock ticks down. A crucial decision point will come at T-minus-45 minutes, when the go-ahead is due to be given for arming the Dragon\u2019s launch escape system and fueling up the Falcon 9 rocket with highly refined kerosene and liquid oxygen.<\/p>\n<p>If all goes as planned, the Falcon 9 will light up its engines at 4:33 p.m. ET (1:33 p.m. PT), kicking off what\u2019s expected to be a 19-hour flight to the space station. Along the way, the astronauts will get a couple of chances to steer the Dragon manually using touchscreen panels. But for most of the flight, including the station docking, the Dragon will be under autonomous control.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1265049534415151105&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2020%2Fnasa-signs-off-historic-spacex-crewed-launch-leaving-weather-final-uncertainty%2F&amp;sessionId=4eb9cf35dabf5796b6f723d304bf80e6e8227b8e&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i178279929799662367=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Clip\u2019n\u2019save: timeline of events leading up to launch, since it\u2019s a topic of interest at the briefing. pic.twitter.com\/DDN3V8Jfaf<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) May 25, 2020<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Assuming that the weather cooperates, the next big uncertainty has to do with how long SpaceX\u2019s first spacefliers will stay at the station.<\/p>\n<p>The primary purpose of the mission is to demonstrate the Dragon\u2019s performance for future crewed flights. But right now there are only three other crew members at the space station, which typically has a crew of six. Hurley and Behnken may be called upon to put in a tour of duty that\u2019s longer than originally scheduled \u2014 and help out with tasks including a couple of spacewalks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat schedule is a little bit in flux,\u201d Koenigsmann acknowledged. \u201cObviously NASA will tell us when they\u2019re ready to go, anywhere between \u2026 six weeks and 16 weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The flight back will bring the astronauts down to an Atlantic Ocean splashdown and recovery. In an interview with Aviation Week &amp; Space Technology, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the return was the part of the mission that he was most worried about \u2014 due to the asymmetry of the Dragon\u2019s back shell.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve looked at this six ways to Sunday, so it\u2019s not that I think this will fail,\u201d Aviation Week\u2019s Irene Klotz quoted Musk as saying. \u201cIt\u2019s just that I worry a bit that it is asymmetric on the backshell, and you could have a strange sort of roll coupling as you come in if you turn too much. I think this is low risk, but that\u2019s what I would put as my biggest concern.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When Koenigsmann was asked about Musk\u2019s comments, he said he didn\u2019t have any special concerns in advance of the launch. \u201cI\u2019m at the point right now where I\u2019m actually worried about the weather, and that\u2019s a good sign,\u201d Koenigsmann said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sun rises with SpaceX\u2019s Crew Dragon capsule sitting atop a Falcon 9 rocket at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (SpaceX Photo \/ Ben Cooper) Mission managers have cleared the final paperwork for SpaceX\u2019s first-ever crewed launch, aimed at sending two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. [&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":[291,235,479,4434,717,190,316],"class_list":["post-17707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-commercial-space","tag-crew-dragon","tag-falcon-9","tag-falcon-launch","tag-international-space-station","tag-nasa","tag-spacex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17707"}],"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=17707"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17707\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}