SpaceX's Crew-5 astronaut mission for NASA remains on target to launch next week, provided Mother Nature cooperates.
SpaceX and NASA held a flight readiness review (FRR) for Crew-5 today (Sept. 26) that lasted more than nine hours. No major technical issues were identified during the FRR, so the Crew-5 teams continue to work toward a launch from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 12:46 p.m. EDT (1646 GMT) on Oct. 3.
"I thought it was a very thorough review," Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said in a call with reporters this afternoon. "We're still on track for the launch on Oct. 3."
That plan, however, is contingent on Hurricane Ian having but a minor impact on KSC, which is on Florida's Atlantic coast.
Ian is currently churning its way north through the Caribbean, and its winds have already begun lashing the Florida Keys. Current models predict that the storm will hit Florida's Gulf Coast particularly hard over the next few days, but KSC could be in the line of fire as well. Indeed, NASA is rolling its huge Artemis 1 moon rocket off KSC's Pad 39B tonight as a protective measure, to get the valuable hardware safely inside the facility's Vehicle Assembly Building. (Artemis 1 had been scheduled to launch to the moon on Tuesday; it's too soon to speculate about its next target liftoff date.)
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule that will fly the Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) are safe; they haven't yet rolled out to Pad 39A. If the weather cooperates, the Crew-5 stack will likely roll out on Sept. 29, the same day that the mission's four crewmembers fly in to KSC, Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX, said during today's briefing.
Those four astronauts — NASA's Nicole Aunapu Mann and Josh Cassada, Japan's Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina — were supposed to arrive at KSC today, but the threat of Hurricane Ian is keeping them away for now. (Crew-5 will mark the first time a cosmonaut has flown to the ISS on a private American spacecraft.)
If the storm nixes an attempt on Oct. 3, backup opportunities will be available on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5, as well as Oct. 7 through Oct. 9, Stich said. (Oct. 6 is out of play because of orbital dynamics issues.) The Crew-5 astronauts will spend about five months aboard the orbiting lab before coming back home to Earth.
Though today's FRR went smoothly, the teams identified two minor issues to look into further, Stich said. One concerns bonds on a portion of the Dragon's perimeter, and the other is a potential non-standard weld in composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), which are part of the Falcon 9's propulsion system.
Both issues are expected to be closed out in the next day or two, Stich and Gerstenmaier said.
It's unclear if the weld concern even affects the Crew-5 Falcon 9, which will be flying for the first time. But it's possible, given that the issue popped up on other COPVs made using the same techniques and/or personnel, Gerstenmaier said.
"We've actually flown it in some other cases on some other rockets and it's performed well, but that doesn't mean it's good enough for crew," he said of the weld.
"We've tested it already once and it looks like it's satisfactory. We're going to review that data with NASA tomorrow. They'll take a look at it, double check our work, make sure it's okay," he added. "So I would say this is like a precaution that we're going forward with to just make sure that we're flying the best hardware we can."
The Crew-5 Falcon 9 first stage was damaged during transport from SpaceX's rocket factory near Los Angeles to its Texas testing facilities; the booster was apparently not lowered properly and hit an overpass. The repair work, which pushed the planned launch of Crew-5 back a bit, has been thoroughly vetted, Gerstenmaier said.
"I think it was fortuitous that the event occurred on the way to Texas," Gerstenmaier said. "That allowed us to do all this work in Texas before we did the [propellant] loading test and before we did the normal static fire. So this rocket went through its normal full-up testing, post all the repairs, to make sure that it is really ready to go."
Quelle: SC
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Crew-5 launch preparations continue amid hurricane threat
Updated 4:20 p.m. Eastern with new launch date.
WASHINGTON — NASA is, for now, moving ahead with plans for a launch of the next crew to the International Space Station early next week as it watches an approaching hurricane.
NASA held a flight readiness review Sept. 26 for the Crew-5 mission, at the time scheduled for launch Oct. 3. The Crew Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina to the station.
Officials acknowledged at a briefing after the review that the schedule is dependent on weather as Hurricane Ian heads towards the west coast of the Florida peninsula, with effects to be felt throughout the state, including the Kennedy Space Center. That forecast prompted the agency to announce Sept. 26 that it would roll back the Space Launch System from Launch Complex 39B to the Vehicle Assembly Building, a process completed by early Sept. 27.
“Our biggest discussion today was probably regarding weather and timing,” said Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator for space operations. “The team is still working towards the Oct. 3 launch timeframe, but we also know we’ve got to work through weather conditions here at KSC.”
NASA announced Sept. 27 it had delayed the launch one day, to Oct. 4, citing the hurricane. “Mission teams will continue to monitor the impacts of Ian on the Space Coast and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and could adjust the launch date again, as necessary,” the agency said in a statement.
The anticipated storm prompted NASA to delay the arrival of the crew, which was scheduled for Sept. 26. That alone would not push back the launch: Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager, said they crew would typically arrive about four days before launch for preparations.
If weather or other issues case a delay, Stich said there are additional launch opportunities Oct. 4 and 5, as well as Oct. 7 through 9. Joel Montalbano, NASA ISS program manager, said there were no issues with the station if the launch was further delayed.
As of the time of the briefing KSC was in a condition called HURCON IV, meaning that the center was expecting severe weather in the next 72 hours. That involves initial preparations for the storm, said Kelvin Manning, deputy director of the center, such as checking on equipment that would be used by a “rideout team” that would stay at KSC during the storm to monitor damage.
“We’re securing facilities, property and equipment,” he said, such as at construction sites at KSC. The center is also coordinating its plans with Space Launch Delta 45, which operates neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. KSC entered HURCON III, meaning high winds were expected in the next 48 hours, on the morning of Sept. 27.
At the briefing, NASA and SpaceX officials said they were finishing up reviews of two technical issues with the spacecraft and Falcon 9 launch vehicle. One involved reviews of a “nonstandard” weld repair on a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) on another vehicle. Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX, said the company wanted to make sure none of the COPVs on the Crew-5 are affected and, if so, they are acceptable to fly.
“This is just an abundance of caution on the SpaceX team, and kudos to them for identifying it,” Stich said.
Stich said a second issue is to check a flap on the perimeter of the spacecraft where it bonds to composite material. “We want to go make sure and check the margins,” he said.
The Crew-5 launch was previously scheduled for early September but delayed when the new Falcon 9 booster for the mission was damaged during transport from SpaceX’s Hawthorne, California, factory to its McGregor, Texas, test site. The booster hit a highway bridge that required replacing the interstage section at the top of the booster, as well as avionics and a grid fin.
Stich said the booster underwent additional tests at McGregor, including a pressure test of the liquid oxygen tank, as well as standard booster tests and a static fire. “We convinced ourselves we’ve got a good vehicle to go fly,” he said.
“This rocket went through its normal full-up testing, post all the repairs, to make sure that it is ready to go,” said Gerstenmaier. “This booster is perfectly ready to go fly.”
Quelle: SN
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Update: 2.10.2022
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Coverage Set for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 Events, Broadcast, Launch
NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station.
The launch is targeted for noon EDT, Wednesday, Oct. 5, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, is scheduled to dock to the space station at 4:57 p.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 6. Crew arrival, launch, the postlaunch news conference, and mission coverage through docking will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. NASA also will host an audio only prelaunch news teleconference. Follow all live events at:
The Crew-5 launch will carry two NASA astronauts Mission Commander Nicole Mann and Pilot Josh Cassada, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, who will serve as mission specialists to the space station for a science expedition mission.
This is the fifth crew rotation mission with astronauts using the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the orbiting laboratory as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
The deadline has passed for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch. More information about media accreditation is available by emailing: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
All media participation in the following news conferences will be remote except where specifically listed below.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Saturday, Oct. 1
12:30 p.m. (approximately) – Crew arrival media event at Kennedy on NASA Television
- Bob Cabana, associate administrator, NASA
- Janet Petro, director, NASA Kennedy
- Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station, JAXA
- NASA astronaut Nicole Mann
- NASA astronaut Josh Cassada
- JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata
- Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina
The event is limited to in-person media only. Follow Commercial Crew and Kennedy Space Center for the latest arrival updates.
Monday, Oct. 3
7:30 p.m. (approximately) – Prelaunch News Teleconference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants:
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
- Emily Nelson, chief flight director, Johnson
- Kirt Costello, chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
- Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
- Junichi Sakai, manager, International Space Station, JAXA
- Sergei Krikalev, executive director, Human Space Flight Programs, Roscosmos
- Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron
Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3 at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Wednesday, Oct. 5
8:30 a.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins. NASA Television will have continuous mission coverage to docking and coverage of hatch open and the welcome ceremony.
1:30 p.m. (approximately) – Postlaunch News Conference on NASA TV
- Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters
- Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy
- Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, Johnson
- Benji Reed, senior director, Human Spaceflight Programs, SpaceX
- Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president and director general, JAXA’s Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate
- Sergei Krikalev, executive director, Human Space Flight Programs, Roscosmos
Media may ask questions in-person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at: ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Thursday, Oct. 6
4:57 p.m. – Docking to the International Space Station
6:42 p.m. – Hatch Opening
8:15 p.m. – Welcome Ceremony
NASA TV Launch Coverage
Quelle: NASA
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Update: 3.10.2022
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SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts arrive at launch site for Oct. 5 liftoff
Hurricane Ian pushed their arrival back a few days.
From left to right: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, NASA’s Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, and cosmonaut Anna Kikina wave on Oct. 1, 2022, after arriving at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center ahead of SpaceX’s Crew-5 mission launch. (Image credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky)
The crewmembers of SpaceX's next astronaut mission for NASA have made it to the launch site.
That flight, called Crew-5, is scheduled to lift off from Pad 39A at Florida's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Oct. 5. Preparations can ramp up further now, because the mission's four astronauts — NASA's Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japan's Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina — are on site at KSC.
The quartet arrived Saturday (Oct. 1) at about 12:15 p.m. EDT (1615 GMT), flying in from Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. They were originally supposed to be at KSC already; NASA and SpaceX had been targeting an Oct. 3 launch for Crew-5, but Hurricane Ian forced a two-day delay.
The powerful storm also impelled NASA to roll its huge Artemis 1 moon rocket off Pad 39B and back to KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building for protection. The pre-Ian plan was to launch Artemis 1 on Sept. 27; it now appears that the highly anticipated moon mission will likely be grounded until at least November.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule that will fly Crew-5 didn't need to roll back; they just made the trip to Pad 39A from SpaceX's processing facility at KSC on Saturday(opens in new tab).
Crew-5 will send Mann, Cassada, Wakata and Kikina to the International Space Station for a roughly five-month stay. It's a historic mission for several reasons: Mann will become the first Native American woman to reach space, and Kikina will be the first cosmonaut to fly to the orbiting lab with SpaceX.
Ian slammed into Florida's southwest coast on Wednesday (Sept. 28) as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm then moved northeast, losing strength as it churned over land.
Ian hit KSC, which is on Florida's Atlantic coast, on Thursday (Sept. 29) as a considerably weaker tropical storm. The NASA center apparently made it through the maelstrom without suffering much damage, and KSC employees went back to work on Friday(opens in new tab) (Sept. 30).
Ian powered up again upon reaching the warm waters off Florida's eastern shore, however, and it hit the South Carolina coast as a Category 1 hurricane on Friday.
Quelle: SC
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Update: 5.10.2022
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Start von SpaceX-Crew-5-Dragon
Quelle: SpaceX