SpaceX’s first crewed launch: all the updates on the company’s historic mission for NASA – The Verge

What the future of the space station looks like after SpaceX’s historic launch

2020-06-02T15:32:16-04:00

With the success of SpaceX's Crew Dragon launch this weekend, NASA now has the capability to launch its own astronauts from the US once again - and that means changes are in store for the future of the International Space Station. Soon, a new suite of vehicles could be regularly flying people to the station from the Florida coast, along with the Russian Soyuz rocket that has been solely responsible for taking humans to the outpost since 2011.

This will be a new era of human spaceflight where private vehicles and state-operated vehicles fly along aside one another, getting humans into space, and to the ISS. Here's how traffic to the space st …

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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon successfully docks with the space station

2020-05-31T10:30:29-04:00

Crew Dragon Endeavour approaches the ISS. | Image: NASA / SpaceX

This morning, SpaceX's new Crew Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station, bringing the company's first crew to the orbiting outpost. Their arrival marks another major milestone for SpaceX's first crewed mission of the Crew Dragon, which successfully took off yesterday, May 30th, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Now, the Crew Dragon's passengers - NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley - are set to begin an extended stay on board the ISS that could last up to four months. They will join three crew mates already living on board the station: NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin …

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How to watch SpaceX’s first crew dock with the International Space Station

2020-05-31T05:00:00-04:00

On Saturday afternoon, SpaceX launched its first human crew to space for NASA on the company's new Crew Dragon spacecraft - but the mission isn't over yet. After spending nearly a full day in orbit, the two passengers on board SpaceX's vehicle, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, will attempt to dock with the International Space Station this morning.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon has an automatic docking system, which uses a series of sensors and cameras to help the vehicle approach the ISS and then grab on to an existing docking port. The Crew Dragon successfully tested out this technique last year when SpaceX launched a test version of th …

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Watch NASA astronauts fly SpaceX’s Crew Dragon using touchscreens

2020-05-30T18:29:07-04:00

Nearly two hours after NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley became the first astronauts launched to space on a privately-owned rocket, they also became the first to pilot a spaceship using only touchscreen controls.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon eschews the famous maze of manual controls and switches found on retired spacecraft like the Space Shuttle or the Apollo command modules. Instead, Crew Dragon pilots have just three large touchscreen panels in front of them and a few spare buttons below. So during the few times that they have to manually control the spacecraft, they do so using a video game-style interface on those screens.

Behnken a …

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A cute stuffed dinosaur hitched a ride on SpaceX’s historic launch

2020-05-30T15:44:23-04:00

Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley had some company on their historic flight to space today: a stuffed dinosaur tucked into one of the seats on SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

Behnken and Hurley each have a son, and both boys are dinosaur enthusiasts. Before the flight, the boys gathered all their dinosaur toys together, and Tremor, a sparkly apatosaurus was selected to accompany Behnken and Hurley to space. "That was a super cool thing for us to get a chance to do for both of our sons who I hope are super excited to see their toys floating around with us on board," Behnken said during an tour of the capsule in orbit. "I'm sure they would rather …

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The Air Force weather team that keeps canceling your rocket launches

2020-05-30T10:54:39-04:00

Bad weather at Cape Canaveral forced SpaceX to postpone its first launch attempt on Wednesday, May 27th. | Photo by Joel Kowsky / NASA

With less than 20 minutes to go before SpaceX's first crewed flight, weather conditions remained miserable, forcing meteorologists at the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron to deliver bad news to NASA and SpaceX.

"It definitely hurts, especially when we have those hard requirements that when something hits, there's nothing we can do about it," Capt. Jason Fontenot, the space lift weather operations flight commander at the 45th Weather Squadron, said during a press call. "And we just kind of have to pass on the information, saying, 'Even though we're not at the launch window yet, this is very unlikely that we will see this take off today.'"

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How to watch the SpaceX Crew Dragon mission

2020-05-30T10:01:37-04:00

On Saturday, May 30th, SpaceX's Crew Dragon is set to become the first private spacecraft to carry humans into orbit. The launch, scheduled for 3:22PM ET, will also mark the first time in nearly a decade that NASA astronauts have launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

For NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, this will be their second attempt at this historic launch. The first launch attempt, on Wednesday, May 27th, was scrubbed due to poor weather conditions less than 17 minutes before launch. They'll get another chance today. If today's launch is delayed for any reason, the next launch attempt will be on Sunday, May 31st …

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SpaceX Crew Dragon launch live blog

2020-05-30T10:00:00-04:00

SpaceX is about to make history as it attempts to launch its first passengers to space for NASA. Veteran NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are set to launch on SpaceX's new capsule, the Crew Dragon, which will take the pair to the International Space Station.

It's a big moment for the company, as it'll mark the first time a private company has ever sent people into orbit. And with this launch taking place from Florida, it'll be the first time in nearly a decade that people have launched to orbit from American soil since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011.

NASA's coverage of the launch kicks off at 11AM ET, with takeoff …

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Here’s what to expect as SpaceX launches its first human crew to space

2020-05-29T09:00:00-04:00

On the afternoon of May 30th, SpaceX is slated to launch its very first passengers to space, potentially heralding a new era of human spaceflight for the United States. It'll be the first time in nearly a decade that people have launched to orbit from American soil, and it'll be the first time that a private vehicle takes them there.

This historic flight is really a test. It's the last big milestone for SpaceX as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The experimental initiative tasked private companies with creating new spacecraft for NASA that are capable of transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX's co …

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SpaceX delays first historic crewed launch to space due to weather

2020-05-27T16:28:09-04:00

Just 17 minutes before its planned launch, SpaceX postponed its first crewed flight to space on Wednesday afternoon due to bad weather over the launch site in Florida. The two passengers on board SpaceX's capsule - NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley - will try again on Saturday, May 30th.

"Not quite going to make it for this," one person said over the mission control audio leading up to the flight.

"Unfortunately, we're not going to launch today."

The biggest concern for SpaceX was electrified clouds in the area around Cape Canaveral, Florida, where the company's Falcon 9 rocket is meant to take off. Electrified clouds are particul …

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