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Forum:	Commercial Space - Military Space
Topic:	[Discuss] SpaceX Dragon Crew-8 mission

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Your Reply: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	[QUOTE]Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: [B]The launch date for Crew-8 is now no earlier than Friday, March 1 at 12:04 a.m. EST (0504 GMT).[/B][/QUOTE]
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<table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="600"><TR><td bgcolor="#000000"><TABLE BORDER=0 cellpadding=4 border=0 cellspacing=1 WIDTH="100%"><TR bgcolor="#660000"><TD COLSPAN=2><CENTER>T O P I C     R E V I E W</CENTER></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>Please use this topic to discuss SpaceX's Crew Dragon <A HREF="http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum35/HTML/001152.html">Crew-8 mission</a> to the International Space Station.</BLOCKQUOTE> </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>NASA update <BLOCKQUOTE>NASA and SpaceX's eighth rotational mission to the space station is planned for no earlier than February 2024. An integrated crew of four will travel to the space station aboard a SpaceX Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket. Hardware allocations for Dragon and Falcon are planned in the coming months. Once crew members are assigned, operations teams will increase crew training activities specific to the mission, including spacesuit production and testing.</BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>NASA update <BLOCKQUOTE>NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 22, for the launch of the agency’s Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station.SpaceX recently completed Dragon’s propulsion system checkouts at the company’s processing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Teams soon will stack Dragon on its trunk ahead of transporting the spacecraft to SpaceX’s hangar at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration with the rocket.Meanwhile, teams also are preparing the Falcon 9 booster that will be making its first flight on Crew-8. The booster recently completed stage testing and will undergo final assembly in the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A ahead of the Dragon and Falcon 9 mate.</BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>NASA update <BLOCKQUOTE>NASA and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than 12:49 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 28, for the launch of the agency's SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station. The launch of Crew-8 was adjusted to deconflict operations with Intuitive Machines’ IM-1, the company’s first lunar lander mission to the moon as part NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, currently targeted for Wednesday, Feb. 14. NASA and SpaceX will continue to assess Crew-8 readiness and may adjust the Crew-8 launch date following a successful IM-1 launch."The Commercial Crew Program has been following along with the IM-1 mission preparations, and we are wishing the Intuitive Machines and SpaceX teams all the best ahead of this extremely complex mission to the lunar surface," said Steve Stich, program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.</BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>The launch date for Crew-8 is now no earlier than Friday, March 1 at 12:04 a.m. EST (0504 GMT).</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>NASA video <BLOCKQUOTE>On Sunday (feb. 25), crewmates Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin arrived at Kennedy Space Center. The crew will spend the next few days completing final preparations before launch.</BLOCKQUOTE> <center><iframe width="400" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P8LjKKZki_M?si=kprZ4Suib9MXFbvY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen>

SkyMan1958

It appears that there are cracks in the Falcon 9 that will launch Crew 8.

I wonder how much of the relative nonchalance that this is taken with is a function of familiarity and true knowledge of the parameters of the vehicle, and how much of this is what occurred in the space shuttle flights over time, of acceptance of deviation from the norm, that eventually led to accidents.

SpaceAngel

Has anyone heard the chances of launching Crew-8, this Friday; i.e. with the weather?

Robert Pearlman

When issued, the official launch forecast will be posted to the 45th Weather Squadron website and/or released by NASA (and reposted to this thread).

In the meantime, from SpaceX:

Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete — targeting Friday, March 1 at 12:04 a.m. ET for launch of NASA's Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station from pad 39A in Florida.
Crew-8, SpaceX, and NASA completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities ahead of liftoff this week.

Robert Pearlman

According to Steve Stich, program manager for the Commercial Crew Program, the weather at Kennedy Space Center is looking "really good" for a March 1 launch, but they are watching the abort weather closely, which is less favorable.

They will review the weather again tonight.

Robert Pearlman

NASA and SpaceX are now targeting 11:16 p.m. EST Saturday, March 2 (0416 GMT March 3), for the Crew-8 launch.

The change was made due to unfavorable weather conditions forecast for Friday (March 1) in offshore areas along the flight track of the Dragon spacecraft. High wind and waves along the eastern seaboard have been observed and are forecast to continue through Saturday morning.

In the unlikely case of an abort during launch or the flight of Dragon, the wind and wave conditions must be within acceptable conditions for the safe recovery of the crew and spacecraft.

Robert Pearlman

From SpaceX:

All systems are looking good for launch of Crew-8 tonight (March 2), and teams continue to keep an eye on weather, which is 40% favorable for liftoff.

Robert Pearlman

Crew 8's Tesla crew transport license plate: "YAYSP8C".

Robert Pearlman

Scrub! SpaceX is standing down from tonight's launch attempt due to elevated winds.

The next launch opportunity is on Sunday (March 3) at 10:53 p.m. EST (0353 GMT March 4).

Robert Pearlman

NASA video

Watch live with us as a crew of four launch on NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff is targeted at 10:53 p.m. EST Sunday, March 3 (0353 UTC March 4).

Robert Pearlman

SpaceX is assessing a "small crack" in a hatch seal after the side hatch to the Dragon was closed. The concern is re-entry heating in that area.

SpaceX told the crew that initial analysis indicates the crack does not pose a safety threat, but the analysis is continuing.

Robert Pearlman

Go for launch...

We are confident that we understand the issue and we can still fly the whole mission safely. We're comfortable proceeding because the condition is bounded by existing analysis, as already mentioned.
Additionally, we expect the gap created by this crack in the seal to close as the material will swell with reentry heating. And finally it's on the lower heating side of the vehicle during reentry.
The engineering team here is comfortable proceeding.

Robert Pearlman

Good flight of the Falcon 9 first stage. It is now back on Earth at Landing Zone 1.

The Falcon 9's second stage is still propelling Endeavour into orbit.

Robert Pearlman

Nominal orbit insertion.

Dragon has separated from the Falcon 9 upper stage and is flying free, beginning its journey to the International Space Station.

Robert Pearlman

International Space Station configuration after Endeavour docked with Crew-8:

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