In just over an hour, NASA and SpaceX hope to launch the first Crew Dragon capsule to the ISS. This capsule doesn’t have any humans on board (though it does have a highly-instrumented test dummy nicknamed “Ripley), but it’s still a huge step in restoring something America really hasn’t had for the past eight years—a manned spaceflight program.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit the NASA press room for a previous launch, but the level of excitement this evening is off the charts compared to the launch of a satellite or probe. There may not be any people on board, but in a way NASA’s future is riding on this flight. The US has made a huge bet on the Commercial Crew program and the spacecraft designed by Boeing and SpaceX as a way to break free from Russian’s current stranglehold on delivering humans to the International Space Station.
The first four astronauts slated to fly on the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule are here. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is here. And seemingly every news crew in this half of North America is here, with a thousand cameras turned toward Pad 39-A, which is just across the water from NASA’s press center. I’m going to be outside in … T minus 1 hour, eight minutes, when the flight is expected to launch, and I hope to bring you some images and more information from the ground. But I’d also encourage you to tune into the joint NASA / SpaceX coverage for the launch. This is a genuine big deal, a flight that could mean America is back to flying people on its own rockets before the end of the year … or set back the program in ways that no one wants to contemplate. Tension. Excitement. Lots of fingers crossed. More to come.
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 7:17:09 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Everything is still go at T — 34 and counting. Im out on the grass across the causeway from the pad. The last propellant load on the rocket is just about to take place. There’s a thunderstorm boiling off in the distant, but it’s apparently so far off that it’s not an issue. Beautiful sight across the water.
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 7:58:18 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Fantastic. My camera literally refused to take a picture because it was so bright — I didn’t think of that! Vibrations so intense that it knocked over my little iPhone tripod all the way up in the stands. Everything looking good. Could just see the stage 1 re-entry barn in the distance.
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 8:05:07 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Fan-#$%#-ingtastic. Amazing impact. Hard to get a sense of the power of these things until it’s battering your ears and shaking the ground from 5km away.
From the viewing stands, we could clearly see the re-entry burn for stage 1, and just glimpse the landing burn on the horizon.
Moving back inside now … away from the mosquitos who have discovered an early season banquet.
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 8:12:03 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Forget all that neat imagery that NASA shows you. This is what it looks like at the moment of takeoff when you’re looking at a Falcon 9 launch. You might as well be staring at a sun that just suddenly appeared, furious and growling, right across the street.
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 8:47:35 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
The busy press center is clearing out, the satellite trucks are folding up, and all the vehicles are filing in from the causeway. Suddenly people who were perking along school kids are yawning and looking tired as they pack up their gear. I believe it’s time to call it a wrap.
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 9:21:57 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Elon mentions that he’s still worried about possible instability of the Dragon during re-entry due to it’s asymmetrical shield and boosters. Also concerned about the fact that the crew Dragon, unlike the Dragon cargo capsule, has to dock with ISS on it’s own, rather than being grabbed by the robot arm. So that’s a concern.
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 9:25:00 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
This has to be genuinely frustrating to NASA. Director on stage. Astronauts on stage. Every single question directed to Musk. I’m thinking about lining up at the mic just to ask something else. “What are you doing for breakfast, Bridenstine?”
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 9:45:22 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Elon clearly so sleepy that he’s about to pass out on stage. Bridenstine very excited that Musk said he wanted to see a moon base. Now overriding sleepy Elon to get his chance to talk.
And I continue to fiddle with my images. Here’s your before and after view.
Saturday, Mar 2, 2019 · 9:49:50 AM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
With the camera completely on Bridenstine — who is genuinely enthusiastic and making good points about NASA’s bipartisan support and the fantastic return on investment it provides — Elon has fallen into a stupor.
And we’re out. As in, NASA is now going to chase us all from KSC.