UPCOMING LAUNCH: Crew Demo-2

Returning Human Spaceflight to the United States

SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, May 27 for Falcon 9’s launch of Crew Dragon’s second demonstration (Demo-2) mission from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This test flight with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board the Dragon spacecraft will return human spaceflight to the United States.

The instantaneous launch window opens at 4:33 p.m. EDT, or 20:33 UTC, with backup instantaneous launch opportunities available on Saturday, May 30 at 3:22 p.m. EDT, or 19:22 UTC, and on Sunday, May 31 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, or 19:00 UTC. Tune in here to watch the launch webcast. Coverage will begin about 4 hours before liftoff.

Demo-2 is the final major test for SpaceX’s human spaceflight system to be certified by NASA for operational crew missions to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX is returning human spaceflight to the United States with one of the safest, most advanced systems ever built, and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is a turning point for America’s future in space exploration that lays the groundwork for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Countdown

Min/Sec Event
- 45:00 SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load
- 42:00 Crew access arm retracts
- 37:00 Dragon’s launch escape system is armed
- 35:00 RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins
- 35:00 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins
- 16:00 2nd stage LOX loading begins
- 07:00 Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch
- 05:00 Dragon transitions to internal power
- 01:00 Command flight to being final prelaunch checks
- 01:00 Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins
- 00:45 SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch
- 00:03 Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start
- 00:00 Falcon 9 liftoff
VERTICAL LANDINGENTRY BURNAERODYNAMIC GUIDANCEOF COURSE I STILL LOVE YOU DRONE SHIPASCENTDRAGON SEPARATIONBOOSTBACK BURNGRID FINS DEPLOYFLIP MANEUVERLAUNCHDRAGON PROCEEDS TO ISS
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Launch, Landing and Dragon Deployment

All Times Are Approximate

Min/Sec Event
00:00:58 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:33 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:36 1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:44 2nd stage engine starts
00:07:15 1st stage entry burn
00:08:47 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
00:08:52 1st stage landing burn
00:09:22 1st stage landing
00:12:00 Dragon separates from 2nd stage
00:12:46 Dragon nosecone open sequence begins
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01. LIFTOFF
02. ORBIT ACTIVATION
03. PHASING BURNS
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04. APPROACH INITIATION
05. PROXIMITY OPERATION
06. DOCKING & PRESSURIZATION

DOCKING

Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control and life support systems, the maneuvering thrusters, and thermal control systems, among other things. Crew Dragon will perform a series of phasing maneuvers to position itself for rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.

The spacecraft is designed to do this autonomously. However, astronauts on board the spacecraft and the space station will be diligently monitoring approach and docking, and can take control of the spacecraft if necessary.

01 DEPARTURE BURN
01. DEPARTURE
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02. PHASING BURNS
03. TRUNK JETTISON
04. DEORBIT BURN
05. RE ENTRY
06. PARACHUTES DEPLOY
07. SPLASHDOWN

Return

Upon conclusion of the mission, Crew Dragon will autonomously undock with the two astronauts onboard the spacecraft and depart the Space Station. After jettisoning the trunk and conducting its deorbit burn, which lasts approximately 12 minutes, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere.

Upon splashdown just off Florida’s Atlantic Coast, Dragon and the astronauts will be quickly recovered by one of SpaceX’s recovery vessels and returned to Cape Canaveral.

02THRUSTERBURNTHRUSTERBURN030103040506FINAL COELLIPTIC
01. LIFTOFF

Falcon 9’s first stage lofts Dragon to orbit. Falcon 9’s first and second stage separate. Second stage accelerates Dragon to orbital velocity.

02. ORBIT ACTIVATION

Dragon separates from Falcon 9’s second stage and performs initial orbit activation and checkouts of propulsion, life support, and thermal control systems.

03. PHASING BURNS

Dragon performs delta-velocity orbit raising maneuvers to catch up with the International Space Station.

04. APPROACH INITIATION

Dragon establishes a communication link with the Space Station and performs its final orbit raising delta-velocity burn.

05. PROXIMITY OPERATION

Dragon establishes relative navigation to the Space Station and arrives along the docking axis, initiating an autonomous approach.

06. DOCKING & PRESSURIZATION

Dragon performs final approach and docks with the Space Station, followed by pressurization, hatch open, and crew ingress.

Docking

Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control will verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control and life support systems, the maneuvering thrusters, and thermal control systems, among other things. Crew Dragon will perform a series of phasing maneuvers to position itself for rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station.

The spacecraft is designed to do this autonomously but astronauts onboard the spacecraft and the Space Station will be diligently monitoring approach and docking and can take control of the spacecraft if necessary.

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01. DEPARTURE

Crew Dragon autonomously undocks from the Space Station and performs a departure burn to move away from the orbiting laboratory.

02. PHASING BURNS

Dragon performs a series of orbit-lowering maneuvers that line up its ground track with the desired landing location.

03. TRUNK JETTISON

Prior to Dragon’s deorbit burn, the flight computer jettison’s the trunk in order to reduce mass and save propellant.

04. DEORBIT BURN

Dragon conducts its deorbit burn, which lasts ~12 minutes.

05. RE ENTRY

Dragon experiences significant heating and drag as it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, which slows the velocity to the point of safe parachute deploy.

06. PARACHUTES DEPLOY

Dragon’s two drogue parachutes deploy at ~18,000 feet followed by four main parachutes that deploy at ~6,500 feet.

07. SPLASHDOWN

Under four main parachutes, Dragon safely touches down at a velocity of 25 feet per second and autonomously releases its parachutes.

Return

Upon conclusion of the mission, Crew Dragon will autonomously undock with the two astronauts onboard the spacecraft and depart the Space Station. After jettisoning the trunk and conducting its deorbit burn, which lasts approximately 12 minutes, Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere.

Upon splashdown just off Florida’s Atlantic Coast, Dragon and the astronauts will be quickly recovered by SpaceX’s Go Navigator recovery vessel and returned to Cape Canaveral.

PREVIOUS LAUNCH

DEMO-1 MISSION

In preparation for Demo-2, SpaceX has completed a number of major milestones for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. In March 2019, SpaceX completed Crew Dragon’s first demonstration mission to and from the International Space Station—an end-to-end test flight of Crew Dragon without NASA astronauts onboard—making Dragon the first American spacecraft to autonomously dock with the International Space Station and safely return to Earth.

PREVIOUS LAUNCH

Launch Escape Demonstration

In January, SpaceX successfully completed an in-flight test of Crew Dragon’s launch escape capabilities. This test, which did not have NASA astronauts onboard the spacecraft, demonstrated Crew Dragon’s ability to reliably carry crew to safety in the unlikely event of an emergency on ascent.

Dragon safely splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean and teams successfully recovered the spacecraft onto SpaceX’s recovery vessel.