3, 2, 1, BLASTOFF!

[NanuqoftheNorth]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX just launched its third astronaut mission in less than a year. 

A slightly sooty Falcon 9 rocket topped with a Crew Dragon capsule took to the skies above NASA's Kennedy Space Center here at 5:49 a.m. EDT (0949 GMT) today (April 23), lighting up the predawn sky as it lifted off from the historic Pad 39A. 

The launch kicked off SpaceX's Crew-2 mission, which will carry four astronauts — NASA's Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and Japanese spaceflyer Akihiko Hoshide — on a 24-hour flight to the International Space Station (ISS).

https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-2-astronaut-launch-rocket-landing-success?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SDC_Newsletter&utm_content=SDC_Newsletter+&utm_term=3434627&m_i=KLvKbavQ4dBTohVlMqKtKMkVzoXoTQv%2Bor6RtFml2ytssKdZjh9cyOMEENhHFSIbPeQGo1QoKzR_Eue2S33dRoP8DMdYOcjYvmXbzS1KKe

[NanuqoftheNorth]

 

Quote

 

Crew-2's launch was one for the history books. It marked several firsts, including the first time that people have flown on a used Crew Dragon and with a used Falcon 9 first stage, and the first time that two different international astronauts have ridden in the capsule.

NASA's first human spaceflight program, Mercury, launched a total of six people into space in the early years of the space age. With today's liftoff, SpaceX has now put 10 people into orbit in less than 12 months.

"Flying on reused vehicles, on flight-proven vehicles, is key towards greater flight reliability and lowering the cost of access to space, which is what ultimately helps us make life multiplanetary," SpaceX senior director Benji Reed said during a press briefing earlier this week.

 

 

Quote

 

SpaceX recovered its first Falcon 9 booster in December 2015. That first stage delivered a communications satellite into space for OrbComm before returning to Earth and touching down on terra firma at SpaceX's landing pad here in Florida. 

Currently, SpaceX has two drone ships in its fleet, named "Of Course I Still Love You" (OCISLY) and "Just Read the Instructions" (JRTI). (Landing on a drone ship at sea is less convenient than a terra firma touchdown but requires significantly less fuel.) 

Having two drone ships at its disposal has helped SpaceX with its reusability efforts. In 2020, the company launched a record 26 missions, and only five of those were on brand-new rockets. The rest were on previously flown Falcon 9 rockets, and most of those recoveries came on the deck of a drone ship.

 

https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-2-astronaut-launch-rocket-landing-success?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SDC_Newsletter&utm_content=SDC_Newsletter+&utm_term=3434627&m_i=KLvKbavQ4dBTohVlMqKtKMkVzoXoTQv%2Bor6RtFml2ytssKdZjh9cyOMEENhHFSIbPeQGo1QoKzR_Eue2S33dRoP8DMdYOcjYvmXbzS1KKe

Edited April 23, 2021 by NanuqoftheNorth

[NanuqoftheNorth]

6 minutes ago, Inimicus said:

For something that has gone so far under the radar (not like we dont have some pretty heavy poo to deal with these days) this is really significant.

The moneymaker...

 

[LinvilleGorge]

18 hours ago, NanuqoftheNorth said:

The moneymaker...

 

I'm already signed up for it and deposit paid. It's supposed to be available here mid-late this year.

It's a great thing for internet access to rural areas, but I am a bit concerned about the impact of thousands of low orbit satellites. Space junk is going to become an ever increasing problem.