SpaceX’s first manned Dragon launch scrubbed due to weather
UPDATE: They were forced to scrub at T-16:54 because of weather. They will try again in three days on May 30th, at 3:22 pm (Eastern). I will post the live stream here on Behind the Black late Friday night.
Original post:
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I have embedded below SpaceX’s live stream of the first manned Dragon mission, set to launch at 4:33 pm (Eastern). The stream begins at about 12:15 pm (Eastern). Feel free to watch as the day unfolds. Sadly, it is being managed by NASA, not SpaceX, and thus is filled with a lot of the agency’s fake hype.
I have also set it to remain at the top of the page until after the launch, or if it is scrubbed.
On a side note, NASA is now aiming for an August 30 launch of SpaceX’s next manned Dragon mission, the first official operational flight.
Below the fold I am also posting images captured, with some commentary.
The image above was grabbed while the astronauts were being buckled into their seats. While the camera lens is very wide angle which makes things seem larger, that the two assistants can be inside entirely, with no problems, even standing at times, illustrates how roomy the capsule is. It is built to carry four astronauts, so there is plenty of spare space with only two astronauts on board.
This image shows the Falcon 9 with Dragon against a cloudy sky, just after they had completed sealing the hatch and confirming communications with the crew on board. The weather situation continues to improve, but it remains the biggest issue that might scrub the launch.
They have begun fueling the rocket, have armed the abort system, and retracted the crew access arm, SpaceX’s cool jetway for giving astronauts access to Dragon on top of the Falcon 9, as shown in the above two pictures.
The weather also continues to improve, though it remains the biggest obstacle to launch, which is now less than 40 minutes away.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
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UPDATE: They were forced to scrub at T-16:54 because of weather. They will try again in three days on May 30th, at 3:22 pm (Eastern). I will post the live stream here on Behind the Black late Friday night.
Original post:
—————————-
I have embedded below SpaceX’s live stream of the first manned Dragon mission, set to launch at 4:33 pm (Eastern). The stream begins at about 12:15 pm (Eastern). Feel free to watch as the day unfolds. Sadly, it is being managed by NASA, not SpaceX, and thus is filled with a lot of the agency’s fake hype.
I have also set it to remain at the top of the page until after the launch, or if it is scrubbed.
On a side note, NASA is now aiming for an August 30 launch of SpaceX’s next manned Dragon mission, the first official operational flight.
Below the fold I am also posting images captured, with some commentary.
The image above was grabbed while the astronauts were being buckled into their seats. While the camera lens is very wide angle which makes things seem larger, that the two assistants can be inside entirely, with no problems, even standing at times, illustrates how roomy the capsule is. It is built to carry four astronauts, so there is plenty of spare space with only two astronauts on board.
This image shows the Falcon 9 with Dragon against a cloudy sky, just after they had completed sealing the hatch and confirming communications with the crew on board. The weather situation continues to improve, but it remains the biggest issue that might scrub the launch.
They have begun fueling the rocket, have armed the abort system, and retracted the crew access arm, SpaceX’s cool jetway for giving astronauts access to Dragon on top of the Falcon 9, as shown in the above two pictures.
The weather also continues to improve, though it remains the biggest obstacle to launch, which is now less than 40 minutes away.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Hoping that the weather holds.
It was 50/50 for favorable weather earlier.
Down to 40% now.
Storm scheduled to hit almost the same time.
I remember when I went to watch STS-120 at KSC, I was told that it rains everyday at 2:45pm for 15 minutes, and it rained just like clockwork. I hope the weather cooperates as well.
Godspeed Dragon!
Jay
Right on time at 1430 local, Weather Channel reports thunderstorms in the vicinity of the Cape. Countdown and launch prep are continuing, Weather Channel is streaming the feed from SpaceX amongst their normal reporting, but is giving special attention to conditions at the Cape
I’m enjoying the prelaunch show. Less hype than just being informative. It’s not any different than the early Spacex launches.
Many are glued to the TV for this event.
This is huge. The social media numbers reflect this.
At the same time, civil unrest because of the lock down.
A Pandemic.
Unrest because of racial tension, this time in Minnesota.
A looming national election.
Shades of ’68.
“History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” (-Mark Twain?)
Even the gangway looks awesome and the clean lines of the capsule. Wow! I’ve always been a function before form kind of guy but even I’m impressed. Looks like private space is going to do it and with style! Keeping my fingers crossed.
NASA has two streams going on YouTube. One has 1.7m watching and the other has 864k.
1615 local – Latest update from Weather Channel is storms are building around Orlando and headed towards Cape, but launch should be before they get close enough to affect it. And, man, who came up with those black hoods with silver buttons for the ground crew !
Scrubbed for weather
SCRUBBED !!
Noticed a lot of hand movement by the astronauts. Do their computers interpret hand motions?
Col Beausabre,
Yes, I too noticed the ground crew’s outfits. Unfortunately it reminded me of a scene from the movie “Pulp Fiction”.
Bob L: No, the hand motions are I think mostly either because they have nothing else to do, or they are signaling to the camera that they have heard what’s going on.
I like seeing Doug Hurley sitting in the capsule with his reading spectacles on. Gives hope to us aging, middle-agers with similar site problems.
Oops, I meant “sight” problems, but I suppose some of us may have “site” problems as well. :-)
Regarding “form over function” arguments, remember the Apollo control panel with hundreds of switches? Think about the Apollo 12 launch and lightning strike. There was ONE person in mission control that remembered that there was a secondary electrical system and knew the switch setting, and there was ONE astronaut on board who remembered where the switch was from having set it ONCE in training.
Granted, that setting might not be on a touch screen display, either, but at least the hardware buttons in Crew Dragon are very few (a good place for emergency switches, which is what SpaceX designed it for), and it’s also a good opportunity for voice control. Ambient noise suppression would make voice control feasible, perhaps.
Back to form over function, the correct form is the one that gets the job done.
Diane,
I would think voice control through the headset would work better, as opposed to an open mic on the panel.
With the visors closed ambient noise would be greatly reduced.
I have to assume those touch panels are robust and that there are multiple data and power feeds to keep them alive (primary, alternate, contingency and emergency feeds), or some such scheme.
Is there anything that has a diagram of what the buttons on the arm rests are? Are they just emergency switches, or can they actuate other controls?
I was surprised to not see control sticks.
Sippin,
I haven’t seen any photos or diagrams of the interior or screens, so I have no idea what the control arrangements are. I know there’s a row of physical buttons below the screens, and these are things that have to be manual, but I don’t know much beyond that.
It would be interesting to see what the manual docking procedure is, since that is the backup to an automated docking failure. Again, no clue about controls.
All: It is my understanding that SpaceX originally wanted all controls to be on the touch screen. I strongly suspect the astronauts told them this was not a good idea, as accurately touching a screen during the vibration of launch was problematic. Thus I suspect they added the physical buttons below the screen for the most important actions the astronauts might have to make.
I agree the correct form is that which facilitates function. While the lack of tactile controls to me is almost shocking it is the twenty first century. I must assume SpaceX has conducted failure and recovery analyses done ergonomic studies as well as rigorous simulations with a crew on a shake stand. I leave it to them to decide what’s best. I’m just used to seeing the interiors of spacecraft designed in the 1960s and 70s and the difference is striking.
Though the resolution of the stream wasn’t great I could see what looked like two rows of buttons on at least the right hand rest. Now that my curiosity has been peaked I’ll try to find better interior shots and any design diagrams.
On their website spacex has an ISS docking simulator anyone can use. It looks identical to the screen shots from today. Manual docking requires alot of patience.
I found this picture on Space.com.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7yXWGTDQqomNPgMJjT3KzM.jpg
Seems to give a good view of the display and the switches.
Two questions for wise people – Watching the interior of the cabin while count-down and holds occurred, two questions popped in my mind; both showing that I am a child of Apollo:
1. Is the atmosphere in Crew Dragon pure oxygen for launch and flight?
2. Looking at the hatch at the astronauts feet, it seems poorly situated in the event the crew needs to get themselves out of the capsule. Did NASA make them demonstrate a capability to self-egress?
Both questions obviously motivated from being a teenager during Apollo – 1.
One snark: I’m sorry, but the clean room crew garb made me think of the Knights who say Nee.
I do not think its a 100% O2 atmosphere. They shouldn’t need it at all.
I do not believe they have a self egress option. I guess in a real emergency they just hit the button and get the dragon out. The thing does have more than enough power and range to get them safely away from anything.
And you have to think about the emergencies they might have and when.
All the way to the edge of space they can hit the button and use the escape option of the dragon capsule.
After making orbit they can abort and return at any time.
If they take a hole during orbit what could be done other than return.
After they start the second stage burn to boost up to the ISS they are in a dangerous stage. They might not be able to return fast enough and might be to far away from the station to hope it could save them.
Manual flight is by X Box controller.
Every pilot brings their own personal one to plug in.
Everyday astronaut got a few good shots of the interior as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cqJLUB2e2w
It is not a 100% oxygen atmosphere. Unfortunately we learned that the hard way with the deaths in Apollo 1. I am sure the mixture is the same as the ISS at 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen (these numbers are from the NASA website).