Everything is set for the launch Crew-11 today (Thursday, 31 July) from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 12:09 Florida time (16:09 UTC) to the International Space Station (ISS). The weather outlook is currently 90 percent go and the weather in the recovery zone along the Atlantic Ocean is positive.
This past Saturday a little after 1pm the four Crew-11 crewmembers, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Oleg Platonov arrived in Florida on a NASA Gulfstream jet from Houston. Early Sunday morning the Falcon-9 rocket with Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour was rolled out to the launchpad and raised in its vertical launch position.
On Monday morning the crewmembers participated in a launch day dress rehearsal, simulating al the events that will take place on the actual launch day. After the conclusion of this test SpaceX prepared the Falcon-9 rocket for a static fire test, fuelling the rocket with propellant needed for the 10 second engine test.
But the engine test was aborted at T-57 seconds due to a faulty sensor as NASA issued in a statement: “Monday’s test auto-aborted at T-57 seconds due to an error with the transporter erector’s cradle arm position indication. The arm functioned correctly and teams are reviewing the data”
During Wednesday’s pre-launch media briefing from the Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX vice president Bill Gerstenmaier said that the sensor issue would have resulted in a launch scrub had it happened on the actual launch day. “It is good that we do these engine test,” Gerstenmaier added.
So, a day late and after the sensor replacement, the 9 Merlin engines of the Falcon-9 rocket came to life Tuesday afternoon performing a good test. After the test fire however an engine controller on the number 5 engine had to be replaced as it was giving bad readings.
On Wednesday NASA, SpaceX, Roscosmos and JAXA completed the Launch Readiness Review and mission managers polled that the were “GO” for launch on Thursday. Following the Launch Readiness Review a press conference was held at KSC.
NASA Manager of the Commercial Crew Program Steve Stich, stated that if the launch di take place today docking to the ISS will take place on Saturday (2 August) some 39 hours after launch.
Stich also hinted that Thursday was “the best time to launch” with weather for the back-up launch days will be less favourable.
Once the Crew-11 astronauts have arrived on the ISS there will be a three-day handover with the Crew-10 astronauts before the latter begin their return to Earth on 6 August. NASA astronaut Jonny Kim will continue to help the Crew-11 astronauts familiarise themselves with life aboard the Space Station.
During the six to eight month mission of Crew-11 (NASA and SpaceX are still reviewing data for a possible eight month mission, a decision will come soon said Steve Stich during Wednesday’s briefing) a new JAXA HTV-X cargo ship will dock to ISS and also the Cygnus NG-23 and SpaceX CRS-33 will visit.
The international Space Station approaches a major milestone anniversary in October when it will mark 25 years of continuous human presence in space.
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Photo of Dragon crew capsule on its SpaceX launcher by Jacques van Oene.