The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is pictured after backing away from the space station beginning its relocation maneuver. Credit: NASA TV
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, with Expedition 71 crew members NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, autonomously redocked with the Harmony module’s space-facing port at 9:46 a.m. EDT over the eastern Indian Ocean, northwest of Australia.
As the 28th spacecraft relocation in station history, the move makes room for the arrival at 12:48 a.m., Wednesday, May 8, of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test and the Starliner spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Crew Undocks in Dragon Spacecraft for Port Relocation
The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is pictured moments away from undocking from the Harmony module’s forward port on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TV
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, with Expedition 71 crew members NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, undocked from the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 8:57 a.m. EDT, to autonomously redock with the module’s space-facing port.
Redocking is planned at 9:38 a.m. NASA will continue coverage will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.
As the 28th spacecraft relocation in station history, the move makes room for the arrival of the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon carrying cargo to station as part of the company’s 31st commercial resupply services mission for NASA, targeted to launch in August.
The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, with the Crew-8 quartet aboard, is pictured approaching the International Space Station on March 5, 2024.
NASA’s live coverage continues as four crew members aboard the International Space Station take a short trip inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to relocate from one docking port to another.
Following an initial, unexpected slow decrease in cabin pressure, delaying undocking, SpaceX determined that the cabin pressure trend is understood and nominal. Undocking is now scheduled for 8:55 a.m. EDT with redocking planned at 9:38 a.m. Relocation activities will continue to air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.
Expedition 71 crew members NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, will undock from the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module, and autonomously redock with the module’s space-facing port.
As the 28th spacecraft relocation in station history, the move makes room for the arrival of the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon carrying cargo to station as part of the company’s 31st commercial resupply services mission for NASA, targeted to launch in August.
Dragon Spacecraft Relocating to New Port on NASA TV
The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, with the Crew-8 quartet aboard, is pictured approaching the International Space Station on March 5, 2024.
NASA’s live coverage is underway as four crew members aboard the International Space Station take a short trip inside their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to relocate from one docking port to another.
Relocation activities will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.
Expedition 71 crew members NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, will undock from the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module, and autonomously redock with the module’s space-facing port.
As the 28th spacecraft relocation in station history, the move makes room for the arrival of the uncrewed SpaceX Dragon carrying cargo to station as part of the company’s 31st commercial resupply services mission for NASA, targeted to launch in August.
‘We are Ready,’ NASA, Boeing Crew Counts Down to Historical Launch
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams participate in a virtual media engagement event from inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters in the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Photo credit: NASA
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams held a virtual question and answer session with media on May 1, from inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of their launch to the space station.
“We’ve been through training and we have our fingerprints on every single procedure that exists for this spacecraft,” said Wilmore. “We’re fully trained in all aspects of Starliner.”
Wilmore and Williams have quarantined inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building since they arrived at the Florida spaceport April 25.
The Operations and Checkout Building dates back to the Apollo program and was used for missions under the Space Shuttle Program. Located on the third floor, the crew quarters consists of 23 bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The area also includes the suitup room, where teams help astronauts into their spacesuits before they exit the building and enter a vehicle to take them to the launch pad.
Wilmore and Williams will be the first to fly aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, launching on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station. The astronauts will spend about a week at the orbiting laboratory before the crew capsule makes a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.
“We feel very safe and very comfortable when this spacecraft flies,” said Williams. “This is where we’re supposed to be.”
After successful completion of the mission, NASA will begin the final process of certifying Starliner and its systems for crewed rotation missions to the space station. The Starliner capsule, with a diameter of 15 feet (4.56m) and the capability to steer automatically or manually, will carry four astronauts, or a mix of crew and cargo, for NASA missions to low Earth orbit.
Launch is scheduled for 10:34 p.m. EDT Monday, May 6, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Watch a replay of the question and answer session here.
