Archivo de la etiqueta: iss

Crew-12: Falcon 9 First Stage Returns

The first stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has completed its descent and landed inside the Space Launch Complex 40 perimeter at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

As previously mentioned, this marks the first time SpaceX has launched and landed a booster from the same launch complex in Florida. On Jan. 30, SpaceX announced Landing Zone 40 will serve as the primary landing site for Falcon 9 boosters performing return-to-launch site maneuvers going forward.

Next, the Dragon spacecraft will separate from the rocket’s second stage to continue its journey to the International Space Station.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

Crew-12: Max Q, Main Engine Cutoff, Stage Separation

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket reached Max-Q, the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket. Following this, first stage main engine cutoff occurred, and the rocket’s first and second stages have separated.

The rocket’s first-stage booster is scheduled to return to Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida — marking the first time SpaceX has launched and landed a booster from the same launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Next, the Falcon 9’s second-stage engine will ignite to carry Crew-9 and the Dragon spacecraft closer to the International Space Station.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 Launches

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission lifted off at 5:15 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, are experiencing 2 g as SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket go through a rapid series of events.

The spacecraft will take about 34 hours to autonomously dock with the space station’s Harmony module at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, while traveling 17,000 mph in Earth orbit.  

Up next, the nine Merlin engines on Falcon 9’s first stage will burn through one million pounds of propellant during the next three minutes. 

Live coverage of the Crew-12 broadcast is airing on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Learn how to watch  NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

Updates on today’s milestones will be posted on the mission blog, @NASAKennedy on X, or NASA Kennedy on Facebook.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

Crew 12: Fueling Underway for Rocket

Fueling of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has begun. Loading of rocket grade kerosene liquid oxygen into the rocket’s first stage is underway, and second-stage fueling will begin in a few minutes.

Once fueling is complete, the Dragon spacecraft will switch to internal power, the command flight computer will begin final prelaunch checks, propellant tanks will be pressurized to flight levels, and SpaceX launch director will verify go/no-go for launch.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes

Crew 12: Access Arms Retracts

The crew access arm has retracted, and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launch escape system is armed. This system allows NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 crew members to escape safely in the unlikely event of an anomaly from liftoff until they reach orbit — a timespan of roughly 12 minutes.

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Elyna Niles-Carnes