MISSION OVERVIEW
SpaceX is targeting Saturday, March 2 for launch of Crew Dragon’s first
demonstration mission from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s
Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This test flight without crew on board the
spacecraft is intended to demonstrate SpaceX’s capabilities to safely and
reliably fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station as part of
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
The instantaneous launch window opens at 2:49 a.m. EST, or 7:49 UTC, and a
backup instantaneous launch opportunity is available on Tuesday, March 5 at
1:38 a.m. EST, or 6:38 UTC. Following stage separation, SpaceX will attempt
to land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship,
which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Crew Dragon, designed from the beginning to be one of the safest human
space vehicles ever built, benefits from the flight heritage of the current iteration
of Dragon, which restored the United States’ capability to deliver and return
significant amounts of cargo to and from the International Space Station.
Dragon has completed 16 missions to and from the orbiting laboratory.
To support human spaceflight, Crew Dragon features an environmental control
and life support system, which provides a comfortable and safe environment for
crew members. The spacecraft is equipped with a highly reliable launch escape
system capable of carrying crew to safety at any point during ascent or in the
unlikely event of an anomaly on the pad. While the crew can take manual
control of the spacecraft if necessary, Crew Dragon missions will autonomously
dock and undock with the International Space Station. After undocking from the
space station and reentering Earth’s atmosphere, Crew Dragon will use an
enhanced parachute system to splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.
On this first test flight, Crew Dragon will transport roughly 400 pounds of crew
supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. In addition, the
spacecraft will be carrying mass simulators and an anthropomorphic test device
(ATD) that is fitted with sensors around the head, neck, and spine to gather
data ahead of SpaceX’s second demonstration mission with NASA astronauts
on board the spacecraft.
Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon will launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s
Kennedy Space Center, which has a long and storied history dating back to the
1960s. In 2014, SpaceX signed a 20-year lease for use of LC-39A. Since then,
SpaceX has made significant upgrades to modernize the pad’s structures and
ground systems, while also preserving its important heritage. Extensive
modifications have been made to LC-39A, including removal of the existing
rotating service structure and installation of a new access arm from which crew
will board the spacecraft.