Bob and Doug Land Home Safely! August 2, 2020
Visual Voyage Following Return of NASA’s First Commercial Crew
By Catherine Ragin Williams August 3, 2020
NASA Videos:
NASA’s SpaceX DM-2 Mission Highlights Aug 3, 2020, 59:51 minutes,
Expedition 63 Demo 2 In flight Crew News Conference – July 31, 2020,32:28 minutes,
Expedition 63 SpaceX DM 2 Farewell Ceremony – August 1, 2020, 11:23 minutes,
NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley Are Coming Home! 0:44 minute
Splashdown Recap: Bob & Doug Come Home, 1:29 minutes
Demo-2 Astronauts Behnken and Hurley Return to Houston at Ellington Field, 23:14 minutes
Welcome Home: NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken & Douglas Hurley Discuss Their Return To Earth, 59:49 minutes
NASA Astronauts Return Home in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Spacecraft 6:07:28 hours
SpaceX Demo-2: Crew Dragon Undocking, 5:47 minutes
SpaceX Demo-2: Crew Dragon Splashdown, 9:03 minutes
SpaceX Demo-2: Crew Dragon Hatch Opening, 10:05 minutes
Bob and Doug Land Home Safely! August 2, 2020
Bob and Doug splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday for the first time in a commercially built and operated American crew spacecraft, returning from the International Space Station to complete a test flight that marks a new era in human spaceflight.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon splashed down under parachutes in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida at 1:48 p.m. CT Sunday and was successfully recovered by SpaceX. After returning to shore, the astronauts immediately will fly back to Houston.
“Welcome home, Bob and Doug! Congratulations to the NASA and SpaceX teams for the incredible work to make this test flight possible,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “It’s a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together to do something once thought impossible. Partners are key to how we go farther than ever before and take the next steps on daring missions to the Moon and Mars.”
Behnken and Hurley’s return was the first splashdown for American astronauts since Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand, and Donald “Deke” Slayton landed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii on July 24, 1975, at the end of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight launched May 30 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After reaching orbit, Behnken and Hurley named their Crew Dragon spacecraft “Endeavour” as a tribute to the first space shuttle each astronaut had flown aboard.
Nearly 19 hours later, Crew Dragon docked to the forward port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module May 31.
“On behalf of all SpaceX employees, thank you to NASA for the opportunity to return human spaceflight to the United States by flying NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley,” said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. “Congratulations to the entire SpaceX and NASA team on such an extraordinary mission. We could not be more proud to see Bob and Doug safely back home—we all appreciate their dedication to this mission and helping us start the journey towards carrying people regularly to low Earth orbit and on to the Moon and Mars. And I really hope they enjoyed the ride!”
Behnken and Hurley participated in a number of scientific experiments, spacewalks and public engagement events during their 62 days aboard station. Overall, the astronaut duo spent 64 days in orbit, completed 1,024 orbits around Earth and traveled 27,147,284 statute miles.
The astronauts contributed more than 100 hours of time to supporting the orbiting laboratory’s investigations. Hurley conducted the Droplet Formation Study inside of the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG), which evaluates water droplet formation and water flow. Hurley also conducted the Capillary Structures investigation, which studies the use of different structures and containers to manage fluids and gases.
Hurley and Behnken worked on numerous sample switch outs for the Electrolysis Measurement (EM) experiment, which looks at bubbles created using electrolysis and has implications for numerous electrochemical reactions and devices. Both crew members also contributed images to the Crew Earth Observations (CEO) study. CEO images help record how our planet is changing over time, from human-caused changes – such as urban growth and reservoir construction – to natural dynamic events, including hurricanes, floods, and volcanic eruptions.
Behnken conducted four spacewalks while on board the space station with Expedition 63 Commander and NASA colleague Chris Cassidy. The duo upgraded two power channels on the far starboard side of the station’s truss with new lithium-ion batteries. They also routed power and Ethernet cables, removed H-fixtures that were used for ground processing of the solar arrays prior to their launch, installed a protective storage unit for robotic operations, and removed shields and coverings in preparation for the arrival later this year of the Nanoracks commercial airlock on a SpaceX cargo delivery mission.
Behnken now is tied for most spacewalks by an American astronaut with Michael Lopez-Alegria, Peggy Whitson, and Chris Cassidy, each of whom has completed 10 spacewalks. Behnken now has spent a total of 61 hours and 10 minutes spacewalking, which makes him the U.S. astronaut with the third most total time spacewalking, behind Lopez-Alegria and Andrew Feustel, and the fourth most overall.
The Demo-2 test flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which has worked with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil to the space station for the first time since 2011. This is SpaceX’s final test flight and is providing data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, splashdown, and recovery operations.
Crew Dragon Endeavour will return back to SpaceX’s Dragon Lair in Florida for inspection and processing. Teams will examine the spacecraft’s data and performance from throughout the test flight. The completion of Demo-2 and the review of the mission and spacecraft pave the way for NASA to certify SpaceX’s crew transportation system for regular flights carrying astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX is readying the hardware for the first rotational mission, called Crew-1, later this year. This mission would occur after NASA certification, which is expected to take about six weeks.
The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This could allow for additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration, including helping us prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Curator: JSC Custom Applications
Responsible NASA Official: Tim Hall
For more information please visit the following link:
https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/pages.ashx/1475/Bob%20and%20Doug%20Land%20Home%20Safely
Visual Voyage Following Return of NASA’s First Commercial Crew
By Catherine Ragin Williams August 3, 2020
Low-Earth orbit is a little bit lonelier now that three humans remain aboard the International Space Station following the return on Aug. 2 of NASA’s first commercial crew. While the Expedition 63 crew of Commander Chris Cassidy and Flight Engineers Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner will stay in space until October, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are safely back on Earth — and now even closer to home in Houston — following a two-month mission on station. Representing NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, they are the first crew to launch to space and splashdown on Earth inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle.
Their breakthrough demonstration mission sets the stage for two operational Crew Dragon missions: Crew-1, planned for later this year, and Crew-2, targeted for spring 2021. Both Commercial Crew missions will up the crew rosters to four people each and continue crucial microgravity research aboard the orbiting laboratory complex.
Enjoy images, below, from the last leg of this historic demonstration mission through the crew’s return to Ellington Field for a media event featuring NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, NASA Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer, and others.
Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls
For more information please visit the following link:
NASA’s SpaceX DM-2 Mission Highlights
Aug 3, 2020 NASA Video
The SpaceX Demo-2 test flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program was the first to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station and return them safely to Earth onboard a commercially built and operated spacecraft. The crew launched on Saturday, May 30 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and arrived at the orbiting laboratory on May 31. The SpaceX Crew Dragon “Endeavour” splashed down off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Sunday, Aug. 2 at 2:48 pm EDT following their undocking from the International Space Station Saturday, Aug. 1 at 7:35 pm EDT. During their 62 days aboard station, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley contributed more than 100 hours of time to supporting the orbiting laboratory’s investigations, participated in public engagement events, and supported four spacewalks with Behnken and Cassidy to install new batteries in the station’s power grid and upgrade other station hardware. These activities are a part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which has been working?with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil the International Space Station for the first time since 2011. This is SpaceX’s final test flight and is providing data about the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, splashdown and recovery operations.? The test flight also will help NASA certify SpaceX’s crew transportation system for regular flights carrying astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX is readying the hardware for the first rotational mission that will occur following NASA certification, which is expected to take about six weeks. The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This could allow for additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration, including helping us prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
Expedition 63 Demo 2 In flight Crew News Conference – July 31, 2020
Jul 31, 2020 NASA Video
SPACE STATION CREW PREVIEWS CREW DRAGON’S HOMECOMING IN NEWS CONFERENCE Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and Flight Engineers Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken of NASA discussed the progress of their mission and preparations for the homecoming of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft during a crew news conference from orbit July 31. Hurley and Behnken are scheduled to return to Earth Aug. 2 aboard the Crew Dragon vehicle to wrap up an historic nine-week mission which was the first crewed flight on a privately owned spacecraft, while Cassidy is in the midst of a six-and-a-half month mission on the orbital complex.
Expedition 63 SpaceX DM 2 Farewell Ceremony – August 1, 2020
Aug 1, 2020 NASA Video
SPACE STATION CREW SAYS FAREWELL TO THE CREW DRAGON DUO Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner said farewell to NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken Aug. 1 before they began their journey home aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. Hurley and Behnken, who arrived on the station May 31, are heading home for the first parachute-assisted splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years after their history-making mission as the first crew to launch on a commercial space vehicle from U.S. soil.
SpaceX Demo-2: Crew Dragon Undocking
Aug 1, 2020 SciNews
SpaceX Demo-2 Crew Dragon “Endeavour”, with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard, undocked from the International Space Station on Harmony module’s International Docking Adapter at 23:35 UTC (19:35 EDT). The splashdown is scheduled for 2 August at 18:42 UTC (14:42 EDT) off the coast Pensacola, and alternate site off the coast of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: NASA/SpaceX
SpaceX Demo-2: Crew Dragon Splashdown
Aug 2, 2020 SciNews
SpaceX Demo-2 Crew Dragon “Endeavour”, with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard, successfully performed the deorbit burn and splashdown off the coast Pensacola, Florida, on 2 August at 18:48 UTC (14:48 EDT). Credit: NASA/SpaceX #Demo2 #CrewDragon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tLh9oHaUq8
SpaceX Demo-2: Crew Dragon Hatch Opening
Aug 2, 2020 SciNews
SpaceX Demo-2 Crew Dragon “Endeavour”, with astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard, was recovered from the Gulf of Mexico off the coast Pensacola, Floridam by SpaceX’s Go Navigator recovery ship on 2 August 2020 and the Crew Dragon hatch was opened at 19:59 UTC. Credit: NASA/SpaceX #Demo2 #CrewDragon
NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley Are Coming Home!
Jul 31, 2020 NASA
On Aug. 1, NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will depart the International Space Station on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft after a more than 60-day stay. The mission, which is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, marks the first crewed test flight of the spacecraft. Continuous coverage of their departure begins Aug. 1 at 5:15 p.m. EDT and you can watch here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/13OkD0C_TWU
Splashdown Recap: Bob & Doug Come Home
Aug 2, 2020 NASA
NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley splashed down in the Dragon Endeavour capsule at 2:48 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 2, off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The Crew Dragon hatch was opened at 3:59 p.m., and Behnken and Hurley exited the spacecraft onto the Go Navigator for initial medical checks before returning to shore by helicopter. Once returned to shore, both crew members will immediately board a waiting NASA plane to fly back to Ellington field in Houston. Hurley and Behnken arrived to the International Space Station May 31 and spent 62 days supporting science and research aboard the orbiting laboratory as part of Expedition 63. Demo-2 is SpaceX’s final test flight and is providing data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, splashdown, and recovery operations. The data will inform NASA’s certification of the SpaceX crew transportation system for regular flights carrying astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX is readying the hardware for the first rotational mission that will occur following NASA certification, which is expected to take about six weeks. Download link: https://images.nasa.gov/details-Splas…
Demo-2 Astronauts Behnken and Hurley Return to Houston at Ellington Field
Aug 3, 2020 NASA Video
NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley return to Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston after splashing down inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft on Sunday, Aug. 2. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Johnson Director Mark Geyer and invited guests provide a warm, socially distanced welcome. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft splashed down at 2:48 p.m. EDT Aug. 2 in the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, Florida, following a 63-day mission. The astronauts in the Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Launch Pad 39A at 3:22 p.m. EDT on May 30 and arrived at the station’s Harmony port, docking at 10:16 a.m. EDT on May 31. This is SpaceX’s final test flight and is providing data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, splashdown, and recovery operations.
Welcome Home: NASA Astronauts Robert Behnken & Douglas Hurley Discuss Their Return To Earth
Aug 4, 2020 NASA
The #LaunchAmerica mission aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft that brought NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley back to Earth marked the first splashdown of an American crew spacecraft in 45 years. Tune in at 4:30 p.m. EDT to hear Bob and Doug talk about this milestone in human spaceflight.
NASA Astronauts Return Home in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Spacecraft
Streamed live on Aug 1, 2020 NASA
They’re coming home! ? On Aug. 1, NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will depart from the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft after their mission aboard our orbiting laboratory. Starting at 5:15 p.m. EDT, tune in for our live coverage to see the duo undock from the station and make their return back to planet Earth.
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