Posted on 05/02/2020 5:44:14 AM PDT by Libloather
ORLANDO, Fla., May 1 (UPI) -- The duration of SpaceX's first mission with astronauts on board -- planned to launch at May 27 from Florida -- has been extended from a few days to potentially weeks aboard the International Space Station, NASA said Friday.
The mission was lengthened to ensure that the crew -- astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley -- can help maintain and operate the space station, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement.
"Among the work that will await their arrival is upgrading the space station's power system with new batteries due to arrive in May," Bridenstine said. "Without the presence of Behnken and Hurley, we otherwise would likely defer such an operation until additional NASA crew members are available."
SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule is certified to stay in space for about 110 days, but Behnken and Hurley will stay as briefly as possible, NASA officials said. Engineers want the capsule back on Earth to conduct final certification checks and prepare it for another flight.
The launch would be the first from U.S. soil since the space shuttle era ended in 2011. It is to occur amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but the astronauts will be quarantined for two weeks beforehand. NASA has asked that people not travel to the Kennedy Space Center area to watch the 4:32 p.m. EDT liftoff.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
Interesting. Thanks for posting. Fascinating interview...Rogan & Musk
Shelter in Space.
Too bad Kai-Fu Lee (very straightforward, honest) wasn’t there also...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh0TXtB0NxU&feature=share
NASA has asked that people not travel to the Kennedy Space Center area to watch the 4:32 p.m. EDT liftoff.
...
They’ll go anyway. Has anyone caught the virus outdoors?
*ping*
Ever since the Crew Dragon test where the thing had a rapid unscheduled disassembly, the two future crew have not been seen smiling in public. Pretty close. Not like it was, eh?
That particular capsule made it to the ISS and back and the cause of the explosion was discovered and fixed. Both astronauts have flown on the Shuttle, which was more dangerous.
Again, as I said, they used to be all smiles, now they're not.
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