ReportWire

Smashing through uncertain weather, NASA and SpaceX launch Crew-11

Written by

ReportWire

in

[ad_1]

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — NASA and SpaceX successfully launched the four-member Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station on Friday morning, after weather forced the scrub of the mission a day earlier. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Crew-11 launched at 11:43 a.m. ET, Friday
  • The four-member Crew-11 mission will spend months on the International Space Station
  • They will be conducting experiments on stem cells and simulations to help with the Artemis moon missions
  • Rep. Haridopolos explains why the Crew-11 mission is an example of why the U.S. needs to be space dominant

Countdown to launch

NASA astronauts Cmdr. Zena Cardman and pilot Michael Fincke, along with mission specialists Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov climbed onboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule Endeavour for a second time, stated both NASA and SpaceX.

The instantaneous launch took place at 11:43 a.m. ET at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

The Falcon 9 thunderously rocketed at 17,500 mph (28,164 kph) as it left the planet like a bat out of heck.

First launch attempt

Weather was not a friend to NASA and SpaceX on Thursday. As the countdown clock reached 1 minute and 7 seconds, the U.S. space agency scrubbed the mission.

“An unfavorable weather forecast for the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Thursday afternoon has resulted in NASA and SpaceX postponing the launch of the Crew-11 crew to 11:43 a.m. EDT Friday, Aug. 1,” NASA stated minutes after the scrub was announced.

The 45th Weather Squadron had given a 90% chance of good liftoff conditions with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule, but rain clouds gave some forecasters a wary eye.

For Friday’s launch, the squadron gave a 75% chance of good takeoff conditions, but weather was a concern.

Because of the scrub, the next attempt will be Friday, Aug. 01, at 11:43 a.m. ET. The squadron has given an 85% chance of good liftoff conditions with the same concerns: Cumulus cloud rule.

Going back into the black

The Dragon spacecraft Endeavour is an old pro at this point, having flown five crewed missions.

The Endeavour is expected to autonomously dock with the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 3:43 p.m ET, Saturday, Aug. 02, 2025.

NASA stated that the Crew-11 and Crew-10 will spend some time together.

“After docking, Crew-11 will be welcomed aboard the station by the seven-member Expedition 73 crew, before conducting a short handover period on research and maintenance activities with the departing Crew-10 crew members. Then, NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will undock from the space station and return to Earth,” stated the U.S. space agency.

No date has been given for the undocking of Crew-10.

An expedition means the current crew in the International Space Station.

This will be the third time the first-stage Falcon 9 rocket booster B1094 will be going into space.

Once the first-stage separation was completed, the first-stage booster landed at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1.

That means people from far and wide may have heard the rocket’s sonic boom when it returned to Earth.

It also means this is the last time a Falcon 9 booster will land at the zone, but there is still Landing Zone 2. Sometime next year, the Falcon 9 booster will return to the launch pad for a landing.

Mission specialist Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA pilot Michael Fincke, NASA Cmrd. Zena Cardman and mission specialist Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui are members of the Crew-11 mission, where they will be on the International Space Station to conduct a series of experiments. (NASA)

Getting to know the crew

Cardman, who was born in Illinois, was selected by NASA in 2017 to be a member of the “Turtles” Astronaut Class.

She considers Williamsburg, Va., home and she earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and a Master’s of Science in Marine Sciences.

This will be her first time in space.

Fincke has been a NASA astronaut since 1996 and the Pennsylvania native is quite the veteran of space travel: Expedition 9 in 2004, Expedition 18 in 2009, and STS-134 in 2011.

In fact, he conducted nine spacewalks that totaled 48 hours and 37 minutes.

But this explorer has quite the education.

“He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on an Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. This was followed by a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 1990. He was awarded an Associate of Science degree in Earth Sciences (geology) from El Camino College in Torrance, California, in 1993 and a second Master of Science degree in Physical Sciences (planetary geology) from the University of Houston — Clear Lake in 2001,” shared NASA.

For Kimiya, going to the International Space Station is like going back home. He spent 142 days in 2015 as the flight engineer.

During that time, he conducted a series of experiments that include scientific and medical.  

For Platonov, this will be his first spaceflight since he was selected to be a cosmonaut in 2018.

Before that, he earned an engineer degree in aircraft operations and air traffic management.

Understanding the mission

This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which was created to work with American aerospace companies to build spacecraft and rockets to send technology and astronauts to space from American soil.

The Crew-11 mission is expected to be on the floating laboratory between six to eight months, it will help NASA’s Artemis moon missions by simulating lunar-landing scenarios that the Artemis III astronauts may experience near the South Pole of the moon.

“The simulations will be performed before, during, and after their mission using handheld controllers and multiple screens to identify how changes in gravity affect spatial awareness and astronauts’ ability to pilot spacecraft, like a lunar lander,” explained NASA.

Patrick O’Neill of the ISS National Laboratory told Spectrum News about some of the experiments that are going up. 

Some of the other experiments include studying plant cell division and how bacteria-killing viruses are impacted in microgravity.

In fact, Genes in Space-12 — made up of students in grades 7 through 12 — has experiments that will be onboard the Crew-11 that will look at “effects of microgravity on interactions between certain bacteria and bacteriophages, which are viruses that infect and kill bacteria.”

Other experiments include creating more stem cells in microgravity, stated NASA.

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos shared with Spectrum News why the Crew-11 mission is an example of the importance of the U.S. to dominate space and how Florida’s economy has benefited from the commercial space industry. 

He is also the U.S. Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee chairman.

Watch the launch live

[ad_2]

Anthony Leone

Source link

More posts