SpaceX docks at International Space Station after historic flight
SpaceX has delivered two astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA, following up a historic liftoff with an equally smooth docking in yet another first for Elon Musk’s company.
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A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying two NASA astronauts docked on Sunday (local time) with the International Space Station, the first time a crewed US spacecraft has performed the feat in nearly a decade.
It was also a first for the private sector, a triumphant moment for the company founded by Elon Musk in 2002.
NASA hopes to build on such partnerships to usher in a new era of space travel.
“Soft capture,” the moment when the spacecraft makes first contact and starts latching with the target vehicle, occurred at 10:16 am Eastern Time (1416 GMT), a little ahead of schedule.
At the time, the ISS was orbiting 262 miles (422 kilometers) over the border between Mongolia and northern China.
A few minutes later, “hard capture” was achieved when the two spacecraft were joined with an airtight seal.
On board are astronauts Bob Behnkhen and Doug Hurley, both veterans of the Space Shuttle program that was shuttered in 2011.
“We copy, docking is complete,” said Hurley, the spacecraft commander.
“It’s been a real honor to be a small part of this nine year endeavor since the last time a United States spaceship has docked with the International Space Station.”
Next, the vestibule between the Dragon and the ISS will be pressurized and the hatch will be opened.
Behnkhen and Hurley will then join fellow NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and two Russian cosmonauts on board the station.
The Crew Dragon capsule had spent the previous 19 hours chasing down the station at speeds of 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 kph), before carefully aligning its orbital plane and slowing down to a crawl for the delicate docking procedure.
SpaceX’s two-stage Falcon 9 rocket began its voyage Saturday, blasting off flawlessly in a cloud of bright orange flames and smoke from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.
“Let’s light this candle,” Hurley, told SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California, before liftoff at 3.22pm (5.22am AEST) from NASA’s storied Launch Pad 39A.
“I’m really quite overcome with emotion,” Musk said. “It’s been 18 years working towards this goal.
“This is hopefully the first step on a journey towards civilization on Mars,” the SpaceX founder said.
In a brief interview from space, Hurley said that in keeping with tradition, he and Behnken had named the Crew Dragon capsule “Endeavour” after the retired space shuttle on which they both flew.
The mission, dubbed “Demo-2,” ends a government monopoly on space flight and is the final test flight before NASA certifies SpaceX’s capsule for regular crewed missions.
The mission comes amid the coronavirus crisis and protests in multiple US cities over the death of a black man in Minneapolis while he was being arrested by a white police officer.
President Donald Trump flew to Florida to watch the launch and delivered remarks to NASA and SpaceX employees on what he called a “special day.” Trump first addressed the protests, saying he understood “the pain people are feeling” but that he would not tolerate “mob violence.”
Trump praised Musk and said the launch “makes clear the commercial space industry is the future.”
He also repeated his vow to send American astronauts back to the Moon in 2024 and eventually to Mars.
Behnken, 49, and Hurley, 53, are former military test pilots who joined NASA in 2000.
They blasted off from Launch Pad 39A, the same one used by Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11’s 1969 journey to the Moon.
SPACE X DRAGON LAUNCH MAKES HISTORY
“SpaceX Dragon, we are go for launch. Let’s light this candle.”
With these words from astronaut Doug Hurley, America launched its first manned space flight in almost a decade, at 3.22pm local time Saturday in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Hurley and Bob Behnken were propelled on a 19-hour ride aboard SpaceX’s newly designed Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.
The veteran astronauts listened to ACDC’s Back in Black on the way to the capsule.
US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence travelled to Cape Canaveral ahead of the launch.
The launch ushers in a new age of US space travel and the White House and NASA hope it will provide a patriotic boost to the shaken nation.
“Godspeed Bob and Doug,” said Mission Control as the sprawling Kennedy Space Center erupted into loud cheers.
The historic joint mission between NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX was the first time a commercial company has sent humans into space, and came days after its initial launch was cancelled at the last moment due to a hurricane warning.
On Wednesday, the countdown was halted less than 17 minutes before scheduled lift-off.
Flight operations managers declared the mission was 70 per cent likely at Saturday’s final weather check, giving the go ahead 45 minutes out and leading crews to begin loading the rocket with fuel.
Astronauts Hurley, 53, and Behnken, 49, were strapped into their Crew Dragon seats, after having made their way up an 80-metre tower to the access bridge that leads to the capsule atop the Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA televised a live-stream on the internet to an audience of 3 million.
The men appeared calm, sitting side-by-side in their white flight suits.
The astronauts were blasted off from the same launch pad used in 2011 by NASA’s final space shuttle flight, which was piloted by Hurley.
The pair was chosen to pilot the first-ever commercial launch into space, with Elon Musk’s SpaceX having won the race to partner with NASA.
Mr Musk had earlier said meeting the astronauts’ families ahead of the postponed launch had brought home the responsibility of the mission.
He said he told their children: “We’ve done everything we can to make sure your dads come back OK”.
The launch came as America wrestled with the dual crises of nationwide race riots and the coronavirus pandemic.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine described the mission as momentous.
“Maybe there’s an opportunity here for America to maybe pause and look up and see a bright, shining moment of hope at what the future looks like, that the United States of America can do extraordinary things even in difficult times,” Mr Bridenstine said before the launch.
America stopped manned flights in 2011, and since then US astronauts travelling to the ISS have needed to hitch a high-priced ride with Russia.
Each seat on the Soyuz program has cost more than AUD$100 million and Mr Bridenstine said the Demo-2 mission was necessary to keep US personnel aboard the ISS.
Mr Bridenstine said Mr Musk had “absolutely delivered” on what he had promised NASA.
“What Elon Musk has done for the American space program is he has brought vision and inspiration that we hadn’t had,” since 2011, he said.
NASA’s white uniforms were replaced by SpaceX with angular white versions with black trim. The crew on the Dragon capsule used three large touchscreen, compared to the thousands of dials and switches on traditional capsules.
Mr Trump pledged early in his term to reinvigorate America’s space exploration program, vowing a manned trip to Mars and announcing a sixth Space Force arm of the military.
Former air force pilots Behnken, 49, and Hurley, 53, have described themselves as best friends, and both are married to astronauts.
It was a high-stakes mission for erratic businessman Elon Musk, who has drawn criticism with recent outbursts about Tesla’s stock price and his views that COVID was being blown out of proportion and lockdowns were “fascist”.
The Demo-2 mission is the first time in history a commercial company has taken astronauts into Earth’s orbit.
Mr Trump is also eager to reopen America’s economy and put the pandemic behind him ahead of November’s presidential election.
Take-off was to be from NASA’s Pad 39A, which has been the initiation point of missions since the first moon landing in 1969.
NASA urged crowds not to gather in groups at Cape Canaveral to watch the launch, but many defied the request and came together to take part in the traditional viewing.
Local tourism boss Peter Cranis said Friday he expected Florida’s beaches to be packed.
“Since the next attempts for this historic launch fall on the weekend, we’re still anticipating a few hundred thousand visitors along our beaches and parks,” he said.
Originally published as SpaceX docks at International Space Station after historic flight