Fri, Nov 12, 2021
Endurance Journeys to ISS
NASA's Crew-3 successfully launched, heading to rendezvous with the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Spacecraft Endurance. The docking maneuver is expected to occur on November 11, just after 19:00 EST (UTC-5).
“What a beautiful evening for a launch. It was another great experience seeing those four guys take off into space on top of that Falcon 9 on that Dragon,” said NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana. “It is a huge challenge to safely get humans to and from low-Earth orbit, and the partnerships that we have with our international partners and our commercial crew partners has enabled this space economy that we have right now. What a great time to be part of America’s space program.”
The successful launch was another victory for the commercial crew program, integrating NASA oversight, command and control, and externally developed and supported spaceware. Endurance's flight is a milestone for the Crew Dragon type, being the first time a nosecone has returned to space. Future reuse is an important aspect of the system, vital to reign in costs in the expensive prospect of frequent space travel.
The Crew is scheduled for a long-duration stay aboard the station, to return to Earth some time in 2022. The astronauts will join the Expedition 66 crew already aboard the station while they complete a series of tests, experiments, and maintenance aboard. One physiology experiment will gauge the impacts of a changed spaceflight diet on astronaut health, another, the evaluation of new LED beacons for the Astrobee free-flying robots, and a varied human research program that will collect a range of measurements related to astronaut health. The crew is the first flight for 3 of the 4 astronauts, being Raja Chari, Kayla Barron, and Matthias Maurer's premier in space. The experienced Tom Marshburn had flown aboard STS-127 and Expeditions 34 and 35. NASA will stream the docking sequence and preparation of Endurance, with a welcoming ceremony to be held once the hatch opens at 20:45 EST (UTC-5).
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