A new spacecraft has docked with the Space Station, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on its maiden voyage, a precursor to astronauts using the spacecraft.
The Demo 1 mission is the first of NASA’s Commercial Crew program. The SpaceX Crew Dragon can seat four astronauts and carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).
For this first demonstration mission there are no astronauts onboard. There is a dummy called Ripley, or to be more precise, an anthropomorphic test device that is wired up with sensors so that SpaceX and NASA can measure a variety of data during the launch and flight to the ISS.
Early this morning, and just over 24 hours after the launch, the spacecraft arrived at the ISS.David Saint-Jacques, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, and Russian cosmonaut and Expedition 58 commander Oleg Kononenko opened the hatch between the Crew Dragon and the ISS at 8:07 a.m. EST.
The docking of the spacecraft happened at 6:02 a.m. EST and was the first autonomous docking of a U.S. spacecraft to the ISS.
Onboard the spacecraft NASA sent more than 180 kg of crew supplies and equipment to the space station, including more than 1,000 food and drink packages for the crew.
According to SpaceX the “Crew Dragon will autonomously undock with the International Space Station on Friday, March 8 at approximately 2:30 a.m. EST. About five hours after Dragon departs the space station, it will conduct its deorbit burn, which lasts approximately 15 minutes. Dragon will reenter Earth’s atmosphere and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean about 35 to 40 minutes later, or at approximately 8:45 a.m. EST.”
This morning, I monitored the first time ever approach and automated docking of Crew #Dragon to the ISS. The dawn of a new era in human spaceflight! #daretoexplore pic.twitter.com/Vs4niNvv2T
— David Saint-Jacques (@Astro_DavidS) March 3, 2019
Up early? Here’s your opportunity to watch the remarkable 17,500 mph, in-orbit dance that brings together the @Space_Station and @SpaceX‘s #CrewDragon spacecraft. Tune in to see the final approach and docking: https://t.co/oJKHgK8eV7 pic.twitter.com/yIdJXxSNr3
— NASA (@NASA) March 3, 2019
Capture confirmed! After making 18 orbits of Earth since its launch, @SpaceX‘s #CrewDragon spacecraft successfully attached to the @Space_Station via “soft capture” at 5:51am ET while the station was traveling just north of New Zealand. Watch: https://t.co/oJKHgK8eV7 pic.twitter.com/xO1rU5cAMM
— NASA (@NASA) March 3, 2019
A new generation of space flight starts now with the arrival of @SpaceX‘s Crew Dragon to the @Space_Station. Congratulations to all for this historic achievement getting us closer to flying American Astronauts on American rockets. #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/QMOuE2ecwm
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) March 3, 2019