♪ ♪
♪ WELCOME BACK FOR THE SECOND IN
OUR SERIES OF DEMO 2MISSION
BRIEFINGS TODAY. THIS ONE IS
GOING TO GET INTO THE SPECIFICS
ON THIS HISTORIC MISSION AND
DELVE INTO THE DETAILS AND HERE
TO DO THAT TODAY IS THE
COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM DEPUTY
MANAGER STEVE STITCH, NASA
2DEMONSTRATION, THE SOVILLE AND
SPACE-X DIRECTOR OF CREW MISSION
MANAGEMENT BENNY GEED.
LAST TIME WE WILL START WITH
OPENING REMARKS FROM EACH OF
THEM BUT ALSO WOULD LIKE TO
REMIND EVERYBODY JUST LIKE LAST
TIME WE WILL BE TAKING QUESTIONS
VIA PHONE AND SOCIAL MEDIA,
REPORTERS ON THE PHONE SHOULD GO
AHEAD AND PRESS STAR 1TO GET
INTO THE QUEUE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN PRESS STAR 2IF YOUR
QUESTION IS ANSWERED AND WANT TO
WITHDRAW IT AND AUDIENCE MEMBERS
AT HOME CAN USE SOCIAL MEDIA
HASHTAG ASK NASA.
SO WE ARE GOING TO START WITH
THE OPENING REMARKS, LET'S GO TO
STEVE TO START FIRST.
>> HEY, THANKS, BRANDY AND GOOD
MORNING.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE
EVERYBODY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SUPER EXCITING DAY TO BE HERE AS
WE ARE ABOUT 26 DAYS AWAY FROM
OUR FIRST CREWED LAUNCH IN THE
COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM, FIRST
LAUNCH FROM THE U.S. IN NINE
YEARS AND JUST AN EXCITING DAY
FOR AS WE GET READY FOR THE
FLIGHT. FROM A BIG PICTURE
PERSPECTIVE THE FLIGHT IS AN
IMPORTANT TEST FLIGHT OF THE
CREW DRAGON VEHICLE AND WE HAVE
GOT LOTS OF MISSION OBJECTIVES
PLANNED.
I KNOW ZEB WILL GO THROUGH SOME
OF THOSE.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS ON THE
FLIGHT THAT WE WILL TEST OUT IS
THE RENDEZVOUS SYSTEM WHICH WE
DID ON DEMO ONE, FOR THIS FLIGHT
THE CREW IS ACTUALLY GOING TO
TAKE OVER AND DO A LITTLE BIT OF
MANUAL FLYING ON -- AS WE
TRANSITION UP TO THE V BAR AND
TAKE SOME CONTROL AND MAKE SURE
THE SPACECRAFT CAN RESPOND TO
THEIR COMMANDS AND WHEN WE GET
UP ABOUT 150METERS FROM THE
SPACE STATION DOUG HURLEY AND
BOB WILL TAKE OVER AND DO A
LITTLE BIT OF MANUAL FLYING.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO BE
TESTING A LOT OF SYSTEMS ON
DRAGON FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE HAVE A GREAT CHECK ON THE
SPACECRAFT ON DEMO ONE BUT THIS
TIME WE ARE GOING TO CHECK OUT
LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS, THE SPACE
SUITS, DISPLAY SYSTEM, AND MANY
OTHER SYSTEMS THAT BOB AND DOUG.
WILL NEED.
AND ALSO THE ABILITY FOR THE
CREW TO LIVE AND WORK INSIDE
DRAGON ON THE WAY TO SPACE
STATUE AND ALSO ON THE WAY BACK.
STICH, LAUNCHED AT 4:32, BACKUP
DATE IS A BUT THE DAYS LATER,
THAT'S WHAT WE CALL THE FLIGHT
DAY 2RENDEZVOUS WHICH MEANS IT
TAKES A LITTLE LESS THAN 24
HOURS TO GET TO THE SPACE
STATION, BACKUP OPPORTUNITY
WOULD BE ON MAY30, A FEW DAYS
LATER AND THAT'S ANOTHER FLIGHT
DATE 2OR 24-HOUR RENDEZVOUS
WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS
FLIGHT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD ON FOR
THIS FLIGHT IS THE MISSION
MANAGEMENT TEAM AND THE
CONSTRUCT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT
THAN WHAT WE HAD IN SPACE
SHUTTLE.
THE MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM IS
CALLED THE DRAGON MISSION
MANAGEMENT TEAM.
IT IS ACTUALLY LED BY SPACE-X,
NASA PARTICIPATES IN THAT
MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM, I AM
THE NASA REPRESENTATIVE FOR THAT
MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM
ACTIVITY.
WE HAVE BEEN PRACTICING OVER THE
LAST FEW MONTHS HAND IN HAND
WITH SPACEX THROUGH -- ON DOCK
STIMULATIONS, THROUGH RENDEZVOUS
SIMULATIONS.
IN FACT WE WILL HAVE A TEAM FROM
JSC HEAD DOWN TO THE LAUNCH
CONTROL CENTER ON MONDAY,
MAY4TH AND WE WILL DO OUR FINAL
PRACTICE FOR LAUNCH WITH THE
CREW, THE FLIGHT CONTROL TEAM AT
HAWTHORNE, THE SPACEX CONTROL
TEAM FOR THE FALCON AND THEN THE
NASA MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM AND
SPACEX MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM
OVERALL.
I WOULD SIGH THAT'S GOING REALLY
WELL AND HAVE A STRONG
PARTNERSHIP.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED STRONG
RELATIONSHIPS.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER
FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND
THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO
SEE AS YOU GET CLOSE TO
SPACEFLIGHT.
FINALLY I WANT TO SAY THERE IS A
REALLY EXCITING MISSION FOR ME
PERSONALLY, I HAVE BEEN WORKING
ON THIS PROGRAM FOR FOUR AND A
HALF YEARS AND I STAND HERE
TODAY REPRESENTING THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE WITHIN NASA AND THE
SPACEX ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM
OF THE ENTIRE TEAM.
THEY ARE WORKING LONG HOURS,
EVEN UNDER THE COVID-19
PRECAUTIONS AND VIRUS ALL ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, ALL ACROSS VARIOUS
NASA CENTERS ACROSS ALL THE
SPACEX SITES TO MAKE SURE THIS
MISSION HAPPENS SUCCESSFULLY AND
SAFELY AND IT IS JUST AN HONOR
TO BE A PART OF THIS TEAM AND I
WILL HAND IT OVER THE ZEB.
THANK YOU, STEVE.
SO AS STEVE SAID, THIS IS JUST
REALLY AN EXCITING DAY AND I AM
ENORMOUSLY PROUD TO BE HERE
TALKING ABOUT THE EXCITING
LAUNCH AND THE MISSION WE HAVE
COMING UP.
I THINK ABOUT WHAT THE WORLD IS
GOING THROUGH NOW AND ALL
MISSING OUR SPORTS, OUR, YOU
KNOW, BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL AND
SOCIAL GATHERINGS, THIS IS GOING
TO BE ON MAY27 LIKE GETTING THE
WORLD SERIES, THE STANLEY CUP,
THE SUPER BOWL ALL ROLLED INTO
ONE WHEN THE FALCON 9LIFTS OFF
THE COAST OF FLORIDA AND HEADS
TOWARDS THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION SO I CAN'T WAIT FOR
REALLY ALL AMERICA TO COME OUT
AND WATCH WHAT IS GOING ON IN
THE ONLINE COME AND JOIN US,
COME AND WATCH THE LAUNCH AND
WATCH THE RENDEZVOUS AND
MISSION.
THIS IS GOING TO BRING IT
ALTOGETHER AND GET EVERYONE TO
RALLY BEHIND WHAT WE PUT
TOGETHER FOR THIS SHOW.
SO A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THE
MISS.
AFTER THE LAUNCH HAPPENS THAT'S
GOING TO BE A REALLY DYNAMIC
EVENT WITH POWERFUL LAUNCH IN
THE F 9GOING UP INTO ORBIT AND
PUTS THE CREW IN A SAFE ORBIT AS
THEY BEGIN THE RENDEZVOUS TOWARD
ISS.
AS STEVE MENTIONED THAT IS ABOUT
A TWO-DAY RENDEZVOUS TO REACH
THE ISS.
SO WE WILL BE DOCKING ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
AROUND THE 28TH, DURING THAT
FREE FLIGHT PORTION THERE ARE
SEVERAL TESTS AND CHECKOUTS THAT
WE WILL BE DOING, INCLUDING SOME
MANUAL FLYING DEMONSTRATIONS,
THERE WILL BE VERIFYING LIFE
SUPPORT SYSTEMS ARE WORKING, THE
CREW HABITATION WITHIN THAT
CLOSED LOOP ENVIRONMENT AND BE
PLYING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AS THEY APPROACH INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION WE GET INTO A
CLOSE INTEGRATED OPERATIONS
SEQUENCE WHERE THE JOINT SPACE
STATION CONTROL TEAM AND THE
SPACEX CONTROL TEAMWORKS
TOGETHER TO SHOW AND COMPLETE
THE FINAL RENDEZVOUS.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A VIDEO THAT
SHOWS THAT SEQUENCE FOR THOSE
FINAL STEPS FOR THE RENDEZVOUS
AND HAPPY TO ROLL THAT NOW.
HERE YOU CAN SEE THE DRAGON
VEHICLE COMING UNDERNEATH THE
SPACE STATION. THIS IS ABOUT A
KILOMETER BELOW ISS AND DOES A
NUMBER OF MANEUVERS TO FLY
AROUND TO THE V BAR.
THIS IS THE VELOCITY VECTOR THAT
THE ISS IS TRAVELING IN AND THAT
WILL ALIGN IT UP ON THE DOCKING
ACCESS ALIGNED WITH THE DOCKING
PART PORT. THIS VIDEO IS
EXTREMELY SPED UP SO IT SHOWS
THINGS IN A MUCH HIGHER SPEED
BUT THE GRAPHIC ITSELF IS TAKEN
FROM ONE OF THE TRAINING AND
STIMULATION RUNS THAT WE DID AS
A JOINT NASA AND SPACEX TEAM
PRACTICING THIS RONALD VIEW
EVENT.
AS DRAGON APPROACHES THE V BAR
HERE, IT WILL BE ABOUT 250,
220METERS AWAY FROM ISS.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE MULTIPLE
CAMERA VIEWS WHAT ONE CAMERA
WILL BE SEEING AS IT LOOKS
TOWARDS ISS OUT OF THE CENTER OF
THE DOCKING MECHANISM.
AT THIS POINT, THE CREW IS GOING
TO TAKE MANUAL CONTROL AND DO A
MANUAL FLIGHT TEST.
THIS WILL BE A CAPABILITY THAT
WE ARE DEMONSTRATING SHOULD
THERE EVER BE IN THE FUTURE A
FAILURE OF THE DOCKING
MECHANISMS OF THE RENDEZVOUS
MECHANISMS WE ARE ABLE TO
MANUALLY PILOT IN THE DRAGON
SPACECRAFT TOWARDS THE ISS AND
COMPLETE THE DOCKING MANUALLY.
HERE THE CREW WILL BE
DEMONSTRATING A SERIES OF
TRANSLATIONS AND MANEUVERS IN
THE Y AND Z ACCESS AS THEY
REALLY GET SOME STICK TIME
FLYING THE VEHICLE MANUALLY
VERSUS THE COMPUTER AUTOMATED
CONTROL.
AS THAT TEST COMPLETES, THE CREW
WILL THEN PAUSE THE VEHICLE, PUT
IT INTO A HOLD STATE, THE FLIGHT
CONTROL TEAM WILL THEN BE ABLE
TO TRANSITION DRAGON BACK INTO
AN AUTOMATED APPROACH SEQUENCE
AND IT WILL BEGIN TO RESUME ITS
RENDEZVOUS TOWARDS ISS ONCE
AGAIN.
AS DRAGON APPROACHES ISS AT
ABOUT THE 20-METER POINT, THERE
IS A BUILT-IN HOLD WHERE WE DO
OUR FINAL GO, NO GO CHECKS TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE READY FOR THE
FINAL DOCKING .. YOU CAN SEE THE
DRAGON HOLDING AT ABOUT
20METERS.
AT THAT POINT, WE PROCEED FROM
THAT HOLD POINT FOR THE FINAL
DOCKING SEQUENCE AFTER THAT GO
NO GO VERIFICATION HAS BEEN
GIVEN.
.. AT THIS POINT THIS IS ALL
AGAIN UNDER AUTOMATED DOCKING
SEQUENCE.
THERE IS A SERIES OF NAVIGATION
CENTERS THAT CONTROL DRAGON TO
KEEP IT PERFECTLY ALIGNED WHERE
THE DOCKING MECHANISM.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE FINAL
CONTACT AND SOFT CAPTURE.
FROM THIS POINT, THE DOCKING
SEQUENCE CONTINUES WHERE WE
ACHIEVE HARD MATE AND HAVE A
SERIES OF HOOKS THAT DRIVE TO
COMPLETE THE FINAL STRUCTURAL
INTERFACE.
GO A SERIES OF LEAK CHECKS AND
REPRESSURIZATIONS OF THE JOINT
ATMOSPHERES AND GET THE CREW
HAPPILY ON TO ISS AS A JOINT
INTEGRATED ISS CREW TEAM.
THE MISSION AT THAT POINT WILL
CONTINUE FOR A DOCKED PERIOD OF
TIME.
THAT DURATION, WE ACTUALLY HAVE
BUILT IN SOME VARIABILITY TO
ALLOW US TO ACCOMMODATION
MISSION DURATIONS THAT BEST FIT
THE NEEDS OF THE COMMERCIAL
PROGRAM AND THE CREW PROGRAM TO
ENABLE THE BALANCE OF THE ISS
NEEDS AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT
AND READINESS FOR THE CREW
BEYOND THAT.
DURING THE DOCKED TIME FRAME
THERE WILL BE A SERIES OF TEST
OBJECTIVES WE WILL BE DOING ON
THE ISS. THIS IS REALLY TO
SHAKE DOWN AND DEMONSTRATE THAT
ALL OF THE PREPARATIONS AND THE
EMERGENCY CAPABILITIES WE HAVE
BUILT INTO THIS VEHICLE HAVE
MADE IT RELIABLE AS A LIFEBOAT
AND CONTINUE ON BOARD THE ISS IT
IS ALWAYS AS A BACKUP TO GET THE
CREW MEMBERS DOWN TO THE GROUND
IF NEEDED BUT ALSO AS A RELIABLE
PLACE TO COURIER UP AND DOWN ON
A REGULAR BASIS.
AT THE END OF THE DOCK SEQUENCE
WE WILL HAVE A SERIES OF EVENTS
TO DO TO PREPARE FOR THE UNDOCK
AND TRANSFERRING SOME HARDWARE
BACK ON TO THE DRAGON, WE ARE
MOVING STUFF OFF DRAGON AND PUT
IT BACK ON ISS AND BEGIN THE
UNDOCK PREPARATIONS AND THIS
WILL AGAIN BE AN AUTOMATED
UNDOCK AND THE CREW WILL DEPART
STATION AND HAVE ABOUT A TWO-DAY
PREFLIGHT SEQUENCE BEFORE
SPLASHING DOWN SAFELY OFF THE
COAST OF FLORIDA.
AT THAT POINT THE RECOVERY
OPERATIONS LED BY SPACEX WILL
BEGIN.
WE WILL GET THEM ON THE RECOVERY
BOATS AND BRING THEM BACK SAFELY
TO THE FLORIDA COTE COAST AND
BACK OFF TO NASA.
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT FROM
AN OVERALL MISSION PERSPECTIVE
THIS IS REALLY GOING TO BE AN
EXCITING DAY AND LOOKING FORWARD
TO A VERY SUCCESSFUL MISSION.
THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS
EFFORT WITH THE TEAMWORK BETWEEN
SPACEX AND NASA, IT IS REALLY A
JOINT INTEGRITY GRADE TEAM TO
BRING US TO THIS POINT AND WITH
THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAND IT
BACK OVER TO BENJI.
>> HI.
THERE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HAVING ME ON TODAY.
AS STEVE MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU
KNOW, WE ARE REALLY HERE
REPRESENTING THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HERE
AT SPACEX, THOUSANDS OF OUR
PARTNERS AT NASA, AND ALL OF OUR
SUPPLIES AND VEND, VENDORS AND
OF COURSE THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
AND THE PUBLIC AROUND THE WORLD.
EVERYBODY IS SUPER EXCITED ABOUT
THIS.
WE ARE HONORED TO BE A PART OF
THIS -- THIS HISTORIC EVENT AND
ALSO IT IS A SACRED HONOR TO
MAKE SURE WE ARE GOING TO BRING
THE CREW, TAKE THE CREW UP TO
SPACE, BRING THEM TO THE SPACE
STATION SAFELY AND BRING THEM
BACK HOME TO THEIR FAMILY.
FUNDAMENTALLY THERE IS WHAT
SPACEX WAS FOUNDED FOR, OUR GOAL
IS TO TAKE PEOPLE TO SPACE TO
MAKE LIFE MULTIPLANETARY SO THIS
IS A HISTORIC EVENT FOR OUR
COMPANY AS WELL.
WE ARE CLOSER THAN EVER NOW AS
WE GET READY TO BRING HEWLETT
PACKARD SPACE PLIGHT CAPABILITY
BACK TO THE UNITED STATES FOR
THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2011, IS
TENS SPACE SHUTTLE WAS RETIRED.
AND AS WE HAVE HEARD EARLIER
TODAY TOO, THE CRITICALITY OF
THIS IS NOT JUST THAT CAPABILITY
BUT TO ACTUALLY HELP THE SPACE
STATION STAY FULLY OPERATIONAL.
AND TO HELP NOT ONLY OUR SPACE
PROGRAM BUT THE PROGRAM,
PROGRAMS OF MANY COUNTRIES
AROUND THE WORLD WHO ARE
INVOLVED IN THE SPACE STATION
AND MANY COUNTRIES WHO LOOK
FORWARD TO BEING INVOLVED AS
PART OF THE SPACE STATION.
REALLY, THIS ENDEAVOR IS THE
CULMINATION OF NOT ONLY YEARS
AND YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OR OF
TIME AND WORK BUT HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF TIRELESS
EFFORT TO BRING US HERE.
AND IT IS ALSO FOCUSED AGAIN ON,
YOU KNOW, THE SAFETY AND
RELIABILITY OF THE SYSTEM.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE
SYSTEM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND A LOT OF TIMES WE
FOCUS ON CREW DRAGON WHICH OF
COURSE IS KIND OF THE CROWN
JEWEL AND WHAT YEARS THE
ASTRONAUTS BUT THERE IS REALLY A
WHOLE SYSTEM AND THE RUNS, YOU
KNOW, FROM THE ENGINEERS AND
DESIGN AND ANALYSIS THAT GOES ON
THROUGH THE FACTORY AND
FABRICATION AND ALL THE TESTING
AND IT ALL INVOLVES, YOU KNOW,
THE FALCON 9LAUNCH VEHICLE, THE
DRAGON SPACECRAFT, THE
OPERATIONAL TEAMS AND ALL THE
OPERATIONAL CENTERS AND OF
COURSE .., YOU KNOW, IT IS
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AND
EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE PUT
TOGETHER.
ALL OF THIS HAS TO BE DONE
CORRECTLY, IT HAS TO BE DONE
WELL, SUPER VETTED WITH OUR
PARTNERS AT NASA AND VERY
GREATFUL FOR THEIR INPUT AND
SUPPORT.
AND HOW WE ALL WORK TOGETHER TO
ENSURE THAT THAT RELIABILITY
WILL BE IN PLACE IS CRITICAL.
AND SO WE ARE EXCITED, VERY
EXCITED TO BE HERE.
I THINK WE ARE ALL VERY
APPROPRIATELY NERVOUS AND
GETTING MORE SO AS WE GET CLOSE
TO -- BET CLOSE TO THIS DAY.
WE ARE AT 26 DAYS FROM LAUNCH
AND IT IS GOING TO BE QUITE A
SHOW.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT I TALK
ABOUT SOME OF THE TESTS AND SOME
OF THE THINGS -- WE HAD OVER 700
TESTIMONIES EH TEST OF THE
SYSTEM.
THE SUPER DRACOS ARE THE ENGINES
ON DRAGON THAT ARE USED TO CARRY
DRAGON AWAY FROM THE FALCON IN
CASE THERE IS AN EMERGENCY NEED
TO ESCAPE DRAGON AWAY FROM
THERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF
TESTS ON THE DRACO ENGINES
THEMSELVES.
TODAY WE ARE ACTUALLY HOPING TO
COMPLETE THE 27TH TEST OF OUR
MARK 3PARACHUTE SYSTEM, ONE OF
THE MOST ADVANCED PARACHUTE
SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD.
AND PROBABLY THE MOST ADVANCED
SPACE ORBITAL RETURN PARACHUTE
SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD THAT HAVE
EVER BEEN MADE.
IT IS VERY EXCITING.
IT WAS PERFORMED OVER --
INCLUDING THE ONES THAT FLEW ON
CARGO.
CARGO DRAGON UNDER THE CRS
PROGRAM, ON THAT NOTE, THE
DRAGON TO TO AND FROM THE SPACE
STATION SUCCESSFULLY 20 TIMES
FOR CARGO MISSIONS AND OF COURSE
LAST YEAR WE HAD OUR
DEMONSTRATION 1MISSION WHICH
WAS THE CREW DRAGON, WITHOUT ANY
CREW ON BOARD.
AND WENT TO THE SPACE STATION
AND DID SOME TESTS THERE.
OPENED UP THE HATCH, AND CAME
BACK HOME, LANDED BEAUTIFULLY,
THE WHOLE -- THAT WHOLE PROCESS
WAS KIND OF FROM START TO FINISH
JUST EXACTLY THE WAY WE WANTED
IT TO BE.
WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE FLIGHT
AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND
EXCITING WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT
BEFORE THIS.
AS WE MOVE, AS WE MOVED FORWARD
FROM THAT TEST, THAT TEST
FLIGHT, WE THEN DID ANOTHER
IMPORTANT FLIGHT TEST WHICH IS
THE IN NIGHT ABORT TEST.
WE DID THAT BACK IN JANUARY OF
THIS YEAR.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY A
FOLLOW-UP TEST FROM A
PADDLEBOARD TEST THAT WE DID A
NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, FIVE YEARS
AGO THAT IN BOTH CASES IT IS
WHERE WE IN THE PORT CASE WE HAD
DRAGON ON THE PAD AND TEST THAT
LAUNCH ESCAPE SYSTEM TO ENSURE
IN CASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG ON
THE PAD WE CAN ESCAPE THE CREW
RAPIDLY AWAY FROM THE PAD AND
LAND THEM SAFELY IN THE WATER
AND IN JANUARY WE DID THE SAME
THING.
AND I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY ONE
OF THE MOST COMPLEX ENGINEERING
TESTS EVER DONE, MAYBE IN THE
HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT WAS AMAZING
TO SEE.
WE ACTUALLY PUT DRAGON ON TOP
OFFAL CON, LAUNCHED THE FALCON
AND THEN INITIATED THE LAUNCH
ESCAPE SYSTEM.
WE ARE KIND OF AT THIS PEAK
MOMENT OF LOAD ON THE VEHICLES
AND AGAIN WE DEMONSTRATED THAT
IS, THAT WILL THAT DRAGON IS
CAPABLE OF CARRYING THE CREW
AWAY FROM FALCON IN THE EVENT OF
AN EMERGENCY.
THESE TESTS ARE CRITICAL STEPS
ON THE WAY THAT THIS UPCOMING
DEMONSTRATION 2FLIGHT, YOU
KNOW, THIS IS ALSO A TEST
MISSION AND I THINK IN AN
EARLIER BRIEFING, ADMINISTRATOR
BRIDENSTINE MADE A POINT I
HADN'T REALIZED BEFOREHAND, THIS
WILL BE ONLY THE FIFTH TIME IN
THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
AND I THINK THE NINTH TIME IN
THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD THAT
CREWS HAVE BEEN -- THAT HUMANS
HAVE FLOWN ON A BRAND-NEW SPACE
SYSTEM, SPACEFLIGHT SYSTEM, AND
THAT IS A BIG DEAL.
IT IS REALLY, REALLY COOL, AGAIN
IT IS AN HONOR AND SACRED HONOR
I KNOW ALL OF US HERE AT SPACEX
AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE
HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH
AT NASA TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY AND
WE ARE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF
IT.
AS PART OF THAT EFFORT WE HAVE
BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE
CREW AND ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS
TEAMS.
THEY PUT IN THOUSANDS OF HOURS,
LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF
TRAINING AND SIMULATION TIME.
EVEN IN AT LEAST A COUPLE OF
THOUSAND, JUST DIRECTLY WITH BOB
AND DOUG INVOLVED IN THE LOOP.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A VIDEO WE
WANT TO BRING UP AND TALK A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT IS
GOING TO HAPPEN AS PART OF THE
TRAINING WE HAVE DONE AND ALSO
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE
DAY OF THE LAUNCH.
IF WE CAN BRING THAT VIDEO UP
NOW.
>> YOU CAN SEE, YOU HAVE SEEN ON
SOME OF THE VIDEOS THIS IS BOB,
AND DOUG HURLEY WHO ARE
ASTRONAUTS WHO WILL BE FLYING
WITH US ON THIS DEMONSTRATION
MISSION.
THEY HAVE JOINTLY EXECUTED MANY,
MANY SIMULATIONS LIKE I SAID A
COUPLE OF THOUSAND OF HOURS OF
TRAINING AND SIMULATION TIME AND
HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY
TOGETHER.
AND WITH OUR TEAM.
ON ALL OF THIS.
AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO
ACTUALLY THE DAY OF THE LAUNCH
ITSELF.
ON THAT DAY IT WILL BE AT ABOUT
4:32P.M. EASTERN TIME.
WE WILL LAUNCH THE CREW.
A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THAT WE WILL
HAVE DONE A SERIES OF WHAT WE
CALL OUR STATIC FIRE TEST.
THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE DRAGON AND
FALCON INTEGRATED AND STANDING
ON THE PAD.
WE HOLD THE VEHICLE DOWN AS WE
INITIATE THE FALCON ENGINES AND
MAKE SURE THAT BASICALLY DO A
QUICK CHECK OF ALL THE SYSTEMS
AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS
LOOKING GREAT AND ALSO GOING TO
DO WHAT WE CALL A CREW DRY DRESS
REHEARSAL WHERE DOUG WILL GET IN
THEIR SUITS AT THE ONC BUILDING
AT NASA AND THEY WILL GET READY
TO BET INTO THE VEHICLES, COME
TO THE PAD, GO ACROSS THE PAD
ARM, THE PAD CREW WILL BE THERE
SUPPORTING THEM AS THEY GET INTO
THE DRAGON AND THEY WILL GET
INTO THEIR SEATS, DRAGON WILL
GET CLOSED UP AND THEY WILL GET
ALL IN PLACE.
SO WE WILL BASICALLY RUN THE
WHOLE SEQUENCE UP TO THE POINT
OF WHERE WE WERE GOING LAUNCH.
WE WILL DO THAT WHAT WE CALL THE
DRY DRESS REHEARSAL AND ON THE
DAY OF THE LAUNCH ITSELF, THE
PROCESS IS THE SAME.
WE WILL HAVE PRACTICE AT THE
REHEARSAL ABOUT FOUR HOURS
BEFORE LAUNCH.
THE CREW WILL GET READY TO GO.
ABOUT THREE HOURS BEFORE LAUNCH
THEY WILL BE GETTING TRANSPORTED
TO THE PAD, AND THEN WE GET
READY TO GO THROUGH THE LAUNCH
PROCESS AND FROM THERE, IT IS A
LOT OF THE SIMILAR KIND OF THING
THAT WE DO NORMALLY FOR
LAUNCHES.
YOU KNOW, THE GOAL OF OUR
SYSTEMS ARE ALWAYS TO HAVE, YOU
KNOW, DRAGON FLY AND FALCON FLY
AS CONSISTENTLY AND REPEATEDLY
AS POSSIBLE, WHETHER WE ARE
FLAYING CREW OR NOT, AND THAT
ADDS A LOT TO THE SAFETY AND
RELIABILITY OF THE SYSTEM.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN INFO
GRAPHIC WE ARE GOING TO BE
BRINGING UP THAT TALKS A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
AFTER WE LAUNCH.
>> AND YOU CAN KIND OF GET A
SENSE HERE IF YOU LOOK AT THIS
INFO GRAPHIC AS TO WHAT IT LOOKS
LIKE FROM LAUNCH AND WHAT THE
SERIES OF EVENTS ARE GOING TO
BE.
I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF
THE KEY TAKES AWAY FROM THERE IS
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW,
ONCE IN ORBIT THE CREW IS GOING
TO BE TAKING AND DOING A NUMBER
OF TESTS .. AND VARIOUS
DEMONSTRATIONS THEY ARE GOING TO
BE DOING IN THE SYSTEM, THE
THINGS THEY CAN CONTROL, AND
THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CHECK OUT
IN TERMS OF THE LIFE SUPPORT
SYSTEM AND OTHER THINGS THAT
THEY WILL BE LOOKING AT IN
THERE.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER
INFO GRAPHIC THAT WE WILL BE
BRINGING UP.
THIS IS TALKING ABOUT AS WE
APPROACH SPACE STATION AND YOU
SAW ZEB'S VIDEO EARLIER ANOTHER
VIEW OF HOW THAT LOOKS AT DRAGON
APPROACHES SPACE STATION AND
GETS READY TO DOCK.
AND THEN THERE IS ONE MORE
GRAPHIC THAT I THINK WE WILL BE
BRINGING UP.
AND THIS IS FOR RETURN.
AND JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THIS IN MORE DETAIL.
SO DRAGON WILL BE DEPARTING FROM
THE SPACE STATION .. AND AGAIN
SIMILAR TO THE APPROACH DRAGON
IS FULLY AUTONOMOUS AND THE CREW
WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE CONTROL TO
DO MANUAL PILOTING IF NEEDED IN
AN EMERGENCY SITUATION BUT
OTHERWISE IT IS FULLY
AUTONOMOUS.
AND AS DRAGON LEAST THE SPACE
STATION IT WILL GET READY FOR
ITS REENTRY AND OF COURSE IT
WILL JETTISON THE TRUNK AS WE
HAVE ALWAYS DONE WITH THE CAR I
GO DRAGONS AND WE DID FOR THE
SPACEFLIGHT LAST YEAR AND THEN
IT WILL COME HOME, REENTER, AND
DEPLOY THE PARACHUTE SYSTEM, THE
SAME PARACHUTE SYSTEM THAT I
MENTIONED WE WILL BE DOING OUR
27TH AND TIME TEST OF THE MARK
3DESIGN TODAY.
AND THEN AS WE DEPLOYED FOR THE
DEMONSTRATION ONE MISSION LAST
YEAR.
AND SO ONCE THE CREW IS RETURNED
TO THE WATER SAFELY, IN LESS
THAN AN HOUR A RECOVERY FORCES
WILL ACTUALLY HAVE ACQUIRED THE
DRAGON AND BROUGHT IT UP ON TO
THE RECOVERY VESSEL AND WE WILL
HAVE THE CREW OUT OF THE DRAGON,
ALL OF THAT IN LESS THAN AN HOUR
AFTER SPLASHDOWN.
THAT REALLY WRAPS UP WHAT THE
WHOLE MISSION LOOKS LIKE AND
FROM THERE I THINK I WILL HAND
IT BACK OVER TO STEVE.
>> THIS IS BRANDON.
WE WILL GO NEXT TO SOME
QUESTIONS.
SO AGAIN PRESS STAR 1ON THE
PHONE TO LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE
ONE AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING
THE HASH -- YOU CAN USE THE
HASHTAG ASK NASA.
OUR FIRST QUESTION IS GOING TO
BE FROM LAUREN WITH THE VERGE
AND LAUREN PLEASE REMEMBER TO
DIRECT YOUR QUESTION TO THE
PERSON YOU WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER
IT.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
TAKING MY QUESTION.
I THINK THIS IS FOR STEVE.
I AM REALLY CURIOUS TO HEAR MORE
ABOUT THE EXTENDED MISSION.
WHEN WAS THE DECISION MADE TO
MAKE THIS EXTENDED MISSION?
HOW DID THAT CHANGE THE TRAINING
FOR THE ASTRONAUTS?
HOW LONG WILL YOU BE STAYING?
WHEN DO THEY COME HOME?
WHAT WILL THEY BE DOING?
JUST MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> GOOD QUESTION, LAUREN.
SO WE MADE A DECISION TO HAVE
THIS CAPABILITY TO FLY A LONGER
MISSION, IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT
SIX MONTHS AGO OR SO WHEN WE
STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT,
LAUREN, AND THE VEHICLE HAS THE
CAPABILITY TO FLY PREMISSION,
OUR PREDICTIONS ARE ABOUT 119
DAYS AND THAT TIME THE SOLAR
ARRAYS, THE ATMOSPHERE DEGRADES
ALL SOLAR ARRAYS IN LOW EARTH
ORBIT OVER TIME SO THE SOLAR
ARRAYS ON DRAGON WE WILL WATCH
THEM CAREFULLY.
TO SEE -- THE IDEA BEHIND IT WAS
WE STARTED LOOKING AT WHEN WE
WILL START FLYING THIS MISSION
AND THE NEEDS OF THE SPACE
STATION BRAM AND THERE WAS A BIT
OF A NEED TO HAVE BOB AND DOUG
AUGMENT THE CAPABILITY OF
STATIONS.
SO WE LOOKED VERY CAREFULLY AT
ALL AT ALL THE VEHICLE SYSTEMS
AT THE TIME. THIS DRAGON
VEHICLE IS DESIGNED EXCEPT FOR
THE SOLAR ARRAYS AND A FEW OTHER
COMPONENTS TO MEET THAT TYPICAL
210 DAY MISSION REQUIREMENT FOR
US.
AND SO WE DECIDED, HEY, IT IS
SMART TO GO AHEAD AND EXTEND THE
MISSION AND HAVE BOB AND DOUG BE
ON STATION A LITTLE LONGER.
BOB AND DOUG DID GET ADDITIONAL
TRAINING AND KIRK MAY HAVE
TALKED ABOUT IT ALREADY EARLIER
TODAY BUT THEY GOT ADDITIONAL
TRAINING ON THE SPACE STATION
SYSTEMS, IN FACT, BOB WENT IN
AND DID EVEN A FEW NEUTRAL
BUOYANCY LAB RUNS TO PRACTICE
FOR SPACEWALKS SO THEY CAN HELP
AUGMENT THE STATION CREW.
WHEN WE GET ON ORBIT WE WILL
AGAIN LOOK AT THE VEHICLE
SYSTEMS AND HOW IT IS
PERFORMING, HOW DRAGON IS DOING.
WE WILL BE LOOKING ALSO AT THE
READINESS FOR THE CREW ONE
MISSION LATER THIS YEAR AND THEN
AT A TIME DURING THE MISSION WE
WILL DECIDE EXACTLY HOW LONG WE
WILL FLY THE MISSION.
OKAY.
NEXT WE WILL TAKE A QUESTION
FROM MARK WHO IS WITH THE SPACEX
REDDIT GROUP.
>> MARTIN, CAN YOU HEAR US?
>> YES.
IN HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> YES.
>> HAVE A QUESTION FOR BENJI.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE
CRITERIA BETWEEN NORMAL CARGO
LAUNCHES, WHETHER, WEATHER, ET
CETERA AND MANNED LAUNCHES?
DO YOU ANTICIPATE A HIGHER RISK
FOR WEATHER RELATED -- AND WILL
THERE BE AN IMPACT ON THE
RECYCLE TIME BETWEEN LAUNCHES?
THANK YOU.
>> UP.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND CERTAINLY WE DO EXPECT MORE,
A HIGHER RISK OF WEATHER RELATED
SCRUBS ON THIS MISSION, YOU
KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE DOING A
STANDARD FALCON FLIGHT YOU HAVE
ALL OF THE LAUNCH CRITERIA, THAT
YOU LOOK FOR FOR BEING ABLE TO
LAUNCH A FALCON.
WHEN YOU ADD DRAGON INTO THAT
MIX THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL SET
OF LAUNCH CRITERIA THAT YOU
WORRY ABOUT THAT ARE
PARTICULARLY WEATHER RELATED.
AND THEN WITH THE CREW
ESPECIALLY WE NEED TO THINK
ABOUT IN THE CASE OF AN
EMERGENCY IF THEY NEEDED TO
BRING THE DRAGON HOME, YOU KNOW,
EITHER IN A LAUNCH ESCAPE
SCENARIO FROM, YOU KNOW, COMING
OFF OFFAL CON OR EVEN AFTER --
AFTER DRAGON IS ON ORBIT, AND IT
NEEDS TO COME HOME VERY EARLY IN
THE MISSION CYCLE.
WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE
WEATHER ALONG THE TRACK OF WHERE
WHERE DRAGON CAN COME DOWN AS
WELL AND ACTUALLY LOOKING ACROSS
NOT JUST THE LOCAL WEATHER OR
EVEN TO GET INTO ORBIT WEATHER
BUT ALSO WHERE DRAGON WOULD NEED
TO COME BACK HOME SO THE
COMBINATION OF THAT -- OF ALL OF
THOSE CONSTRAINTS PUT TOGETHER
CERTAINLY I WOULD EXPECT THERE
TO BE A VERY HIGH CHANCE OF
SCRUB DUE TO WEATHER.
AND GIVEN THE TIME OF YEAR IT
WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME AS WELL FOR
THAT.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION IS GOING TO
BE FROM MARKMAN SITUATE ANY WITH
HOUSE STUFF WORKS.
>> MANCINI, HELLO, THERE.
I BELIEVE THIS QUESTION IS FOR
DEB.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD
SPEAK TO THE SPACESUITS THAT ARE
GOING TO BE WORN ON THIS
MISSION, AND WHETHER OR NOT
SPACEX WAS INVOLVED IN THEIR
DESIGN.
>> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT BENJI
CAN SPEAK TO VERY WELL AS WELL.
THIS IS AN ENTIRELY SPACEX
DEVELOPED SUIT AND IT IS
DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE CREW
MEMBERS IN CASE OF LOSS OF
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE SO IT IS A
FULL PRESSURE SUIT THEY WEAR
DURING THE ASCENT PORTION
PORTION AND ALSO HAVE THE CREW
MEMBERS DON IT AND DO LEAK
CHECKS PRIOR TO THE DOCKING AND
THE UNDOCKING AND EVENTUALLY THE
REENTRY.
BUT THIS WAS ENTIRELY NEW BUILD,
NEW DESIGN BY THE SPACEX
COMPANY.
?
>> THE OKAY.
NEXT WHIP TAKE A QUESTION FROM
KENNETH CHANG WITH "THE NEW YORK
TIMES".
>> THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY
QUESTION.
SO THIS IS FOR MR.REED.
I WAS WONDERING AFTER THE
CERTIFICATION WHAT HAPPENS TO
THIS CREW DRAGON?
IS IT GOING TO BE USED FOR AN
AXIOM FLIGHT?
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION TOO.
DRAGON HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR
REUSE AND REFLIGHT, UP TO FIVE
TIMES, SIMILAR TO OUR FALCON
VEHICLES.
NOT ONLY TO WE REFLY FALCONS FOR
MANY MISSIONS BUT ALSO REANY
DRAGONS ALREADY.
THE DRAGON 1LINE FOR CARGO HAS
A NUMBER OF THOSE, HAVE FLOWN
MORE THAN ONCE AND EVEN MORE
THAN TWICE TO THE SPACE STATION.
WE INTEND FOR CREW DRAGONS TO
ALSO BE ABLE TO BE FULLY
REUSABLE AND THIS DRAGON ITSELF
WILL BE BROUGHT HOME AND REFUR
WISHED AND MADE READY FOR A
FUTURE FLIGHT.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO EXACTLY WHICH
FLIGHT IT WILL FLY ON.
WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT OUR
MANIFEST AND WHAT TIMELINE MEETS
FOR OUR CUSTOMERS BUT CERTAINLY
ALL OF THE CREW DRAGONS OUR
INTENT IS TO REFURBISH THEM AND
BE ABLE TO REFLY THEM.
>> THANK YOU.
NEXT WE ARE GOING TO GO TO
DANIEL OVER HOUSE WITH WIRED.
>> HI, YES.
I JUST HAD A QUICK FOLLOW-UP
ABOUT THE SOLAR ARRAYS.
CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT SPECIFICALLY LIMITS
DRAGON TIME IN ORBIT RELATIVE TO
THE SOLAR PANELS AND ALSO BENJI
IF YOU COULD TELL ME HOW THE
MANUAL CONTROL ON DRAGON DIFFERS
FROM THAT IN SOYUZ BECAUSE IT IS
QUITE A UNIQUE CONTROL PANEL
FROM WHAT I CAN TELL.
>> YES.
I WILL START WITH THE SOLAR
ARRAYS AND THEN LET BENJI TALK
ABOUT THE MANUAL PILOT AND
CAPABILITY WITH THE NEW TOUCH
SCREEN DISPLAYS.
THE SOLAR ARRAYS THEMSELVES, ANY
SOLAR ARRAY IN LOW EARTH ORBIT
TENDS TO DEGRADE A LITTLE BIT
OVER TIME.
IT TURNS OUT THE ATMOSPHERE HAS
A LITTLE BIT OF OXYGEN IN IT
CALLED ATOMIC OXYGEN SO THERE IS
A LITTLE BIT OF DEGRADATION IN
THE ABILITY FOR THAT SOLAR ARRAY
TO ITSELF TO GENERATE POWER.
AND THE PARTICULAR CELLS ON THE
TRUNK FOR DRAGON BASED ON
ANALYSIS CAPABILITY KIND OF A
WORST CASE PREDICTION WE THINK
WE CAN GET ABOUT 120 DAYS
CAPABILITY OUT OF THOSE.
WHAT WE WILL DO IN FLIGHT IS WE
HAVE THIS CURVE OF WHAT WE
EXPECT THAT DEGRADATION TO BE
OVER TIME.
WE CAN KIND OF LOOK AT THE POWER
THAT THE ARRAYS GENERATE EACH
DAY AND KIND OF PLOT THAT
AGAINST THIS PREDICTION AND THAT
CAN GIVE US THE OVERALL TOTAL
CAPABILITY SO THAT IS REALLY
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE SOLAR
ARRAYS.
WE LOOKED AT THE REST OF THE --
WE LOOKED AT THE PUMPS ON THE
THERMAL SYSTEM, WE LACKED AT THE
PROPULSION SYSTEM, ALL OF THE
OTHER COMPONENTS WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT EXTENDING THE MISSION AND
THE SOLAR ARRAYS ARE A THE 0
ONLY ONES THAT HAVE A BIT OF A
POKEOUT SO WE WILL WATCH THEIR
PERFORMANCE IN FLIGHT AND BE
ABLE TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION
ABOUT HOW LONG TO STAY DOCKED.
I WILL LET BENJI TALK ABOUT THE
TOUCH SCREENS.
>> SURE.
ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, TRUE DRAGON IS A -- IS
A 21ST CENTURY SPACECRAFT AND WE
WANTED IT TOO NOT ONLY, YOU
KNOW, BE AS SAFE AND RELIABLE
AND -- AS YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM,
YOU KNOW, THE MOST ADVANCED
SPACECRAFT IN THE WORLD AND TO
BE ONE IF NOT THE SAFEST
AIRCRAFT IN THE WORLD BUT WE
ALSO WANTED TO LOOK AMAZING AND
LOOK BEAUTIFUL.
I MEAN SPACECRAFT SHOULD BE
INSPIRING WE NEED TO BE EXCITED
ABOUT MOVING INTO SPACE AND I
THINK DRAGON DESIGN DOES THAT.
AND CERTAINLY THE LOOK OF THE
CONTROL SYSTEM DOES THAT, BUT
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE CONTROL
SYSTEM IS TECHNOLOGICALLY A
MODERN FEAT OF ENGINEERING AND
RELIES ON MANY DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
THAT EXIST FOR TOUCH SCREENS
THAT WE USE ALL THE TIME, ALL
THE TIME NOW IN OUR LIVES AND IN
INDUSTRY AND SO ONE OF THE
BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU SEE OF
COURSE FROM A TRADITIONAL
COCKPIT MANY YEARS AGO WHEN YOU
HAVE MANY SWITCHES AND KNOBS AND
DIALS, INSIDE OF DRAGON YOU HAVE
THESE LARGE TOUCH SCREENS THAT
ALLOW YOU TO DO MOST OF THE DATA
REVIEWING AND -- OR ALL OF THE
DATA REVIEWING AND ALL OF THE
INFORMATION YOU GATHER AND QUITE
A BIT AT THE CONTROL.
THERE ARE A FEW GAL MANUAL
SWITCHES OR KNOBS THAT YOU NEED
JUST IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY OR
CONVENIENCE.
BUT OTHERWISE IT IS ALL TOUCH
SCREEN CONTROLLED AND THE CREW
OF COURSE HAS PUT IN MANY HOURS
RANKING AND USING THOSE SYSTEMS
FOR GETTING READY FOR A FLIGHT.
AGAIN, DRAGON WILL BE FULLY
AUTONOMOUS.
THE EXPECTATION IS THAT IT CAN
CARRY THE CREW SAFELY TO THE
STATION AND BRING THEM HOME
WITHOUT DIRECT INTERVENTION BUT
OF COURSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE GIVE THE CREW ALL THE TOOLS
POSSIBLE IN CASE THEY NEED TO
MANUALLY PILOT OUR MANAGE
DRAGON'S FLIGHT SO THEY ARE ABLE
TO DO THAT.
OKAY.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA NOW.
I THINK THIS ONE WILL BE FOR DEN
I DIDN'T AS WELL.
TREVOR FROM TWITTER IS ASKING
WHO WILL THE CAP COM BE THAN THE
USUAL MISSION?
I KNOW THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN
THE WAY WE NORMALLY DO IT.
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
ACTUALLY I WILL THROW THAT ONE
BACK OVER TO ZEB BECAUSE HIS
TEAM.
HE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT CAN COME
IS, CAP COMM IS AND HOW WE ARE
INTEGRATING WITH OUR TEAM AND
THE NASA TEAM.
>> YES.
SO THERE IS A NEW CAPABILITY
THAT DIFFERENTIATES THE CREW
DRAGON VEHICLE FROM PREVIOUS
DRAGONS AND WITH THE CREW ON
BOARD THEY NOW NEED THE
COMMUNICATORS ON THE GROUND TO
SUPPORT THEM, SO THE CAP COMM
ROLE ITSELF GOES BACK TO THE OLD
MERCURY DAYS WITH THE
COMMUNICATOR WITH THE ASTRONAUT
THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO TALK TO
THE CREW AND SHARE THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE GROUND AND BE
ABLE TO TIE THE ON BOARD CREW
WITH THE GROUND TEAM AS WELL.
WE STILL HAVE THE CAP COMM
POSITION FLYING THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
EVERY DAY AND WE WILL CONTINUE
TO HAVE A SPECIFIED CAP COMM
LEAD FOR THE UPCOMING DEMO
2MISSION ON THE NASA SIDE.
NEW TO THIS MISSION, SPACEX HAS
A COROLLARY POSITION.
THEY ARE CALLING IT CORE, AND
THE CORE IS THE INDIVIDUALS
RESPONSIBLE FOR TALKING TO THE
CREW MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE
MISSION.
AND SO THEY HAVE A TEAM OF CORES
WHICH I HAVE TRAINED ON ALL OF
THE VARIOUS PHASES OF THE FLIGHT
SO THERE IS A CORE SUPPORTING
FOR ASCENT PHASE, A DIFFERENT
ONE DURING THE RENDEZVOUS AND
DOCKING PHASE AND ANOTHER ONE
DURING THE UNDOCKING AND
SPLASHDOWN PHASE.
ALL OF THE CORE TEAM HAS BEEN
TRAINED WELL TO BE ABLE TO CROSS
TRAIN TO SUPPORT OTHER PHASES OF
FLIGHT AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING
CLOSELY WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE SHARING OUR
EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING FROM
EACH OTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE PROVIDING THE CREWS THE
INFORMATION THEY NEED BOTH IN
THE NOMINAL MISSION AND IN THE
CONTINGENCY CASES AS WELL SHOULD
THEY ARISE.
>> THANK YOU, ZEB.
WE ARE GOING TO TRY AGAIN FOR
ONE FOR BENJI.
THIS IS COMING IN ACTUALLY FROM
A LOT OF PEOPLE ON MANY
DIFFERENT PLATFORMS.
WANTING MORE DETAILS ON THE
SPACE SUITS.
THEY WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
THEIR FEATURES, WHEN THEY ARE
USED, WHAT THEY ARE MADE OF AND
ARE THEY COMFORTABLE?
>>
>> SO THE SPACE SUITS ARE,
AGAIN, ANOTHER PIECE OF THE
IMPORTANCE EQUIPMENT AND REALLY
A SUBSYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE.
THAT IS CRITICAL FOR CREW
SAFETY.
FUNDAMENTALLY WE CALL THESE
SPACEFLIGHTS AS I THINK ZEB
MENTIONED EARLIER THESE ARE NOT
THE SUITS YOU SEE PEOPLE USING
OUTSIDE FOR WHAT YOU CALL
EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY, THESE
ARE DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU SAFE
WHILE STILL IN THE VEHICLE IN
CASE THERE IS A LOSS OF
ATMOSPHERE.
OR SOMETHING ELSE IS HAPPENING
INSIDE THE CREW, INSIDE THE
VEHICLE WHERE YOU NEED TO ENSURE
THE CREW HAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF
ATMOSPHERE PRESSURE OR
TEMPERATURE, OXYGEN SUPPLY,
THOSE SORT OF THINGS AND THAT'S
WHAT THE SUIT IS FOR.
THE SUIT IS A ONE PIECE SUIT,
ESSENTIALLY WE LOOKED AT A A LOT
OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS IN
PREVIOUS FLIGHT SUITS, AND TRIED
TO MAKE SOME OF THE ADJUSTMENTS
WE THOUGHT WE COULD TO REALLY
MAKE THIS AN ADVANCED FLIGHT
SUIT, AS ADVANCED AS POSSIBLE.
SOME OF THOSE THINGS WILL
INCLUDE THE FACT IT IS ONE PIECE
SO YOU DON'T HAVE PIECES OF YOUR
SUIT KIND OF FLOATING AWAY, A
GLOVE FLOATING OFF AND GETTING
LOST, THAT SORT OF THING. AND
THEN YOU USE THE SUIT AGAIN, AS
MENTIONED, DURING KIND OF THESE
CRITICAL PHASES OF FLIGHT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT KIND
OF WHERE YOUR HIGHEST RISK WHERE
MAYBE YOU MIGHT NEED TO CONTROL
FOR IN THE ATMOSPHERE, THEY HAVE
GOT THEIR SUITS ON AND READY TO
GO.
SO OF COURSE THAT INCLUDES
LAUNCH AND THEN WHEN YOU ARE ON
ORBIT THEY WILL ACTUALLY DO SOME
PRACTICE WITH THE SUITS AS WELL,
AS YOU ARE APPROACHING SPACE
STATION AND GETTING READY TO
DOCK THEY WILL HAVE THE SUITS ON
AND AGAIN THEY WILL PUT THEM ON
AS THEY UNDOCK AND WHEN THEY
COME HOME, WHEN THEY ARE COMING
HOME FOR FLASH DOWN THEY WILL
HAVE THE SUITS ON.
THE SUITS PROVIDE AIR, OXYGEN
SUPPLY, THEY MAINTAIN PRESSURE,
THEY CAN MAINTAIN THE RIGHT
TEMPERATURE FOR THE CREW.
THE SUITS ALSO HAVE AN
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
SO THAT THE CREW CAN COMMUNICATE
THROUGH THEIR HELMETS AS THEY
HAVE THEIR HELMETS ON, AND THEN
IN THE SUIT REALLY IS AN
INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF DRAGON.
IT PLUGS INTO THE SEAT WHEN WE
ARE SITTING IN YOUR SEAT WITH
YOUR SUIT ON YOU ARE ACTUALLY
PLUGGED IN.
AND SIMILAR TO FLIGHT SUITS IN
PAST SYSTEMS, THAT DOES THE SAME
THING AND WITH WHEN THE CREW IS
NOT IN DRAGON AND HAVE THEIR
SUITS ON THEY ALSO HAVE -- THEY
CAN PLUG INTO A DEVICE THAT THEY
CARRY.
THE SUITS ARE REALLY KIND OF TWO
MAJOR LAYERS.
THERE IS WHAT WE CALL THE
BLADDER LAYER AND THAT'S THE
LAYER THAT DOES THE CONTAINMENT
OF ATMOSPHERE.
AND PRESSURE AND THEN THERE IS
THE OUTER LAYER, AND THAT OUTER
GARMENT KIND OF REALLY SERVES,
TWO PURPOSES OF COURSE, OR THREE
PURPOSES, REALLY, IT HOLDS THE
WHOLE SUIT TOGETHER, IT IS A
FIRE RESISTANT LAYER AS WELL, IT
KEEPS THE CREW SAFE IN, CREW
SAFE IN CASE OF FIRE EMERGENCY
AND IT LOOKS COOL AND JUST LIKE
THE INTERIOR OF DRAGON IT IS
IMPORTANT THE SUITS ARE
COMFORTABLE, AND ALSO ARE
INSPIRING.
AS WE SEE THE ASTRONAUTS WALK
OUT TO THE PAD AND BE IN THEIR
VEHICLE AND DO EVERYTHING THAT
THEY DO IN THE SUITS IT IS
SOMETHING WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
IS VERY INSPIRING AS WELL.
BUT ABOVE ALL IT IS DESIGNED TO
KEEP THE CREW SAFE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE
PHONE BRIDGE NOW AND TAKE A
QUESTION FROM MIKE BROWN WITH
INVERSE.
>> SORRY.
MY QUESTION IS FOR BENJI.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IN TERMS OF
THE SPACESUITS HOW MUCH OF THE
DESIGN WILL HELP INFORM FUTURE
MISSIONS LIKE THE MANNED MISSION
TO MARS, HOW MUCH MODIFICATION
WOULD IT REQUIRE BEFORE
SUPPORTING THESE SORT OF
MISSIONS AND WOULD THIS SERVE AS
THE BASIS FOR THESE SORT OF
FUTURE MISSIONS?
>>
>> SURE.
YOU KNOW, THE SUITS THEMSELVES
ARE DESIGNED PARTICULARLY FOR
CRUZ WITHIN DRAGON AND AS OUR
FOCUS ON, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTING
NASA CREW TO AND FROM THE SPACE
STATION.
SO THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE FOCUS
FOR THE SUITS TODAY.
BUT JUST LIKE ALL SYSTEMS ON
DRAGON AND THE FALCON AND
EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE DO HERE,
WE HAVE DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED
THEM BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF ALL
THE PAST SYSTEMS THAT HAVE BEEN
DEVELOPED AND DESIGNED BY
OTHERS.
AND THEN WE TAKE THE SIGNS AND
RESULTS OF OUR WORK IN THE DATA
THAT WE GET FROM TESTS AND
ACTUAL PLIGHT TO BE FEED INTO
FUTURE WORK, SO AS WE LOOK
TOWARD THE FUTURE, CERTAINLY, WE
WILL BE TAKING WHAT WE LEARN
FROM THESE SUITS AND GETTING THE
DATA FROM IT AND APPLYING THAT
FOR FUTURE MISSIONS.
>> NEXT UP WE ARE GOING TO GO TO
MARINA CORINE FROM THE ATLANTIC.
>> HI, EVERYONE, HOPE YOU ARE
WELL. THIS IS A QUESTION FOR
STEVE.
COULD YOU PLEASE TALK IN MORE
DETAIL .. ABOUT THE SPECIFIC
PRECAUTIONS THAT NASA EMPLOYEES
ARE GOING TO BE TAKING AS THEY
PREPARE FOR THE LAUNCH?
FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE DAY OF THE
LAUNCH WILL YOU ADVISE PEOPLE IN
THE CONTROL ROOM, CAPE CANAVERAL
TO STAY SIXFEET APART AND WEAR
FACE MASKS?
>> YES.
GOOD QUESTION.
OBVIOUSLY WITH THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC WE ARE TAKING EXTRA
PRECAUTIONS FOR ALL THE TEAMS
SUPPORTING THE LAUNCH AND ALL
PHASES OF FLIGHT.
SO IN THE VARIOUS CONTROL ROOMS
WE HAVE LAID OUT THOSE ROOMS TO
HAVE AT LEAST SIXFEET BETWEEN
ANYBODY ON A CONSOLE LOOKING AT
DISPLAYS WE GO IN AND CLEAN
THOSE ROOMS AHEAD OF TIME WITH
SANITIZER AND MAKE SURE THAT
THEY ARE, HE WE HAVE HAND
SANITIZER AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF
EMPLOYEES AND I KNOW BENJI AND
THE SPACEX TEAM ARE TAKING ALL
THE PRECAUTIONS.
WE HAVE MASKS AVAILABLE FOR
THOSE EMPLOYEES.
SO WE ARE GOING THROUGH ALL OF
THOSE PRECAUTIONS THAT ANYBODY
WOULD GO WITH THE VIRUS, AND
THEN INBETWEEN SHIFTS WE MAKE
SURE WE CLEAN THINGS FOR THE
NEXT GROUP OF FLIGHT CONTROLLERS
AND OPERATORS.
AND WE ARE DOING THE SAME THING
IN THE MISSION CONTROL CENTERS,
ZEB COULD TALK MORE ABOUT THAT
AND I KNOW BENJI AND THE SPACEX
TEAM ARE DOING THE SAME THING.
ANY CREW TRAINING, THERE HAS
BEEN A LOT OF PRECAUTIONS TAKEN
AS WELL FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT
NEEDS TO GET CLOSE TO THE CREW,
VARIOUS MEDICAL CHECKS DO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY ARE WELL AND
HEALTHY AND THE APPROPRIATE
MASKS, GLOVES AND SO FORTH, SO
WE HAVE BEEN TAKING THOSE
PRECAUTIONS, WE HAVE BEEN
PRACTICING THOSE AND ACTUALLY
WILL PRACTICE WITH THIS LAUNCH
SIMULATION THAT WE ARE GOING TO
DO ON MAY4TH ON MONDAY, WE ARE
GOING TO GO THROUGH AND USE ALL
OF THOSE PRECAUTIONS.
AND WE DID A SIM BACK IN MID
APRIL WHERE WE USED THOSE
PRECAUTIONS AS WELL FOR ALL OF
OUR EMPLOYEES AND EVEN WHEN WE
HAVE SOME EMPLOYEES THAT CAN
SUPPORT REMOTELY BASED ON THE
MODERN TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITY
THAT WE HAVE.
SO, SO FAR IT HAS WORKED WELL
AND REALLY DON'T SEE ANY IMPACTS
TO HOW WE ARE GOING TO OPERATE
ON LAUNCH DAY OR RENDEZVOUS DAY
OR ANY OTHER PART OF THE FLIGHT.
>> NOW WE ARE GOING GO TO
CHARLES FISHMAN WHO IS WITH BASS
COMPANY.
>> HI.
THANK YOU GAZE SO MUCH FOR DOING
THIS.
>> THANK YOU A GUYS SO MUCH FOR
DOING THIS.
A QUICK FOLLOW-UP ON SPACE SUIT
AND A SPACESHIP QUESTION.
>> SOMEBODY SAID IN PASSING THAT
SPACEX HAD SIGN THE SPACESUITS,
ARE THE SPACESUITS THAT U.S.
ASTRONAUTS HAVE USED SINCE
APOLLO HAVE BEEN MADE BY -- IN
DELAWARE, DID SPACEX, A, COBB
COCONSULT THEM AND DID SPACEX
BUILD THESE SUITS OR MANUFACTURE
THE SUITS THEMSELVES?
AND BENJI, ON THE SPACESHIP
ITSELF YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE TOUCH CONTROLS, BUT
GIVE US A LITTLE MORE SENSE OF
THE SPACESHIP AS A SPACESHIP.
IT REALLY IS FIRST SHIP DESIGNED
IN 40 YEARS IN THE UNITED
STATES.
A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE SHUTTLE.
HOW--, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE
LIFE SUPPORT, THE WAY THE
SPACESHIP MANEUVERS, THE WAY IT
NAVIGATES, DOES THIS SHIP USE
INERTIAL NAVIGATION, A NETWORK
OF GPS SATELLITES?
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT
WAS INTERESTING IN TAKING A
CLEAN SHEET OF PAPER AND
DESIGNING AN ALL-NEW SPACESHIP
IN A COMPLETE DIFFICULT
DIFFERENT ERA.
>> SURE.
UNDERSTOOD.
YOU KNOW, SO I THINK NUMBER ONE,
IN TERMS OF THE SPACESUITS, I
CAN'T REALLY SAY EXACTLY WHO
SPECIFICALLY MAY, WE MAY HAVE
CONSULTED OR NOT.
I KNOW WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY
WITH NASA AND ALSO RELIED, YOU
KNOW, AGAIN ON THE MANY YEARS OF
SPACESUIT DESIGN EXPERIENCE AND
PRACTICE. YOU KNOW. FROM
AROUND THE WORLD.
AND WE DID BUILD THE SPACE SUITS
HERE IN HOUSE, JUST LIKE MANY
THINGS, WE OUTSOURCE MANY OF OUR
COMPONENTS AND PIECE PARTS.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY
THOUSANDS OF VENDORS AND
SUPPLIERS THAT WE ARE HONORED
HAVE SUPPORTING HERE AT SPACEX.
AND WE DO, DO THE INTEGRATION
WORK AND ACTUALLY HAVE A GREAT
TEAM OF SOFT GOODS PERSONNEL,
ENGINEERS AND TECHNICIANS WHO
ARE BUSY WORKING ALL THE TIME
BUILDING THE VARIOUS WHAT WE
CALL SOFT GOODS FOR THE VEHICLE
AND FOR THE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING
THE SPACESUITS.
AND IT HAS BEEN AN EXCITING
JOURNEY AS WELL.
AS MUCH AS EVERYTHING ELSE,
WATCHING THE SPACESUIT DESIGN
EVOLVE AND GET TESTED, A HUGE
AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE CREW
DIRECTLY, BOB AND DOUG, AND EVEN
SOME OF THE OTHER ASTRONAUTS
FROM THE CREW OFFICE HAVE BEEN
DIRECTLY INVOLVED FOR A NUMBER
OF YEARS IN OUR SPACESUIT DESIGN
AND GIVING US FEEDBACK IN TERMS
OF COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE AND
MOBILITY.
AND THAT HAS BEEN A GREAT
PARTNERSHIP TO SEE THAT COME
TOGETHER.
IN TERMS OF THE SPACECRAFT
ITSELF, MAYBE A BIT MORE OF AN
OVERVIEW, TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF
IT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FOUR
SEATS IN THIS VERSION OF CREW
DRAGON, THEY GO ACROSS IN A ROW.
THERE ARE SOME WINDOWS THAT
PEOPLE CAN LOOK OUT OF AS THEY
ARE FLYING AND ALSO I THINK AS
THEY APPROACH THE SPACE STATION
AND SEE THE EARTH AND ALSO SEE
THE STATION.
THERE IS THE TOUCH SCREEN PANELS
I TALKED ABOUT.
THOSE ARE BASICALLY WE ARE
SEATED IN THE CENTER TWO SEATS
FOR THE PILOT AND COMMANDER.
YOU WILL LOOK UP AND YOU CAN
TOUCH THOSE TOUCH SCREENS AND
SEE THEM THERE.
BELOW THE SEATS ARE PALLETS, WE
CALL PALLETS WHERE WE CAN NUT
CARGO AND WE WILL BE CARRYING
CARGO ON THIS MISSION.
QUESTION CARRIED CAR BOW ON THE
LAST MISSION, THE MISSION
1MISSION AND CARRY CARGO FOR
THE SPACE STATION.
IT IS VERY CRITICAL TO HAVE THE
STAFF AND THE THOSE RUNNING AND
LEADING THE SPACE STATION BUT
ALSO THEY NEED TO THE STUFF TO
DO THAT, NOT JUST FOOD AND WATER
AND SUPPLIES BUT THE SCIENCE,
AND CREW SIMILAR TO CARGO DRAGON
WILL BE ABLE TO CARRY POWERED
LOCKERS OR POWERED BASICALLY
FREEZERS AND REFRIGERATOR UNIT
THAT ARE ESPECIALLY DESIGNED TO
CARRY CERTAIN LIFE SCIENCE AND
OTHER EXPERIMENTS THAT GO UP ON
DRAGON THAT A LOT OF THOSE ARE
TIME CRITICAL AND TEMPERATURE
CRITICAL AND SO WE WILL BE
CARRYING THOSE AS WELL IN THAT
CARGO AREA ON CREW DRAGON.
AS WELL AS THE CARGO AREA, THERE
IS JUST A TON OF LITTLE CUBBIES
AND PLACES WHERE PEOPLE PUT
DIFFERENT THINGS.
THERE ARE CREW SUPPLIES, OF
COURSE, FOOD AND WATER, AND THEN
ALSO PERSONAL SUPPLIES THAT THE
CREW CAN BRING, THEIR PERSONAL
BELONGINGS, THEY HAVE A STOWAGE
FOR THAT.
YOU KNOW, DRAGON AS IT FUNCTIONS
IS BUILDING AGAIN ON DECADES OF
HERITAGE FOR THE THE CAPSULE
TYPE SPACECRAFT AND THEN -- AND
OF COURSE THERE ARE MANY
MISSIONS AND MANY YEARS ON THE
CARGO RESUPPLY VEHICLE, THE
DRAGON 1LINE, AND WHICH IS,
WHICH HAS FLOWN MANY TIMES.
AND SIMILAR TO DRAGON 1, CREW
DRAGON HAS, YOU KNOW, THE DRACO
THRUSTERS AND THAT'S OUR PRIMARY
CONTROL FOR MOVING AROUND IN
SPACE WHEN YOU ARE ON ORBIT, AS
I MENTIONED CREW DRAGON ALSO HAS
SUPER DRACOS FOR THE LAUNCH
ESCAPE SYSTEM.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE KEY
ASPECTS OF DRAGON.
THERE IS A NOSE CONE, A COOL
THING ABOUT CREW DRAGON AND
DRAGON 2IN GENERAL IS THE NOSE
CONE ACTUALLY, IT OPENS FOR
DOCKING AND THEN WHEN WE UNDOCK,
IT ACTUALLY CLOSES AND RETURNS,
IT IS NOT JETTISONED AND WILL
COME HOME WITH THE NOSE CONE AS
WELL AND IS FULLY REUSABLE.
>> WE HAVE ABOUT TEN MINUTES
LEFT SO IF YOU CAN LIMIT YOUR
QUESTIONS TO JUST ONE PART THAT
WILL HELP US GET THROUGH MORE OF
THE REQUESTS.
THE NEXT UP WE WILL GO TO ALAN
BOYLE AT TWEAK WIRE.
>> HI, THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY
QUESTION.
I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE TIME
FRAME FOR EXTENDED MISSION, YOU
HAVE TALKED ABOUT 119 DAYS OF
PERHAPS BEING THE MAXIMUM.
CAN YOU-- CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT
THE MINIMUM VERSUS THE MAXIMUM
ARE AND WHAT THE DECISION
TIMELINE MIGHT BE?
THANK YOU.
>> YES.
I WILL ADDRESS THAT QUESTION.
SO THE MINIMUM MISSION DURATION
IS REALLY ABOUT A MONTH AND THE
MAXIMUM AS I TALKED ABOUT IS 119
DAYS AND WE ARE REALLY, AGAIN,
TRYING TO DO BOTH A TEST FLIGHT
WITH THIS VEHICLE AND ALSO HAVE
THE VEHICLE DOCKED TO THE
STATION TO ALLOW BOB AND DOUG TO
AUGMENT THE STATION CREW.
AND REALLY, THE DECISION POINT
IS, HEY, IS DRAGON HEALTHY?
IS -- IS THE ADVOCATE PERFORMING
WELL, AND THEN WE WILL BE
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT
MISSION, THE CREW 1FLIGHT AND
LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE READINESS
AND TRYING TO DETERMINE, HEY,
WHAT IS THE SMART THING TO DO
RELATIVE TO THE MISSION
DURATION?
SO AGAIN, IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF
A VARIABLE, BUT IT IS ONE THAT I
THINK WE CAN MANAGE WELL AND WE
HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE SPACE
STATION PROGRAM ABOUT THIS AND
THE COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM AND
SPACEX AND THINK WE ARE ALL ON
THE SAME PAGE AS WE WOULD LIKE
TO FLY A MISSION THAT IS AS LONG
AS WE NEED TO FOR A TEST FLIGHT
BUT ALSO SUCH PORT SOME OF THE
SPACE STATION PROGRAM NEEDS AND
AUGMENT THEIR CREW CAPABILITY TO
DO THE SCIENCE AND OTHER
OPERATIONS AND STATIONS THE AND
ONCE WE ARE DOCKED THE RISK --
IF YOU LOOK AT THE RISK IN
SPACEFLIGHT THE RISK IN GENERAL
IS TWO BIG PARTS, IT IS THE
LAUNCH PHASE AND THEN THE
LANDING PHASE AND SO ONCE WE ARE
DOCKED TO THE SPACE STATION WE
CAN WAKE THE DRAGON UP ONCE A
WEEK AND CHECK THE SYSTEMS OUT
AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS
HEALTHY AND THEN LOOK AT THE
SOLAR ARRAY PERFORMANCE AND
DECIDE WHEN TO RETURN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
NEXT WE ARE GOING TO GO TO IVAN
CARON.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH A
QUESTION FOR BENJI.
HOW MANY PEOPLE FROM THE SPACEX
TEAM HAVE HAD COVID-19 OR HAVE
BEEN IN QUARANTINE SO PAR, IF
ANY?
>>
>> BOY, I WOULD NOT KNOW THAT.
I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL THAT
DATA FROM A NASA PERSPECTIVE.
I KNOW WE HAVE HAD EMPLOYEES IN
CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES WITH
COVID-19.
I REALLY WOULDN'T KNOW THAT
NUMBER.
>> WE CAN CHECK ON THAT AND GET
BACK TO YOU ON THAT QUESTION,
IVAN.
LET'S GO NOW TO ANDREA LINE
FELDER FROM THE HOUSTON
CHRONICLE.
>> HI.
I JUST WANT TO GET A LITTLE MORE
INFORMATION ON WHEN IT IS GOING
TO BE MANUALLY CONTROLLED AND
WHEN IT IS GOING TO BE AUTOMATED
WHEN YOU ARE LINE TOOKING WITH
THE SPACE STATION AND ALSO,
SORRY, TO CLARIFY HOW MANY DAYS
IT WILL TAKE TO GET THERE AND TO
LAND.
THANK YOU.
>> ANDREA, THANK YOU.
I CAN TAKE THAT QUESTION PRETTY
WELL.
THE TIME TO GET FROM THE LAUNCH
TO DOCKING IS A LITTLE BIT
VARIABLE.
FOR THE MAY, JUNE TIME FRAME, WE
ARE LOOKING AT ABOUT A TWO-DAY
RENDEZVOUS, ACTUALLY ABOUT 19
HOURS TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE
BUT AS THE SPACE STATION IS
MOVING AROUND THE EARTH, THE
DISTANCE AND WHAT WE CALL THE
PHASE BETWEEN THAT AND THE CAPE
IN FLORIDA IS VARIABLE, AND SO
THE DRAGON HAS THE CAPABILITY TO
GET TO SPACE STATION A LITTLE
BIT FASTER AND EVEN GET THERE ON
A ONE-DAY MISSION OR IN SOME
CASE AS THREE-DAY RENDEZVOUS
PROFILE AND THAT WILL BE
VARIABLE BASED UPON THE
PARTICULAR DAY THAT WE CHOOSE TO
LAUNCH AND THE SAME IS TRUE
COMING DOWN AS WELL, THAT TIME
TO GET THE CREW DOWN, WE ARE
TRYING TO GET A, HIT A VERY
SPECIFIC COAST OFF THE FLORIDA
AND THE ATLANTIC AND SO THAT
TIME WILL VARY BASED UPON THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE ISS AND THE
DRAGON AS IT COMES DOWN.
IN TERMS OF THE MANUAL TIME
PERIOD VERSUS THE AUTOMATED TIME
PERIOD, THERE ARE TWO PERIODS AS
I MENTIONED THAT ARE PLANNED FOR
MANUAL CONTROL, ONE IS EARLY ON
FLIGHT DAY ONE, AFTER THE
VEHICLE HAS LAUNCHED AND THEY
HAVE DONE THE INITIAL ACTIVATION
AND CHECKOUT, THERE IS A PERIOD
WHERE THE DRAGON IS ESSENTIALLY
COATING -- COASTING AS IT TRIES
TO CATCH UP WITH THE SPACE
STATION, AT THAT TIME WE EXPECT
THERE TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
THIS FIRST PART OF THE MANUAL
FLYING DEMONSTRATION, THERE
REASON A DEMONSTRATION OF THE
ATTITUDE CONTROL, SO ROLL,
PITCH, YAW, MAKING SURE THOSE
ARE WORKING BUT WON'T ACTUALLY
BE CHANGING THE TRAJECTORY OF
THE DRAGON ITSELF, IT IS JUST
ORIENTATION AND FROM THE SECOND
TIME, AT THAT POINT IT WILL
CONTINUE ITS AUTOMATED APPROACH
WITH THE BURNS PROGRAMMED BOTH
BY THE VEHICLE AND BY THE GROUND
CONTROLLERS AS IT GETS CLOSE, AS
IT GETS CLOSE TORE ISS AND THE
WITHIN 200METERS OR SO FROM THE
SPACATION IT WILL BE THE OTHER
MANUAL FLIGHT TEST THAT IS
PERFORMED BY THE CREW FLYING AND
THEN THOSE ARE .. REALLY THE
ONLY PLANNED TIMES, AGAIN THE
CREW HAS THE CAPABILITY OF
TAKING OVER REALLY AND DECIDE
THEIR OWN FATE IF THAT WAS
NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM
A MANUAL REENTRY, SPLASHDOWN
THEY HAVE A LOT OF CAPABILITIES.
WE HAVE VIGOROUSLY TESTED WITH
ALL OF THE SYSTEMS FROM
NAVIGATION CONTROL, REENTRY,
PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENTS AND SO
FORTH.
>> NEXT UP WE WILL GO TO LEAH
CRANE WITH NEW SCIENTIST.
>> LEAH, ARE YOU THERE?
I APOLOGIZE.
HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR A ME?
>> WE CAN.
GO AHEAD.
>> OKAY.
GREAT.
HI, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
I APOLOGIZE BUT I HAVE ANOTHER
CORONAVIRUS NAAH WHICH IS HOW
WILL THE ASTRONAUTS THEMSELVES
BE PROTECTED FROM INFECTING THE
ISS?
WILL THEY BE QUARANTINED FOR AN
EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE
THE LAUNCH?
>> YES.
I CAN TAKE THAT QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH A
NUMBER OF PRECAUTIONS WITH BOB
AND DOUG AS THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR A
FEW MONTHS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
SORT OF MINIMIZED CONTACT WITH
THEM FOR WEEKS NOW TO ENSURE
THAT THEY HAVE LESS CONTACT THAN
MOST PEOPLE WOULD.
THE THEY ONLY COME TO CERTAIN
TRAINING EVENTS WHERE THEY
REALLY NEED TO BE PRESENT.
A LOT OF TRAINING EVENTS ARE
DONE VIRTUALLY AND THEN THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT A PARTICULAR
TRAINING EVENT IS DRAMATICALLY
MINIMIZED AND THEN PEOPLE IN
CLOSE PROBLEMS IMTHE TOY BOB AND
DOUG, YOU KNOW, HAVE MASKS AND
GLOVES AND -- TO PROTECT BOB AND
DOUG AND ALSO THEY ARE SCREENED
FROM A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.
THEY WILL GO INTO A QUARANTINE
FOR FLIGHT.
RIGHT NOW I THINK FROM MAY27TH
THAT QUARANTINE STARTS AROUND
MAY16TH.
THEY WOULD COME ON SIGHT HERE AT
JSC AND BE IN THE CREW QUARTERS
FACILITY AND THEN THEY WILL FLY
DOWN TO NASA AIRCRAFT AND BE
QUARANTINED DOWN AT THE KENNEDY
SPACE CENTER JUST LIKE WE DID
FOR SPACE SHUTTLE AND OTHER
LAUNCHES.
SO WE HAVE GOT A ROBUST PLAN IN
PLACE TO PROTECT BOB AND DOUG
AND ENSURE THEY ARE HEALTHY WHEN
THEY GO FLY AND ALSO THAT WE
PROTECT THE SPACE STATION CREW
MEMBERS AS WELL.
>> OKAY WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THE
QUESTION NEXT FROM JULIE
ROULETTE FROM REUTERS.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING
THIS.
A QUESTION FOR ALL.
AFTER STARLINER HAD ITS FIVE
MINUTE BLOCKOUT WITH THE
SATELLITE NETWORK, HAS THE CREW
DRAGON TEAM TAKEN ANY STEPS TO
PREVENT THE SAME TYPE OF BLACK
YOUTH FROM OCCURRING AND ALSO
FOR STEVE, THE SPECIFIC DURATION
IS BASED ON THE READINESS OF THE
NEXT CREW LAUNCH AND IS IT BASED
ON ANY OTHER FACTORS AND IF SO
WHAT ARE THOSE FACTORS? THANKS.
>> YES.
I MEAN, I COULD TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE OFT FLIGHT AND THE
TEETER OUTAGE, THAT PARTICULAR
MISSION .. THE REASON THAT WE
HAD A TEETER OUTAGE WAS REALLY
NOT NECESSARILY A NETWORK
PROBLEM.
IT WASN'T A PROBLEM WITH THE
TEETERS SATELLITES OR THE
NETWORK IT WAS REALLY A PROBLEM
WITH THE TIME ON BOARD THE
STARLINER SPACECRAFT AND THAT
TIME BEING OFF AND SO THE
STARLINER REALLY WASN'T LOOKING
FOR THE TEETER SATELLITE IN THE
RIGHT LOCATION.
SO WE HAVE DONE ENORMOUS AMOUNT
OF TESTING WITH THE DRAGON TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE DRAGON
SPACECRAFT AND THE FALCON
9LAUNCH VEHICLE DON'T HAVE ANY
OF THOSE PROBLEMS.
IN FACT, THE SPACEX TEAM HAS
DONE EXTRA TESTS AFTER THAT
MISSION.
SO WE KNOW THAT THE DRAGON
SPACECRAFT KNOWS HOW TO FIND
TEETERS, IN FACT IT DID IT ON
THE DEMONSTRATION 1MISSION BACK
IN MARCH SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE
ANY CONCERNS THERE.
AND THEN WHAT WAS THE SECOND
PART OF YOUR QUESTION?
>> CAN THE SECOND PART WAS
WHETHER THE MISSION DURATION OF
CREW DRAGON IS BASED ON ANY
OTHER FACTORS OTHER THAN THE
TIMING OF THE NEXT COMMERCIAL
CREW LAUNCH.
>> REALLY, AGAIN, IT IS BASED ON
TWO THINGS, IS THE SPACECRAFT
HEALTHY?
IS IT DOING WELL?
DO WE SEE ANY PROBLEMS THAT WE
SHOULD RETURN EARLY?
BASED ON HOW THE DRAGON IS
PERFORMING AND THE SECOND ONE
REALLY IS WHEN WHEN IS THE NEXT
FLIGHT READY SO WE CAN HAVE OUR
FULL CREW ROTATION MISSION WHERE
WE HAVE FOUR CREW MEMBERS COMING
UP ON CREW ONE AND GO UP TO THE
FULL OPERATING CAPABILITY OF
DRAGON SO IT IS REALLY BASED ON
THOSE TWO THINGS.
>> WE ARE ONCE AGAIN OUT OF
TIME.
THANKS SO MUCH TO OUR BRIEFERS
AND EVERYONE WHO CALLED IN OR
SENT IN QUESTIONS.
WE WILL WRAP UP THIS BRIEFING
NOW BUT AGAIN YOU CAN STICK
AROUND, OUR FINAL BRIEFING OF
THE DAY IS COMING UP AT
1:00P.M. CENTRAL, 2:00P.M.
COMING WHERE WE WILL HAVE
DOUGLAS HURLEY HERE TO ANSWER
YOUR QUESTIONS.
WE WILL SEE YOU THEN.
THANKS.
WE WILL WRAP UP THIS BRIEFING
NOW BUT AGAIN YOU CAN STICK
AROUND, OUR FINAL BRIEFING OF
THE DAY IS COMING UP AT
1:00P.M. CENTRAL, 2:00P.M.
EASTERN WHEN WE WILL HAVE DEMO
2CREW MEMBERS -- AND DOUGLAS
HURLEY HERE TO ANSWER YOUR
QUESTIONS.
WE WILL SEE YOU THEN.
THANKS.