>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
WE ARE AWAITING DRAGON FREEDOM'S
DEPARTURE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION ON THE WAY BACK TO
PLANET EARTH.
WE EXPECT FREEDOM TO PUSH AWAY
FROM THE SPACE STATION AT
8:05A.M. PACIFIC TIME OR 11:05
EASTERN TIME WITH THE CREW OF
AX-2, PEGGY WHITSON, JOHN
SHOFFNER, ALI ALQARNI AND
RAYYANAH BARNAWI.
THE AX-2 SUITED UP.
MY NAME IS JESSE ANDERSON I AM
PRODUCTION MANAGER HERE IN
HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA, JOINING
ME TODAY IS DUKE BRADY, A MULTI
MEDIA SPECIALIST WITH AXIOM
SPACE.
>> THANK YOU, JESSE.
GREAT TO BE HERE.
IT IS ALL DOWN HILL FROM HERE.
>> IT IS.
GUIDING US THROUGH THE ACTION
TODAY AS DRAGON DEPARTS STATION
IS NASA'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
SANDRA JONES AT NASA'S JOHNSON
SPACE CENTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
HOW IS IT GOING, SANDRA?
>> HI, JESSE.
HI, DUKE.
THANKS.
GREAT TO BE HERE TODAY.
EVERYTHING GOING WELL HERE IN
MISSION CONTROL HOUSTON.
THE TEAM RECENTLY WRAPPED UP THE
HATCH CLOSURE PROCEDURES, AND WE
ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ON TIME
UNDOCKING LATER THIS MORNING.
>> THIS IS LIVE COVERAGE OF THE
BEGINNING OF THE RETURN TO EARTH
FOR AX-2, THE SECOND AXIOM SPACE
STATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
THIS WEB CASTING WILL FOLLOW THE
CREW'S DEPARTURE FROM THE ISS
AND CONCLUDE ONCE THEY HAVE
EXITED THE APPROACH ELLIPSOID
WHICH IS THE OUTER BOUNDARY OF
THE ISS.
THEN TONIGHT, AXIOM AND SPACEX
WILL PICK UP BACK WITH LIVE
COVERAGE AN HOUR BEFORE
SPLASHDOWN TO SHARE THE
CONCLUSION OF THIS EVENT.
FOR THOSE FOLLOWING ALONG, AX-2
CONSISTS OF COMMANDER PEGGY
WHITSON, PILOT JOHN SHOFFNER AND
SAUDI ALI ALQARNI AND RAYYANAH
BARNAWI THE FOUR LAUNCHED SUNDAY
AND ARRIVED AT STATION AT 15.5
HOURS WHICH IS THE FASTEST
LAUNCH FOR THE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT
MISSION.
IT HAS BEEN A JOY AND PRIVILEGE
TO SEE OUR FRIENDS FULFILLING
THEIR DREAMS THEN MAKING AN
IMPACT FROM SPACE.
THEY ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED THEIR
GOALS DURING THE MISSION AND
GROUNDBREAKING SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH TRULY ENGAGING IN
HEARTWARMING ROUTE EVEN AND MADE
THE MOST OF THEIR TIME IN ORBIT.
SPEAKING OR THE AXIOM SPACE TEAM
WE CANNOT BE MORE PROUD OF THIS
CREW AND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED.
THERE ARE CERTAINLY A LOT OF
HUGS WAITING FOR THEM WHEN THEY
GET HOME AND REST EVENTUALLY BUT
BEFORE THAT BEGINS WE GET TO
SHARE THE JOURNEY BACK TO EARTH
WITH ALL OF YOU RIGHT NOW.
>> WE LOOK AT A NUMBER OF
WEATHER ITEMS SOME OF THE
OBVIOUS ONES ARE NO RAIN OR NO
CHANCE OF LIGHTNING IN THE
RECOVERY ZONE FOR THE SAFETY OF
THE CREW INSIDE OF THE CAPSULE
AND THE RECOVERY TEAMS ON THE
WATER.
WE ALSO ARE LOOKING FOR WIND
SPEEDS LESS THAN TEN MILES PER
HOUR AND RELATIVELY CALM SEAS,
SO WE CAN SAFELY PERFORM THE
RECOVERY OPERATIONS WHICH
INCLUDES LANDING A HELICOPTER TO
FLY THE CREW.
ONCE THAT DRAGON DEPARTS THE
CREW'S FLIGHT HOME EXPECTED TO
LAST APPROXIMATELY 12 HOURS.
DRAGON WILL ALSO EXECUTE A
PHASING BURN TO LOW EARTH ORBIT
AND LINE THE SPACECRAFT UP WITH
THE LANDING LOCATIONS BEFORE
DEPARTURE BURNS GRADUALLY
INCREASE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
THE SPACECRAFT AND THE SPACE
STATION.
DRAGON WILL ALSO EXECUTE A
PHASING BURN TO LOW EARTH ORBIT
AND LINE THE SPACECRAFT UP WITH
THE PLANNING LOCATION THEN THE
ACTION STARTS TO PICK UP, PICK
UP SPACE WITH TRUNK SEPARATION,
CLOSURE OF THE NOSE CONE, A
PREORBIT BONE, RE-ENTRY,
DEPLOYMENT AND MAIN PARACHUTES
THEN FINALLY SPLASHDOWN OFF THE
COAST OF FLORIDA, AT WHICH POINT
THE TEAMS WILL RECOVER THE CREW.
THEY TARGETED OFF THE COAST OF
FLORIDA THIS EVENING AT
8:09P.M. SPECIFIC TIME OR 11:09
EASTERN TIME FOLLOWED BY THE
CREW GETTING PICKED UP AT THE
SPACEX RECOVERY VESSELS FOR
THOSE INTERESTED IN KEEPING TABS
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FOLLOW
DRAGON TRACKER ON SPACEX.COM
AS A REMINDER, THE APPROACH OF
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
DRAGON'S DEPARTURE AND DEORBIT
IS DESIGNED TO BE FULLY
AUTONOMOUS REQUIRING NO ACTION
FROM THE CREW ONBOARD.
LET'S GO NOW TO SANDRA JONES TO
HEAR ABOUT HOW THE CREW HAS BEEN
PREPARING FOR THEIR RETURN AND
WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM HERE
UNTIL DRAGON DEPARTS FROM
STATION.
SANDRA?
>> THANKS, DUKE.
WELCOME TO MISSION CONTROL
HOUSTON AT THE JOHNSON SPACE
CENTER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY INSIDE OF THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
FLIGHT CONTROL ROOM WHERE THE
TEAM OF FLIGHT CONTROLLERS ARE
BEING LED BY NASA FLIGHT
DIRECTOR.
WE BROUGHT YOU LIVE COVERAGE OF
HATCH CLOSURE IN WHICH THE AXIOM
2 CREW SUITED UP, REENTERED THE
SPACEX FREEDOM VEHICLE AND
CLOSED THE HATCH BETWEEN
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND
FREEDOM.
WE ARE NOW AWAY FROM THE
UNDOCKING AND WILL BE LOOKING
AHEAD TO THE GO NO GO POLL FOR A
UNDOCKING HERE IN A COUPLE OF
MINUTES.
WELL IT HAS BEEN A BUSY MORNING
HERE IN MISSION CONTROL HOUSTON
WITH UNDOCKING.
THE AXIOM 2 CREW IS ONBOARD THE
STATION IN ANTICIPATION OF THEIR
RETURN HOME.
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, THE
ASTRONAUTS WORKED TO PACK DRAGON
WITH CARGO.
DRAGON WILL RETURN MORE THAN
300POUNDS OF CARGO BACK TO
EARTH.
THAT CARGO INCLUDES SCIENTIFIC
EXPERIMENTS.
>> SPACEX ON THE BIG LOOP.
THE CREW TOOK TIME TO GET IN THE
SPACESUITS.
DRAGON WILL RETURN MORE THAN 300
POUNDS OF CARGO BACK TO EARTH.
THAT CARGO INCLUDES SCIENTIFIC
EXPERIMENTS.
NASA TEAMS WILL MAKE THE FINAL
CALL FOR DRAGON'S DEPARTURE.
THIS IS ONE OF MANY CHECK POINTS
IN THE RETURN THAT WILL CONTINUE
ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL JUST BEFORE
THE DEORBIT BURN.
THIS GIVES MISSION MANAGERS
MULTIPLE CHANCES THE WEATHER AND
SPLASHDOWN ZONES AND MAKE SURE
EVERYTHING IS LINING UP BEFORE
DRAGON DEPARTS.
SO WE'LL STAND BY FOR THE FINAL
NO GO,BUT FOR NOW EVERYTHING
CONTINUING TO LOOK GOOD FOR ON
TIME DEPARTURE.
AND WE DID HEAR CONFIRMATION
THAT DRAGON FREEDOM IS A GO TO
UNDOCK.
AGAIN WE ARE TARGETING
10:05A.M. CENTRAL TIME THIS
MORNING FOR THE UNDOCKING.
THE JOINT TEAM DID SAY
EVERYTHING IS PROCEEDING
SMOOTHLY.
CURRENTLY DRAGON IS IN THE FINAL
CONFIGURATION BEFORE UNDOCKING.
NOW JUST LIKE THE APPROACH TO
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
FOR DOCKING, DRAGON'S DEPARTURE
OF UNDOCKING AND DEORBIT IS
FULLY AUTONOMOUS.
REQUIRING NO ACTION FROM THE
CREW.
ONCE DRAGON DEPARTS THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
THE FLIGHT HOME IS EXPECTED TO
LAST A LITTLE MORE THAN 12
HOURS.
DRAGON WILL USE THE DRACO
THRUSTERS TO THRUST AWAY FROM
THE STATION IN A SERIES OF
CHOREOGRAPHED MANEUVERS OF FOUR
DEPARTURE BURNS WHICH INCREASE
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE
SPACECRAFT AND THE SPACE
STATION.
DRAGON WILL ALSO EXECUTE A
PHASING BURN TO LOWER THE ORBIT
AND LINE THE SPACECRAFT UP WITH
THE LANDING ZONE.
TODAY'S SPLASHDOWN ZONE IS OFF
THE COAST OF FLORIDA.
WE ARE TARGETING PANAMA CITY.
THE WEATHER LOOKING GREAT IN
PANAMA CITY.
NOW FOLLOWING THE PHASING BURN
TO LOWER THE ORBIT, THE ACTION
WILL REALLY START TO PICK UP
WITH TRUNK SEPARATION, CLOSURE
OF THE NOSE CONE, THE DEORBIT
BURN, THE RE-ENTRY BURN, THEN
DEPLOYMENT OF THE MAIN
PARACHUTES FINALLY SPLASHDOWN
WILL OCCUR OFF THE COAST OF
FLORIDA.
FOLLOWING SPLASH DOWN, THE AXIOM
2 CREW WILL BE RECOVERED FROM
FREEDOM AND PLACED ONBOARD THE
RECOVERY VESSEL BEFORE FLYING ON
A HELICOPTER BACK TO LAND.
SO AGAIN, WE DID HEAR THAT
CONFIRMATION THAT DRAGON IS A GO
TO UNDOCK, SO NOW WE ARE WAITING
OR THE UNDOCKING SEQUENCE TO
ACTUALLY BEGIN.
ONCE THAT HAPPENS, IT WILL TAKE
LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES FOR
DRAGON TO SEPARATE FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
THE FIRST STEP IN THE AUTOMATIC
UNDOCKING SEQUENCE IS FOR THE
UMBILICALS TO RETRACT THESE
UMBILICALS TO CONNECT TO THE
SPACE STATION TRANSFERRING THE
POWER, TELEMETRY AND COMMAND
BETWEEN TWO VEHICLES THROUGHOUT
DRAGON TODAY.
ONCE UMBILICAL SEPARATION IS
COMPLETE.
DRAGON WILL UNLATCH ITSELF FROM
THE SPACE STATION BY RELEASING
THE 12 CAPTURE HOOKS IN TWO
SEPARATE PHASES.
ALL OF THAT COMBINED TAKES LESS
THAN FIVE MINUTE THEN DRAGON
WILL BE READY TO DEPART FROM THE
SPACE STATION AND PUSH ITSELF
AWAY FROM THE THRUSTERS.
NOW DRAGON'S INITIAL DEPARTURE
FROM SPACE STATION IS A LITTLE
DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DOCKED
EFFECTS LIKE THE SOYUZ THAT RELY
TO PUSH THEM AWAY FROM THE
DOCKING PORT.
DRAGON WILL ACTUALLY EXECUTE TWO
SHORT THRUSTER FIRINGS UNDOCKED
GIVING A COMBINATION OF THE 12
DRACO ENGINES AROUND THE BASE OF
THE CAPSULE.
THE FIRST TWO HOPE TO BREAK ANY
FRICTION BETWEEN DRAGON AND THE
DOCKING PORT AND THE SECOND WILL
BE AWAY.
SO WE ARE EXPECTING THE CALL FOR
THE UNDOCKING SEQUENCE TO BEGIN
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES FROM NOW.
ALL RIGHT.
WE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES
AWAY FROM THE UNDOCKING COMMAND
TO BE SENT.
AGAIN, IT WILL BE A FIVE-MINUTE
PROCESS BETWEEN THE TIME THE
UNDOCKING COMMAND IS SENT AND
THE TIME THE DRAGON ACTUALLY
UNDOCKS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
ONCE THAT UNDOCKING COMMAND IS
SENT, THE FIRST THING WE'LL BE
LOOKING FOR A CALL-OUT FOR IS
THAT UMBILICALS WILL RETRACT.
THEN WE WILL BEING LOOKING AHEAD
FOR THE HOOKS TO OPEN THEN TWO
SHORT UNDOCKING BURNS WILL OCCUR
MARKING THE OFFICIAL UNDOCKING
OF CREW DRAGON FREEDOM FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
NOW TEN SECONDS AWAY FROM THE
COMMAND BEING SENT.
DRAGON SPACEX ON THE BIG LOOP
UNDOCK SEE FENCE COMMANDED.
DRAGON.
THIS IS CONFIRMATION OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF THE UNDOING
SEQUENCE THAT BEGUN AND THE
UMBILICALS RETRACTING.
HEARING GOOD CALLS ON THE
UMBILICALS SO FAR.
HEARING GOOD CALL ON THE
UMBILICALS SO FAR.
>> UMBILICAL DEMATE NOMINAL.
UMBILICAL DEMATE WAS SUCCESSFUL,
AND AS EXPECTED.
SO THE UMBILICAL HAS BEEN
RETRACKED THEN THE FIRST SET OF
HOOKS, THE FIRST SET OF SIX ARE
BEGINNING TO RETRACT.
AGAIN THE UMBILICAL HAS
RETRACKED THEN THE FIRST SET OF
SIX HOOKS OF 12 ARE RETRACTED
THEN THEY TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE
THAN TWO MINUTES TO FULLY
RETRACT.
THEN ON THE SCREEN YOU CAN SEE
THE TEAM HERE IN MISSION CONTROL
HOUSTON.
WE ARE STILL IN WHAT WE CALL
INTEGRATED OPERATIONS WHILE WE
ARE WORKING ALONG SPACEX AND
AXIOM, BUT FOLLOWING THE
UNDOCKING THIS MORNING, WE'LL
TURN IT OVER TO AXIOM AND SPACEX
TO TAKE IT THE REST OF THE WAY
HOME AS CREW DRAGON FREEDOM
PREPARES TO SPLASHDOWN OFF THE
COAST OF PANAMA CITY FLORIDA
THIS EVENING AT 1:00 P.M.
CENTRAL TIME.
THAT FIRST SET OF SIX HOOKS
CONTINUING TO RETRACT.
>> DRAGON SPACE ON THE BIG LOOP
FOR THE FIRST SET OF HOOKS OPEN
AND NOMINAL.
DRAGON, COPY.
AND YOU DID HEAR THE
CONFIRMATION THERE THAT THE
FIRST SET OF HOOKS HAS
SUCCESSFULLY RETRACTED.
EVERYTHING CONTINUING TO GO AS
PLANNED, THE SECOND SET OF HOOKS
ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF
RETRACTING.
THE SECOND SET OF HOOKS ARE NOW
IN THE PROCESS OF RETRACTING.
THE SECOND SET OF HOOKS WILL
TAKE ABOUT TWO MINUTES AS WELL
TO RETRACT.
WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH THE
SECOND SET OF HOOKS.
THE SECOND SET OF HOOKS
CONTINUING TO RETRACT.
DRAGON SPACEX ON THE BIG LOOP.
OPEN.
DRAGON SEPARATION CONFIRMED.
AND WE DO HAVE CONFIRMATION OF
CREW DRAGON FREEDOM UNDOCKING AT
10:05A.M. CENTRAL OVER THE
TASMANIAN SEA.
AND YOU ARE SEEING A VIDEO OF
THAT SEPARATION ON YOUR SCREEN
RIGHT NOW.
THE DRAGON HAS STARTED TO PUSH
ITSELF AWAY FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, AND
WITH THAT, PEGGY WHITSON, JOHN
SHOFFNER AND ALI ALQARNI,
RAYYANAH BARNAWI AND CONFIRMED
SEPARATION AT 1:00 A.M. CENTRAL
TIME.
>> DRAGON SPACEX ON THE BIG
LOOP.
NOMINAL.
>> AND WE ARE HEARING GOOD
CONFIRMATION OF THE UNDOCKING.
>> CONGRATULATIONS ON AN
OUTSTANDING MISSION.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT
GENEROSITY.
WE GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
I WISH YOU CALM SEAS AND CALM
WINDS FOR YOUR SPLASHDOWN THIS
EVENING.
TAKE CARE.
FLY SAFE.
STATION.
>> AND HOUSTON, COPY.
AND HOUSTON, COPY.
COPY.
AND SOME KIND WORDS THERE
BETWEEN AXIOM 2 COMMANDER PEGGY
WHITSON AND STEVE BOWEN, WHO IS
ONBOARD THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION MONITORING TODAY'S
UNDOCKING.
NOW LIT UP THIS, YOU JUST SAW
THE SPLASHES FROM THE THRUSTERS
AS THE DEPARTURE BURNS CONTINUE
TO TAKE PLACE.
SHORT BURNS HELP INCREASE THE
SPEED IN WHICH DRAGON IS FLYING
AWAY FROM THE SPACE STATION AND
START TO SEND IT ON TRAJECTORY
UP AND OVER THE INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION.
AND THERE YOU CAN SEE THE
THRUSTER FIRINGS LIGHTING UP THE
SOYUZ VEHICLE DOCKED TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
THE NEXT BURN WE ARE TRACKING IS
THE DEPARTURE BURN WHICH WILL
HELP INCREASE THE INITIAL
OPENING RATE BETWEEN THE CREW
DRAGON AND THE SPACE STATION.
THE BURN WILL LAST 20 SECONDS.
THIS DEPARTURE BURN IS SLATED TO
BEGIN JUST ABOUT TWO MINUTES
FROM NOW.
FOLLOWING THIS BURN THE CREW
WILL START TO TAKE OFF THE
SPACESUITS UNTIL IT IS TIME TO
DEORBIT.
THEY DO WEAR THEIR LAUNCH AND
LANDING LAUNCH AND LAUNCH
REENTRY DURING THE DYNAMIC
PHASES OF FLIGHT.
HOWEVER DURING THE 12 HOUR
JOURNEY TO SPLASHDOWN THEY WILL
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE
SPACESUITS OFF AND GET
COMFORTABLE.
AND THEN THEY WILL PUT THE
SPACESUITS BACK ON AHEAD OF
SPLASHDOWN LATER THIS EVENING.
NOW ONE MINUTE UNTIL THE
DEPARTURE BEGINS.
AGAIN THE 20-SECOND BURN IS
GOING TO HELP TO CONTINUE TO
REPEL FREEDOM AWAY FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
AND SHORTLY AFTER THE DEPARTURE
BURN OCCURS, FREEDOM WILL EXIT
THE KEEP-OUT
SPHERE IS IMAGINARY SPHERE
WHICH IS 200 METERS IN RADIUS
AROUND THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION AND IT IS ONE OF SEVERAL
SAFETY ZONES TO SET UP TO GOVERN
THE SPACECRAFT EITHER ARRIVING
OR DEPARTING THE SPACE STATION.
BEFORE MOVING IN, SPACECRAFT HAS
TO BE CONFIGURED WHERE THEY
WOULD NOT CROSS THE BOUNDARY FOR
FOUR ORBITS EVEN IF THE
SPACECRAFT WERE TO LOSE ALL THE
MANEUVERING.
DEPART BURN ONE UNDER WAY.
AND YOU ARE SEEING THOSE
THRUSTER FIRINGS ONBOARD DRAGON.
AGAIN THIS BORN IS USING THE
DRACO THRUSTERS AND DEPARTURE
BURN ONE NOMINAL AND ALL DRAGON
SYSTEMS LOOK HEALTHY.
AT TIME, ARE A GO TO DOCK SUITS.
AND FINALLY, REMINDER THAT THE
BIG LOOP WILL BE DEACTIVATED
FOLLOWING THE EXIT FROM THE
APPROACH ELLIPSOID.
>> DRAGON, COPY.
AND WITH THAT CALL-OUT OF
SUCCESSFUL DEPARTURE BURN ONE.
THE CREW NOW HAS A TWO TO GET
OUT THINK OF SPACESUITS TO GET
COMFORTABLE FOR THE 12-HOUR
JOURNEY UNTIL SPLASHDOWN.
CONTINUING TO GET SOME VIEWS,
CONTINUING TO GET SOME VIEWS OF
FREEDOM AS IT BACKS AWAY FROM
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
AND WE JUST GOT WORD THAT DRAGON
HAS EXITED.
>> HOUSTON.
>> THAT IMAGINARY SPHERE 200
METERS IN RADIUS AROUND THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND
ON THE SCREEN HERE.
YOU CONTINUE TO SEE FREEDOM BACK
AWAY.
YOU ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SEE THE
WINDOWS ON THE VEHICLE AND CAN
KIND OF MAKE OUT THE CREW INSIDE
AS THEY CONTINUE TO GET SMALLER
AND SMALLER MAKING THE WAY BACK
HOME.
THE NEXT MAJOR MILESTONE THAT WE
ARE TRACKING THIS MORNING IS
WHEN DRAGON EXITS THE APPROACH
ELLIPSOID OR AP.
THIS IS ANOTHER IMAGINARY SHAPE,
THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL ELLIPSOID
MEASURING 4X2X2KILOMETERS.
IT IS IN THE SAME FAMILY AS THE
KEEP-OUT SPHERE.
ONE OF THE KEY DIFFERENCES WITH
THE APPROACH ELLIPSOID IS THE
VEHICLE HAS TO BE ON A 24-HOUR
SAFE PREDRIFT TRAJECTORY.
AND WE ARE GETTING SOME REALLY
GREAT VIEWS OF DRAGON HERE AS IT
CONTINUES TO UNDOCK FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
YOU CAN SEE THE NOSE CONE IS
OPEN AND THE NOSE CONE WILL
CLOSE AND THE TRUNK WILL BE
DEORBITED.
AND WITH EVERYTHING CONTINUING
TO GO SMOOTHLY HERE IN MISSION
CONTROL HOUSTON, WE ARE AWAITING
FOR DRAGON TO EXIT THE APPROACH
ELLIPSOID FOLLOWING THE ON TIME
UNDOCKING THIS MORNING AT
10:05A.M. CENTRAL TIME.
DRAGON HAS COMPLETED A SERIES OF
BURNS TO PACK AWAY FROM THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
AGAIN, EVERYTHING GOING OK THIS
MORNING HERE IN MISSION CONTROL
HOUSTON.
SO I WILL TOSS IT OVER TO
HAWTHORNE TO GIVE US AN UPDATE
SO THEY CAN SHARE A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO SEE
UNDOCKING FROM THEIR
PERSPECTIVE.
>> AWESOME.
THANK YOU, SANDRA.
IF YOU ARE JUST NOW JOINING US
YOU ARE WATCHING THE UNDOCKING
OF THE DRAGON FREEDOM VEHICLE
CARRYING THE AX-2 CREWMEMBERS AS
THEY MAKE THE WAY BACK DOWN HOME
TO EARTH.
AND JUST AS DRAGON FULLY
AUTONOMOUSLY FROM THE ISS, IT IS
AUTONOMOUSLY FLYING THEM BACK
DOWN TO EARTH AS WELL, SO ALL
THE MANEUVERS THAT YOU ARE
SEEING ARE FULLY AUTONOMOUS AND
WE HAVE SEEN A FEW BURNS, ONCE
THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF THE
KEEP-OUT SPHERE, THAT IT CAN
PERFORM DEORBIT BURN AND MAKE
THE WAY BACK DOWN TO EARTH, SO
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AS DRAGON
RETURNS IS THE DRUNK WILL BE
JETTISONED THEN ONCE WE JETTISON
THE TRUNK THEN THE VEHICLE CAN
REORIENT ITSELF FOR MAKING THE
WAY BACK TO THE EARTH AND THEN,
THEN THE MARA CHUTES WILL DEPLOY
AND THE CREW WILL SAFELY
TOUCHDOWN IN THE OCEAN OFF THE
COAST OF FLORIDA.
NOW, JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS IS
THE SECOND FLIGHT FOR THIS
DRAGON SPECIFICALLY DRAGON
FREEDOM AND IT FLEW FIRST FLEW
ON CREW IN APRIL IN 2022 THIS IS
ALSO THE TENTH HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT
MISSION IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
>> WOW.
EXCITING STUFF.
WELL, AXIOM SPACE, THE MISSION
SERVE AS A PRECURSOR IN
DEVELOPING THE SYSTEMS AND
RELATIONSHIPS NECESSARY TO
OPERATING THE OCEAN STATION
UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
FOR PEGGY WHITSON, JOHN SHOFFNER
AND ALI ALQARNI AND RAYYANAH
BARNAWI, THIS HAS BEEN
INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL MISSION.
THE ISS AXIOM 2 IS IMPORTANT
STEP IN THE ACADEMIC AND
INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS TO PERFORM
CRUCIAL CONCEPT STUDIES IN
MICROGRAVITY DURING THE TIME ON
THE ORBITING WILL BE STORY THE
AX-2 SUCCESSFULLY OVER 20
OUTREACH ENGAGEMENTS IN 20
DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTS AS WELL AS
EIGHT MEDIA EVENTS THEY UTILIZED
NOVEL TECHNOLOGY ON ORBIT THAT
COULD BE USED FOR FUTURE HUMAN
SPACEFLIGHTS THEN BENEFIT HUMAN
KIND ON EARTH RETURNING WITH
THEM IN THE SPACEX DRAGON
FREEDOM IS MORE THAN 300POUNDS
OF CARGO, AND SUPPORT DATA THAT
WILL IMPACT THE PHYSIOLOGY ON
ETHER AND ON ORBIT.
BEYOND THAT, THEY HAD A FEW
MOMENTS TO TAKEN THE VIEW UNLIKE
ANY FOUND ON EARTH LOOKING AT
THE PLANET FROM 250MILES ABOVE.
SO FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE
INCREDIBLE WORK PERFORMED BY THE
CREW AND ON ORBIT CHECK OUT THE
AXIOM SPACE P.COM RESEARCH
WEBSITE.
IT IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE TO
SEE ALL OF THE WORK THEY PERFORM
ON STATION PLUG BACK TO DATA
ANALYZED AND EVERYTHING REALLY
GIVEN SORT OF THE FULL BREADTH
OF KNOWLEDGE ONCE THEY GET BACK
HER ON EARTH.
YEAH.
DUKE, THAT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE
MISSION SO FAR, AND WE ARE GOING
TO SEND IT BACK OVER TO HOUSTON,
TEXAS, MISSION CONTROL WITH
SANDRA JONES.
HOW IS IT GOING, SANDRA?
>> THANKS, JESSE AND DUKE.
EVERYTHING STILL CONTINUING TO
GO SMOOTHLY HERE IN MISSION
CONTROL HOUSTON.
WE ARE STANDING BY FOR DRAGON
FREEDOM TO EXIT THAT APPROACH
ELLIPSOID.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS 4X4X2 ZONE
AROUND THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE
STATION.
AND WITH THE VEHICLE MUST BE ON
THE 20-HOUR SAFE TRAJECTORY FROM
INTERFERING WITH SPACE STATION.
EVEN IF IT LOST ALL MANEUVERING
CAPABILITIES.
WE ARE JUST A FEW MINUTES A WAY
FROM THE EXPECTED APPROACH
ELLIPSOID EXIT.
NOW ONCE THAT APPROACH ELLIPSOID
EXIT DOES OCCUR, THE TEAM HERE
IN MISSION CONTROL WILL CONTINUE
TO MONITOR EVERY STEP OF THE
WAY, BUT THE PRIME
RESPONSIBILITY ONCE THEY EXIT
APPROACH ELLIPSOID WILL BE ON
THE SPACEX AND AXIOM SPACE.
SO GAIN, JUST A FEW MINUTES WAY
FROM THE APPROACH ELLIPSOID EXIT
WE ARE TARGETING THAT EXIT FOR
10:25A.M. CENTRAL.
ANOTHER THING THAT WILL HAPPEN
ONCE THE CREW EXITS THE APPROACH
ELLIPSOID IS THAT INTEGRATED
COMMUNICATIONS LOOP CALLED THE
BIG LOOP WILL BE TAKEN DOWN AND
WE ARE NO LONGER IN THOSE
INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS.
AND AT THIS TIME, CREW DRAGON
FREEDOM IS 916METERS AWAY FROM
THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.
JUST ABOUT A MINUTE UNTIL EXITED
EXIT FROM THE APPROACH
ELLIPSOID.
>> DRAGON SPACEX, COM CHECK
DRAGON TO GROUND.
>> THANKS, DRAGON.
COM CHECK ON DRAGON TO GROUND.
>> DRAGON TO GROUND.
AT THIS TIME, WE JUST EXITED THE
APPROACH ELLIPSOID AND DRAGON IS
ON A SAFE FREE TRAJECTORY AND I
AM LETTING YOU KNOW WE ARE GOING
TO TAKE DOWN THE BIG LOOP HERE
SHORTLY.
>> OK.
COPY.
THANKS.
>> AND WE DID HE GO AT THE
CONFIRMATION THAT DRAGON HAS
SUCCESSFULLY EXITED THE APPROACH
ELLIPSOID AND CONTINUING THEIR
JOURNEY BACK TO EARTH.
WITH THAT FROM HERE IN MISSION
CONTROL HOUSTON.
WE WILL CONCLUDE OUR COVERAGE OF
THIS MISSION AND HAND IT OVER TO
TEAMS AT SPACEX AND AXIOM TO
TAKE IT FROM HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US
FOR OUR COVERAGE TODAY OF HATCH
CLOSURE AND UNDOCKING.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, THIS IS MISSION
CONTROL HOUSTON.
>> AWESOME, THANKS, SANDRA.
NOW PEGGY WHITSON, JOHN
SHOFFNER, ALI ALQARNI AND RAY
YAW GNAW BARNAWI DEPARTED IT
WILL TAKE 12 HOURS UNTIL THEY
MAKE THE WAY BACK TO EARTH.
NEXT UP, THE CREW WILL DOCK THE
SPACESUITS TO GET A LITTLE BIT
MORE AFTER A BRIEF OFF-DUTY
PERIOD THE CREW WILL BEGIN FINAL
CABIN PREPARATIONS.
APPROXIMATELY 6.5 FROM NOW THEY
WILL DONE OR PUT BACK ON THE
SPACESUITS AND BEGIN FINAL
PREPARATION FOR ENTRY AND
SPLASHDOWN.
OUR TEAMS HERE ON THE DOWN FROM
WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON
THE WEATHER TO ENSURE A SAFE
RETURN OF EARTH FOR DRAGON AND
THE AX-2 CREW.
STARTING AT 11:00 P.M. EASTERN
AND 8:04 THIS EVENING THE AXIOM
AND SPACEX WILL PICK UP LIVE
COVERAGE OF THE CONCLUSION OF
THE AX-2 MISSION.
SHOULD TEAMS NEED TO ADJUST THE
TILING IT IS A OUR PLAN TO GO
LIVE AN BEFORE SPLASHDOWN FOR
THE LATEST ON THE TIMING OF THE
FINAL STAGE, BE SURE THAT
VISITAR AXIOM SPACE.COM AND
TRACK ON SPACEX!
COM SPLASH LAUNCH.
THANK TO NASA FOR THE INCREDIBLE
EFFORTS MADE ON THE MISSION FOR
THE SHARED GOAL OF EX PANELING
ACCESS TO LOW EARTH ORBIT TO
INCLUDE MORE COUNTRIES,
INSTITUTION, I HAVES AND
INDIVIDUALS THAN EVER BEFORE.
THIS IS HOW WE ARE BUILDING
HISTORY.
THANK YOU, JESSE SHALL FOR
SHARING THE DESK WITH ME.
IT HAS BEEN AN HOUR.
THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING THE
CULMINATION OF THE MISSION WITH