Launch News The Crew Dragon test flight on January 7, 2019

[perseus]

SpaceX has announced the date of its next rocket launch.
The Crew Dragon capsule will be sent on its first test flight on January 7, 2019.
The Crew Dragon capsule has been in the works for several years.
Its purpose is to eventually transport astronauts to locations such as the International Space Station (ISS).
The capsule includes seven seats and four windows.
The first flight of the Crew Dragon will be called the Demo-1 and will sit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The launch will take place from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
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[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dfj-i0yGm0"]SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Test Flight Date Announced - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Crew Dragon vertical on pad 39A.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/01/...ket-roll-out-to-pad-39a-in-florida-for-tests/

 

[jedidia]

Damn, I didn't realize that they might achieve crewed capability already this year.
We may see the first new crewed spacecraft go into operation since STS. Don't know about you, but that makes me pretty excited.

 

[IronRain]

Damn, I didn't realize that they might achieve crewed capability already this year.
We may see the first new crewed spacecraft go into operation since STS. Don't know about you, but that makes me pretty excited.

Me as well!

 

[IronRain]

Spaceflight Now: https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/01/...ket-roll-out-to-pad-39a-in-florida-for-tests/

Nasaspaceflight: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/01/falcon-9-dragon-2-rolls-out-dry-dress-rehearsal-39a/

 

[4throck]

Indeed, this is a major leap forward and will open up access to space once again.

Sure, it's only a simple capsule, but we also still use propeller aircraft...

 

[fred18]

the idea of people onboard of a new spaceship it's really a game changer in the feeling I get. We saw tests of a variety of rockets (falcon 9 and heavy, blue origin, ares...) with a variety of ships (orion, dragon 1), we also saw a car going to mars but there was never anybody onboard. I think the last new space ship with crew that was launched was the shuttle in 1981 right? so if this is correct when the dragon 2 will be manned it will be the first in 38 years... I am slightly younger than that so it will be a first in my life :yes:

 

[GLS]

I think the last new space ship with crew that was launched was the shuttle in 1981 right? so if this is correct when the dragon 2 will be manned it will be the first in 38 years... I am slightly younger than that so it will be a first in my life :yes:

Nop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenzhou_5

 

[jedidia]

Whoops, forgot about that one. But that was never intended to go serial as far as I remember, so this feels quite a bit different.

 

[fred18]

Nop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenzhou_5

you're right! Anyway I was too young to feel it as it feels like the "western" ones, no offense for anybody, it's just advertised differently.

 

[Kyle]

Nop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenzhou_5

Nope


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipOne


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipTwo

 

[GLS]

Nope


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipOne


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipTwo

Nop, the chinese got both to space and orbit first. :shrug:

 

[4throck]

the last new space ship with crew that was launched was the shuttle

You had more than one shuttle :lol: and they were all a bit different!

But yes, the Dragon is different and feels different!

 

[jedidia]

Nope


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipOne


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceShipTwo

Orbit or it didn't happen! :lol:

 

[IronRain]

[ame="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1081405732107370497"]SpaceX on Twitter: "Preparing to return human spaceflight capabilities to the United States, Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 went vertical at historic Launch Complex 39A in Florida.… https://t.co/YM7CFCUaQq"[/ame]

 

[boogabooga]

the idea of people onboard of a new spaceship it's really a game changer in the feeling I get. We saw tests of a variety of rockets (falcon 9 and heavy, blue origin, ares...) with a variety of ships (orion, dragon 1), we also saw a car going to mars but there was never anybody onboard. I think the last new space ship with crew that was launched was the shuttle in 1981 right? so if this is correct when the dragon 2 will be manned it will be the first in 38 years... I am slightly younger than that so it will be a first in my life :yes:

Guys, the article clearly says that this will be an unmanned test.

 

[jedidia]

Guys, the article clearly says that this will be an unmanned test.

Yes, but it also says that if successful, manned tests could happen as early as the middle of this year.

 

[fred18]

Guys, the article clearly says that this will be an unmanned test.

yeah, sure, but I was not talking about this test in particular but about the fact that it seems possible to have a manned test even this year. Considering that space X appears to be quite focused I think it is plausible and that would mean have a manned launch soon.
We've all seen the pace of Nasa's development relevant to manned program in the last years, and talking about such an event that could happen this year it's quite thrilling to me. Surely more than talking about future hypotetical missions of SLS and Orion that will never happen before something like 10 years and anyway will probably be defunded later on...

 

[4throck]

I share your excitement!

But remember that this is still a NASA mission, and the mentality might not have shifted enough regarding 100% safety.
A capsule is much safer than the shuttle, so you can risk more without loss of crew. Look at the Soyuz....
But I don't know if they are there yet. If not, the pace will be slooooow....

 

[Urwumpe]

I think the last new space ship with crew that was launched was the shuttle in 1981 right?

I would include the Soyuz TM, TMA and TMA-Mx upgrades as well there. While never a revolution, it was quite an evolution since 1981: Kurs docking system, glass cockpit, digital avionics, new communication systems, new solar arrays, meteorite shields, different TCS, black box....

Soyuz saw quite some changes since the Soyuz-T model flying in 1981. It might look superficially the same since the 1970s, but it saw many changes, some changes big enough to include unmanned test flights in the program.