This is the another big one for the Crew program: a crewed flight! Launch Date: May 30 Launch Window: 3:22 pm EDT (12:22pm PDT, 19:22 UTC). Launch site: LC-39A, Cape Canaveral, Florida Booster Recovery: ASDS Booster Type: B1058.1 Mass: Crew Dragon 12,055 kg Orbit: LEO - ISS Crew: Commander Douglas Hurley and Pilot Bob Behnken Backup Crew: Michael Hopkins and Victor Glover Dragon Return - Undocking August 1st (likely delayed) - Splashdown and recovery on August 2nd A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on its first test flight with astronauts on-board to the International Space Station under the auspices of NASA’s commercial crew program. NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will fly on the Demo-2 mission. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea. Crew Dragon
In the flurry of press conferences, articles and live streams surrounding the Starliner launch and landing, I remember someone saying something to the effect that SpaceX’s Demo 2 would be in the Spring, which would be a delay of 1-3 months from the current NET February. I forgot to note who said this, so take this with a boulder-sized grain of salt.
SpaceFlightNow has adjusted this for NET April. And Elon was saying NET Q2 at the press conference, pending review and available parking space up there. We should probably update first post.
I assume this refers in part to additional crew training for a long duration mission (that the Boeing crew was supposed to do).
I’m more excited about SpaceX taking humans to orbit because it will provide the company with valuable experience that will be needed for the first crewed Starship flights. Building orbital class rockets and reusing them is one thing, but keeping humans alive in space is completely different. Sure, “we” know how to do it, but SpaceX has never done it before. LEO this year, Mars in this decade!
No surprise there. Boeing is not going to happen anytime soon. I'd guess that now they know they aren't going to win the race to be first they will take their time. Just speculative opinion on my part though.