SpaceX F9 - Crew 3 - LC-39A

[MichaelP90DL]

Taken to the launchpad in a Tesla Model X. Wearing very cool suits and helmets. Boarding a very cool spacecraft. Beats the...uhh...dickens out of what '60s and '70s astronauts experienced.

 

[rxlawdude]

Did the booster stick land?

 

[Grendal]

Did the booster stick land?

Yes. The video cut out for quite a while. They finally showed a shot of the booster on the ASDS after the capsule separation from stage 2.

 

[dazedNconfuzed]

Considering how many times they've lobbed a 230 ft building into space, then landed it in a moving parking spot, no surprise SX figures they can just grab it out of the air with giant chopsticks.

 

[Grendal]

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 Astronauts to Discuss Mission, Splashdown - NASA

As they prepare to return to Earth later this month, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts will answer media questions about their time aboard

www.nasa.gov

 

[808?]

 

[808?]

 

[Nikxice]

Today, just after midnight in the Gulf of Mexico, a successful Crew-3 splashdown and recovery. Would also note that with this flight and the recent splashdown of Axiom-1, SpaceX has demonstrated perfect reefing of the four main chutes. No laggards!

 

[MyJoule]

Congratulations to the Crew3 team- Beautiful mission- great views of the splashdown and recovery. SpaceX makes it look so routine.

 

[Electroman]

Wow a night time splash down.. that would be risky from a recovery perspective, I would think. Why choose a night time landing when they have several passes during daytime?

 

[Electroman]

if all goes well and the pod land precisely at the correct location then well and good, but if it ends up 50 miles away for any reason then night time darkness makes it that much more harder. An unnecessary risk IMHO.

 

[mongo]

if all goes well and the pod land precisely at the correct location then well and good, but if it ends up 50 miles away for any reason then night time darkness makes it that much more harder. An unnecessary risk IMHO.

Ok, I'll bite. Assuming the capsule ever did that poor a job on reentry control, how is it harder to go 50 miles at night? It's landing spot is well known and it has exterior lighting for observability.

 

[ecarfan]

if all goes well and the pod land precisely at the correct location then well and good, but if it ends up 50 miles away for any reason then night time darkness makes it that much more harder. An unnecessary risk IMHO.

After so many CRS and now Crew missions SpaceX has clearly become very good at targeting the recoveray zone. And a night landing does not make it more difficult to locate a glowing red hot capsule streaking across the sky compared to a daytime landing since infrared cameras are available. In addition, capsule return date decisions are made with an eye on the weather in the recovery zone; calm seas and clear skies are preferred, day or night.