OT: Godspeed, crew of DM-2
For those of you inclined to watch (and that should be most of you), SpaceX and NASA are going to attempt the first manned launch from American soil on an American vehicle since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.
Liftoff is planned for 4:33 PM EDT. Due to vehicle performance requirements, there is zero margin for a delay, so they either launch or postpone. Right now, weather is looking a little iffy, at just 60% likelihood for good flying weather.
While I won't say his name, one of the executives in charge of the Commercial Crew program for NASA is a 1991 graduate of the University of Michigan with dual degrees in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and one of my very closest friends. He is actually one of the two people in my avatar photo. I spoke to him over the weekend, and it's safe to say that his stress level is pretty high right now. But I also reminded him that this is the moment for which he has been preparing his entire career, and if I was one of the astronauts being strapped into Crew Dragon today, there's no one I'd trust more with my life than him.
Live coverage will be available on the Science Channel (they'll be pre-empting Ancient Aliens, I'm sure) starting at 2:00 PM EDT.
Great share. Very cool moment for your friend. A culmination of a lifetime of preparation. I’ll try to tune in. Go blue!
Wow that a great Michigan connection - hope all goes well if they can launch. Family and I went to see a launch last year but unit was scrapped with a couple minutes to launch. Really cool experience even without getting to see it go up. Hope to see a launch in person one of these days
I've seen two of them (both were Shuttle flights). It's really, really awesome. Try to see one of the really big launch vehicles like a Delta IV Heavy or Falcon Heavy. I promise that you will never forget the sound and fury at liftoff.
Truer words have never been spoken. I watched a Falcon Heavy launch in 2017 from my brother's condo in Cape Canaveral and will never forget it.
Godspeed gentlemen indeed. And great post.
Do you have any inside info on if this will happen as planned or if the weather is too big of a to launch today?
I do. Tropical Storm Bertha is making it pretty dicey at this point. That's why NASA only gave today's mission a 60% likelihood because of weather. Next launch window is Saturday if they miss this one.
I actually live 25 miles from the launch, been here 10 years. We had strong thunderstorms already this morning and its still pretty gray out. Rain is expected this afternoon between 1:00-6:00. My best guess is this will be delayed today.
This was a cool post. Thanks op.
Second this. I was completely unaware that this was going on (and the Michigan connection is very cool).
We lived probably about two hours away from Cape Canaveral when I was growing up, and you could still see the shuttle, after it launched, from where we lived. It was a truly surreal experience seeing them streak across the sky.
Hope it gets a chance to head up today. Been a long time since we've been able to send astronauts up from US soil. Really hope this is a huge renewal of that.
Looks like the Discovery Channel will also have live coverage for those of us on YouTube TV who don't get the Science Channel.
Very experienced flight crew. Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken have both been astronauts since 2000 and flew 2 shuttle missions each.
Hurley, the spacecraft commander, was a Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot and test pilot before joining NASA. He was the first Marine to fly the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Hurley (call sign "Chunky") has logged over 5,500 hours in more than 25 different type of aircraft. Overall, he has accumulated over 683 hours in space
Behnken holds a PH. D in Mechanical Engineering and was an Air Force Colonel. He was the lead flight test engineer on the F-22 program. Behnken has completed 6 spacewalks during his NASA career.
One of the test pilots on the F/A-18 E/F is also a Michigan Aerospace grad from 1990, and a classmate of both mine and the alum I mentioned in the OP (the NASA exec started with us in 1986, but due to his co-op with NASA, got his graduation delayed by a year).
Are his initials G.C.? If so, I know him well from our days in flight school and flying the Hornet.
George Costanza and Gary Coleman are the first two names that popped up in my head.
Indeed, they are.
Awesome. Gordo is a great American!
Yes, he is! I had to laugh at the George Constanza and Gary Coleman reference. Neither look anything like the skinny redhead from Lancaster, PA.
Great post. I’m in Cape Canaveral and hoping the weather is good to go. Heavy thunderstorms earlier.
Beyond excited for today... probably 50% of my work the past three years was directly related to this vehicle. 13 years working down here in Houston, this is the first vehicle I feel a deep connection to.
Congratulations! This is a *great* achievement!
I grew up with the space program as my father was a Air Force Liaison with NASA and an aunt worked at the cape. Got to watch a couple of the Apollo launches, which were really mind blowing for a kid. The connection of Michigan to the space program (guys like Grissom/White and many more was a driver in me going into the Aerospace program at Michigan. The conceptual design seminars I took gave me hope for the future. The past decade of no American launch capability has been... I don't know, depressing seems to big a word, but just not right. With this step forward, I really hope we return to space in a big way.
They just boarded the spacecraft, but the weather is not looking good right now.
The blue field of the American flag on that building is the size of an NBA basketball court
Well Delta would fly right through that and not give a shit if your drinks were spelled everywhere.
I don’t know why your friend would be so stressed. How hard can it be? It’s not like it’s rocket science.
Add another Michigan connection to the Commercial Crew Program when I was at NASA
This is cool. And watching the falcon rockets take off is unreal. Got to watch it from the SpaceX VIP deck back in Dec 2017. Had my experiments on board and was sent to the ISS
Spent a week and a half at KSC, had a NASA employee badge and had the freedom to run all around on base, got into all museums for free, touch one of the old bases that carried the shuttles ... one of the absolute coolest things I have ever done
If I wasn’t a biologist/toxicologist I’d definitely do aerospace
One of my high school classmates is an astronaut with multiple missions on the Space Shuttles and ISS. Cool stuff. I'm encouraging my kids to watch it.
While I won't say his name, one of the executives in charge of the Commercial Crew program for NASA is a 1991 graduate of the University of Michigan with dual degrees in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and one of my very closest friends
At first I thought "James Voskuil?" but then I remembered he would have been a couple of years later.
Was hoping to watch this launch today, but got called in to the office. Hope I can get home in time. If not, the dvr will be my friend!
Very cool contacts within the SpaceX/NASA community!! And a small world with Navy's contact, also!!!
Alas, it looks like I won't make it home in time...
My son is accepted and plans to start his Michigan education in the Aerospace Engineering program this fall. He has been glued to the TV since noon.
Congratulations Frank! You must be very proud!
Launch scrubbed due to weather; they will try again on Saturday.afternoon.
Try again in 3 days .... scrubbed due to weather
I was really looking forward to this. Oh well. Onward to Saturday! Toe meets leather at 3:22 eastern.
And congrats to you guys who are Involved with this program.
So exciting for your friend. Few people get to work towards something that has such huge national and even international impact and historical implications. Here's to a successful launch on Saturday.
I will pass along your kind words!
His wife sent me a video clip of him feeding ducks to wind down at the end of the day. That's probably not going to make it into the history books, but it's pretty important to the ducks.
Good time to remember the Gemini 4 crew of Jim McDivitt and Ed White. Both Michigan engineering grads with McDivitt finishing 1st in a class of over 500. McDivitt and White were neighbors in Ann Arbor. On that flight White was the first American spacewalker.
White died tragically in the Apollo 1 fire. McDivitt went on to command the Apollo 9 mission and then became Apollo Program Manager.
McDivitt is still living at age 90 - I think he would be an outstanding "veteran of the game". We won't have the Apollo guys around much longer.