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SpaceX Crew-1
2020 American crewed flight to the ISS

SpaceX Crew-1 (was also known as USCV-1 or simply Crew-1) was the first operational crewed flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft and the maiden flight of the Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft. It was also the second crewed orbital flight launch by the United States since that of STS-135 in July 2011. Resilience launched on 16 November 2020 at 00:27:17 UTC on a Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, along with JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, all members of the Expedition 64 crew. The mission was the second overall crewed orbital flight of the Crew Dragon.

Crew-1 was the first operational mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Commercial Crew Program. Originally designated "USCV-1" by NASA in 2012, the launch date was delayed several times from the original date of November 2016. The mission was scheduled to depart the ISS on 28 April 2021, but due to weather returned to Earth on 2 May 2021. The capsule splashed down at 06:56:33 UTC, to be reused on Inspiration4. It was the first nighttime splashdown for NASA astronauts since Apollo 8 in 1968. On 7 February 2021, the Crew-1 broke the record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crewed vehicle, surpassing the 84-day mark set by an Apollo capsule on the final flight to the Skylab (Skylab-4) space station on 8 February 1974.

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Background

The first operational mission in the Commercial Crew Program, originally designated "USCV-1" (United States Crew Vehicle-mission 1) by NASA, was initially announced in November 2012, with a launch date set for November 2016.17 In April 2013, it was announced that the launch would be delayed by one year to November 2017.18 It was then delayed into 2019 and 2020, pending the success of the uncrewed and crewed demonstration missions, respectively. Following the Crew Dragon Demonstration Mission 2, Crew-1 was tentatively scheduled for September 2020; further delays occurred to align with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and their impact on the schedule of ISS crew rotations and cargo delivery missions,19 and then again because of concerns about an issue with the gas generators on the Merlin 1D engines.20

On 29 September 2020, mission commander Michael Hopkins revealed during a NASA press conference that the capsule's crew had chosen to name it Resilience.21 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex only allowed a few people to watch the launch in person from the KSC premises.22

Crew

NASA astronauts Michael S. Hopkins and Victor J. Glover were announced as the crew on 3 August 2018.23 JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi and the third NASA astronaut, Shannon Walker, were added to the crew on 31 March 2020.242526

Prime crew
PositionAstronaut
Commander Michael S. Hopkins, NASAExpedition 64/65Second and last spaceflight
Pilot Victor J. Glover, NASAExpedition 64/65First spaceflight
Mission Specialist 1 Soichi Noguchi, JAXAExpedition 64/65Third and last spaceflight
Mission Specialist 2 Shannon Walker, NASAExpedition 64/65Second spaceflight
Backup crew
PositionAstronaut
Commander Kjell N. Lindgren, NASA
Mission Specialist 1 Koichi Wakata, JAXA

Preparations

Crew-1's Falcon 9 launch vehicle arrived at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 14 July 2020.27 Crew Dragon capsule C207 arrived at SpaceX processing facilities in Florida, on 18 August 2020.2829 The successful launch of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) on 5 November 2020 was a milestone leading up to the Crew-1 mission. Falcon 9 successfully deployed a GPS navigation satellite (GPS III-04) for the United States Space Force (USSF), confirming that engineers had resolved an issue with Merlin 1D engines that delayed the GPS mission and the Crew-1 flight.30

The crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center via a NASA Gulfstream jet on 8 November 2020 at 13:53 UTC. A Flight Readiness Review (FRR) convened by NASA officials was scheduled on 10 November 2020 to discuss unresolved technical issues, review the status of launch preparations, and give approval for teams to proceed with the Crew-1 mission.31 NASA officials gave approval on 10 November 2020 for SpaceX to begin regular crew rotation flights to the International Space Station, signaling a transition from development to operations for the human-rated Crew Dragon spacecraft.32 The launch vehicle was lifted to its vertical position on the pad for a test firing of its Merlin-1D main engines on 11 November 2020 at 20:49 UTC.33 A dry dress rehearsal (DDR) on 12 November 2020 saw the crew put on their pressure suits and climb into Resilience.34 SpaceX ran a launch readiness review (LRR) on 13 November 2020.35

Mission

On 15 November 2020, final pre-launch preparations were completed. The hatch of Resilience was closed at 22:32 UTC, but reopened briefly after a slight drop in pressure was detected. Troubleshooting the hatch seal led to discovery of a small amount of foreign object debris (FOD) in the seal. The hatch was then closed again, and mission controllers proceeded with the countdown. No further concerns were noted, and on 16 November 2020 at 00:27:17 UTC, Resilience lifted off successfully. Its Falcon 9 first-stage booster, SN B1061.1, landed on the autonomous spaceport drone ship Just Read the Instructions.36 The astronauts entered a stable orbit after about nine minutes. For this mission, the crew had chosen a plush toy of "The Child" (also known as "Baby Yoda") from The Mandalorian as a Zero-G indicator.37 The crew were awakened on the second day of the flight with Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight".38

Resilience docked to the International Docking Adapter (IDA) on the Harmony module on 17 November 2020 at 04:01 UTC.39 Over the course of the mission, the four astronauts lived and worked alongside the three astronauts of the Soyuz MS-17 mission. Together, the two missions form ISS Expedition 64. Assuming the regular ISS crew rotation schedule is adhered to, the crew transfer to Expedition 65 following the departure of Soyuz MS-17, on 17 April 2021.[needs update]

On 5 April 2021, the Crew-1 astronauts relocated their spacecraft from Harmony forward to Harmony zenith by using the Draco thrusters that are mounted on the side of Dragon Resilience's trunk, to make way for the arrival and docking of the SpaceX Crew-2 spacecraft, launched on 23 April 2021.40

In July 2022, it was reported that some of the debris from Crew 1 Dragon crashed into a farm in Australia.4142

Timeline

METTimeDate(UTC)Event 43
ESTUTC
−7:40:0011:47:15 AM16:47:1515 November2020Crew wake
−05:30:001:57:15 PM18:57:15CE (signification?) launch readiness briefing
−05:00:002:27:15 PM19:27:15Launch shift on console
−04:59:592:27:16 PM19:27:16Dragon IMU align and configure for launch.
−04:30:002:57:15 PM19:57:15Dragon propellant pressurization
−04:15:003:12:15 PM20:12:15Crew weather brief
−04:05:003:22:15 PM20:22:15Crew handoff
−04:00:003:27:15 PM20:27:15Suit donning and checkouts
−03:22:004:05:15 PM21:05:15Crew walk out of Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building
−03:15:004:12:15 PM21:12:15Crew transportation to Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A)
−02:55:004:32:15 PM21:32:15Crew arrives at pad.
−02:35:004:52:15 PM21:52:15Crew ingress
−02:20:005:07:15 PM22:07:15Communication check
−02:15:005:12:15 PM22:12:15Verify ready seat rotation
−02:14:005:13:15 PM22:13:15Suit leak checks
−01:55:005:32:15 PM22:32:15Hatch close
−01:10:006:17:15 PM23:17:15ISS state upload to Dragon
−00:45:006:42:15 PM23:42:15SpaceX launch director verifies go for propellant load
−00:42:006:45:15 PM23:45:15Crew access arm retracts
−00:37:006:49:15 PM23:49:15Dragon launch escape system is armed.
−00:35:006:52:15 PM23:52:15RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins; 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins.
−00:16:007:11:15 PM00:11:1516 November20202nd stage LOX loading begins.
−00:07:007:20:15 PM00:20:15Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.
−00:05:007:22:15 PM00:22:15Dragon transitions to internal power
−00:01:007:26:15 PM00:26:15Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.
−00:00:457:26:30 PM00:26:30SpaceX launch director verifies go for launch.
−00:00:037:27:12 PM00:27:12Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.
+00:00:007:27:17 PM00:27:17Liftoff
+00:00:587:28:15 PM00:28:15Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
+00:02:377:29:54 PM00:29:541st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
+00:02:407:29:57 PM00:29:571st and 2nd stages separate
+00:02:487:30:05 PM00:30:052nd stage engine starts
+00:07:297:34:46 PM00:34:461st stage entry burn
+00:08:507:36:07 PM00:36:072nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
+00:08:597:36:16 PM00:36:161st stage landing burn
+00:09:297:36:46 PM00:36:461st stage landing
+00:12:037:39:20 PM00:39:20Crew Dragon separates from 2nd stage
+00:12:487:40:05 PM00:40:05Dragon nosecone open sequence begins
+1/9:22 PM02:2217 November2020Dragon starts the final phase of the approach to the ISS.44
+1/03:3311:01 PM04:01Soft Capture to the ISS.45
+1/03:3311:01 PM04:01Dragon docked to the ISS.46
+1/05:341:02 AM6:02Hatch opened.47
+1678:35 PM01:351 May2021Undocked from the ISS.48
+1672:56 AM7:562 May2021Splashed down and recovery in the Gulf of Mexico.49
SpaceX Crew-1

See also

  • Spaceflight portal
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Notes

References

  1. NASA (25 May 2020). "CCP - Press Kit". Commercial Crew Program. NASA. Archived from the original on 25 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020. The Crew; Victor Glover SpaceX Crew-1; Mike Hopkins SpaceX Crew-1; Soichi Noguchi SpaceX Crew-1; Shannon Walker SpaceX Crew-1 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://www.nasa.gov/specials/ccp-press-kit/main.html

  2. Shireman, Kirk (14 May 2020). "HEO NAC May 2020 International Space Station Status" (PDF). nasa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020. Fall 2020 – SpaceX Crew-1 Launch and Dock [...] Demo2 in May/2020, Crew-1 in Fall/2020 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/iss_nac_may_2020_final.pdf

  3. Glover, Victor [@VicGlover] (12 April 2019). "1st crewed Dragon Mission=DM-2 or Demo-2. 2nd crewed Dragon Mission (and 1st long duration ISS Mission)=Crew-1 or Crew One" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 May 2020 – via Twitter. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. /wiki/Victor_J._Glover

  4. The Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission was the first crewed flight, but was considered as a test flight, not an operational flight /wiki/Crew_Dragon_Demo-2

  5. Corbett, Tobias; Barker, Nathan (15 November 2020). "With Resilience, NASA and SpaceX Begin Operational Commercial Crew flights". NASASpaceFlight.com. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/crew1-launch/

  6. 15 November 2020 19:27:17 Eastern Standard Time (EST), 16 November 2020 00:27:17 UTC

  7. Heiney, Anna (14 August 2020). "NASA, SpaceX Targeting October for Next Astronaut Launch". blogs.nasa.gov. Retrieved 27 August 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/08/14/nasa-spacex-targeting-october-for-next-astronaut-launch/

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  11. "April 2021 – Commercial Crew Program". blogs.nasa.gov. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2021/04/

  12. NASA (25 May 2020). "CCP - Press Kit". Commercial Crew Program. NASA. Archived from the original on 25 May 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020. The Crew; Victor Glover SpaceX Crew-1; Mike Hopkins SpaceX Crew-1; Soichi Noguchi SpaceX Crew-1; Shannon Walker SpaceX Crew-1 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://www.nasa.gov/specials/ccp-press-kit/main.html

  13. Heiney, Anna (29 January 2021). "NASA, SpaceX to Launch Second Commercial Crew Rotation Mission to International Space Station". nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 29 January 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2021/01/29/nasa-spacex-to-launch-second-commercial-crew-rotation-mission-to-international-space-station/

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  17. Bergin, Chris (6 April 2013). "USCV-1: NASA planners slip first ISS commercial crew mission to late 2017". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 24 April 2020. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/04/uscv-1-nasa-slip-iss-commercial-late-2017/

  18. Bergin, Chris (6 April 2013). "USCV-1: NASA planners slip first ISS commercial crew mission to late 2017". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 24 April 2020. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/04/uscv-1-nasa-slip-iss-commercial-late-2017/

  19. "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020. https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

  20. "NASA, SpaceX Crew-1 Launch Update". Commercial Crew Program. NASA. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/10/10/nasa-spacex-crew-1-launch-update/

  21. Gebhardt, Chris [@ChrisG_NSF] (29 September 2020). "Crew-1 has named their Dragon spacecraft. Welcome to the family, Dragon #Resilience" (Tweet) – via Twitter. https://x.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1311004705108172802

  22. "NASA urges COVID caution for spectators of SpaceX Crew-1 astronaut launch". space.com. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020. https://www.space.com/nasa-spacex-crew-1-coronavirus-travel-warning

  23. Lewis, Marie (3 August 2018). "Meet the Astronauts Flying SpaceX's Demo-2". NASA. Retrieved 3 March 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2018/08/03/meet-the-astronauts-assigned-to-spacexs-first-mission/

  24. Clark, Stephen (31 March 2020). "NASA, JAXA assign two more astronauts to second piloted Crew Dragon flight". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 1 April 2020. https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/03/31/nasa-jaxa-assign-two-more-astronauts-to-second-piloted-crew-dragon-flight/

  25. Gagarin Research and Test Cosmonaut Training Center (18 March 2019). "Астронавты НАСА Майкл Хопкинс, Виктор Глоувер и Челл Линдгрен приступили к подготовке в ЦПК" [NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Kjell Lindgren begin training at the GCTC] (in Russian). Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Retrieved 26 May 2020. http://www.gctc.ru/main.php?id=4568

  26. Powell, Joel [@ShuttleAlmanac] (19 November 2020). "JAXA has announced long stay visits to the ISS for 2022 and 2023" (Tweet) – via Twitter. https://x.com/ShuttleAlmanac/status/1329610072368898048

  27. Sempsrott, Danielle (16 July 2020). "Falcon 9 Rocket Arrives for NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Mission". blogs.nasa.gov. Retrieved 18 July 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/07/16/falcon-9-rocket-arrives-for-nasas-spacex-crew-1-mission/

  28. Groh, Jamie (23 August 2020). "SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule arrives in Florida for next NASA astronaut launch". Teslarati. Retrieved 24 August 2020. https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-crew-dragon-next-nasa-astronaut-launch-capsule/

  29. Sempsrott, Danielle (21 August 2020). "Preparations Continue for SpaceX First Operational Flight with Astronauts". blogs.nasa.gov. Retrieved 24 August 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/08/21/preparations-continue-for-spacex-first-operational-flight-with-astronauts/

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  33. "Falcon 9 rocket fires up in crucial test before weekend crew launch". Spaceflight Now. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020. https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/11/11/falcon-9-rocket-fires-up-in-crucial-test-before-weekend-crew-launch/

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  36. Corbett, Tobias; Barker, Nathan (15 November 2020). "With Resilience, NASA and SpaceX Begin Operational Commercial Crew flights". NASASpaceFlight.com. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/crew1-launch/

  37. "Baby Yoda joins astronauts on SpaceX's Crew Dragon launch as its zero G indicator". The Washington Post. 16 November 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/science/baby-yoda-joins-astronauts-on-spacexs-crew-dragon-launch-as-its-zero-g-indicator/2020/11/16/e61e84f9-a0d6-4ccf-b11e-32d8e0f91ed3_video.html

  38. Twitter https://twitter.com/joroulette/status/1328393336147881984

  39. Burghardt, Thomas (17 November 2020). "Crew Dragon Resilience successfully docks, expands ISS crew to seven". NASASpaceFlight.com. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/11/resilience-expands-station-crew/

  40. Potter, Sean (29 March 2021). "NASA TV to Air U.S. Commercial Crew Port Relocation on Space Station" (Press release). NASA. Retrieved 30 March 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-to-air-first-us-commercial-crew-port-relocation-on-space-station

  41. "Possible SpaceX debris falls in Australia from Crew-1 Dragon spacecraft". Space.com. 29 July 2022. https://www.space.com/spacex-debris-fall-australia-crew-1-dragon-capsule

  42. "The Loop: A huge piece of possible space junk lands on an Aussie farm, sexual assault reports at an all-time high, and a $1.5 billion jackpot". ABC News. 29 July 2022. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-29/latest-news-the-loop-space-junk-farm-sexual-assault-jackpot/101282128

  43. "Mission Timeline for Launch Sunday, November 15 at 19:27:15 EST" (PDF). NASA. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/crew-1_timeline_nov15.pdf

  44. Garcia, Mark (16 November 2020). "SpaceX Crew-1 Astronauts Approaching Station". blogs.nasa. Retrieved 13 December 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/11/16/spacex-crew-1-astronauts-approaching-station/

  45. "SpaceX's Crew-1 astronaut launch for NASA: Live updates". Space.com. Retrieved 13 December 2020. https://www.space.com/news/live/spacex-crew-1-mission-updates

  46. Cawley, James (17 November 2020). "Crew Dragon Docks to Station, Hatches Open Soon". blogs.nasa. NASA. Retrieved 13 December 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/11/17/crew-dragon-docks-to-station-hatches-open-soon/

  47. Cawley, James (17 November 2020). "Hatches Open, Crew Dragon Astronauts Join Expedition 64". blogs.nasa. Retrieved 13 December 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/11/17/hatches-open-crew-dragon-astronauts-join-expedition-64/

  48. "NASA-SpaceX mission crew splash down in Gulf of Mexico, return home from International Space Station". ABC News. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021. https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/historic-nasa-spacex-mission-begins-journey-home-international/story?id=77440747

  49. "NASA-SpaceX mission crew splash down in Gulf of Mexico, return home from International Space Station". ABC News. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021. https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/historic-nasa-spacex-mission-begins-journey-home-international/story?id=77440747