The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft is now launching astronauts from American soil. The Spacecraft has two parts: the capsule and the trunk. The capsule can fit a crew of four. The trunk has the radiator panels and the solar panels. The Spacecraft is launched aboard the Falcon 9 Rocket which is a 2 stage rocket.
source/image: Jared Owen
The launch happens in Florida at Launch Complex 39A. The Transporter Erector moves the rocket from the Horizontal Integration Facility right up next to the Fixed Service Structure. The astronauts get to ride in a Tesla Model X.
They take the elevator up to the top and then walk across the Crew Access Arm to get to the White Room. This is where Crew Ingress will happen.
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From launch to orbit takes about 9 minutes. Over the following 24 hours the Crew Dragon will catch up and dock to the International Space Station. First the series of 3 waypoints, then Crew Hands Off Point (CHOP), then Soft Capture and then Hard Capture. Then say hi to the astronauts that are already on board the station.
