APOD: Crew-1 Mission Launch Streak (2020 Nov 19)

[APOD Robot]

Crew-1 Mission Launch Streak

Explanation: Leaving planet Earth for a moment, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket arced into the early evening sky last Sunday at 7:27 pm EST. This 3 minute 20 second exposure traces the launch streak over Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A. The rocket carried four astronauts en route to the International Space Station on the first flight of a NASA-certified commercial human spacecraft system. Dubbed Resilience, the astronauts' Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the orbital outpost one day later, on Monday, November 16. At the conclusion of their six-month stay on the ISS, the Crew-1 astronauts will use their spacecraft return to Earth. Of course about 9 minutes after launch the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage returned to Earth, landing in the Atlantic Ocean on autonomous spaceport drone ship Just Read The Instructions.

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[DL MARTIN]

Having watched the space program since the first blast-off, I'm impressed with the savings made by recycling the boosters. Viva the private sector.

[orin stepanek]

50606725323_6b93290435_k.jpg

Yeah! first manned spaceship mission since the shuttles were retired!

[Chris Peterson]

Yeah! first manned spaceship mission since the shuttles were retired! :D :thumb_up: :clap:

You mean with an American rocket. And this is the second... you seem to have forgotten the manned SpaceX launch a few months ago.

[orin stepanek]

Yeah! first manned spaceship mission since the shuttles were retired!

You mean with an American rocket. And this is the second... you seem to have forgotten the manned SpaceX launch a few months ago.

Yes I did mean first American rocket! No I didn't forget: I was going by this

The rocket carried four astronauts en route to the International Space Station on the first flight of a NASA-certified commercial human spacecraft system.

I should have said the first crew exchange! Or am I still wrong? Anyway I'm happy we're in business again!

[Cousin Ricky]

My sister saw this launch from her home more than 200 km away.

[johnnydeep]

Yeah! first manned spaceship mission since the shuttles were retired!

You mean with an American rocket. And this is the second... you seem to have forgotten the manned SpaceX launch a few months ago.

Yes I did mean first American rocket! No I didn't forget: I was going by this

The rocket carried four astronauts en route to the International Space Station on the first flight of a NASA-certified commercial human spacecraft system.

I should have said the first crew exchange! Or am I still wrong? Anyway I'm happy we're in business again!

I believe the distinction between this latest crewed launch and the one in May is that that one was still a "Demo" mission (albeit with two astronauts!) and this latest launch is an "Operational" mission. It's probably more of a meaningful distinction to NASA than to me!

[heehaw]

What is most amazing is the mindless zig-zag of American policy on space since 1957 and Sputnik.

[orin stepanek]

You mean with an American rocket. And this is the second... you seem to have forgotten the manned SpaceX launch a few months ago.

Yes I did mean first American rocket! No I didn't forget: I was going by this

The rocket carried four astronauts en route to the International Space Station on the first flight of a NASA-certified commercial human spacecraft system.

I should have said the first crew exchange! Or am I still wrong? Anyway I'm happy we're in business again!

I believe the distinction between this latest crewed launch and the one in May is that that one was still a "Demo" mission (albeit with two astronauts!) and this latest launch is an "Operational" mission. It's probably more of a meaningful distinction to NASA than to me!

It's OK with me! Chris likes to clarify things, and I really appreciate that! Hopefully there will be a lot of useful missions in the future; like Luna Bases and Mars missions; etc.; etc.!