Video shows SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching the Crew-11 mission for NASA from Launch Complex-39 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.
Crew-11 is NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, together with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov
00:00FTS is armed. Falcon 9 is in startup and is now controlling.
00:06Dragon is in countdown.
00:09Flight computers switching to countdown mode now.
00:13Dragon, SpaceX, go for launch.
00:18SpaceX, Dragon, go for launch.
00:3030 seconds.
00:4515 seconds.
00:50T-minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
01:00Ignition. Ignition to full power and lift off.
01:03Go Falcon, go NASA, go rule 11.
01:08Together we rise as NASA SpaceX rule 11 heads up to the International Space Station.
01:13Fitching downrange.
01:151.7 million pounds of thrust.
01:17Stage 1 propulsion is nominal.
01:19Propelling Falcon 9 as the vehicle pitching downrange and making its way up the East Coast
01:25and will soon join Expedition 73 aboard the orbiting laboratory.
01:29So far getting good call outs on that first stage performance.
01:37We are now T plus 35 seconds into the crew 11 mission onboard Dragon and Falcon 9.
01:44Falcon, the Falcon 9 engines.
01:46Stage 1 throttle down.
01:47Are throttling down to help.
01:48Power and telemetry are nominal.
01:50To help pass through the period of max Q or maximum aerodynamic pressure on the vehicle during ascent.
01:55Max Q.
01:56We just had max Q right there.
02:01Falcon 9 is supersonic.
02:061 minute 9 seconds into what is a little bit less than a 9 minute flight uphill as Dragon continuing.
02:19Stage 1 Bravo.
02:21Copy. 1 Bravo.
02:24That 1 Bravo again, that's the abort zone.
02:27That last abort zone for stage 1 if necessary.
02:30The crew already pulling over 2 Gs.
02:33Next we're going to have a couple of events happen in rapid succession.
02:36We'll be getting ready for the second stage to warm up and have the second stage MVAC chill.
02:41And then we'll also have MECA or main engine cutoff where the 9 engines on the first stage will cut off ahead of the first and second stages.
02:48We'll then be separating from one another.
02:50And then the single Merlin vacuum engine on the second stage will ignite and continue to carry crew 11 to orbit while the first stage begins its journey back to Earth.
02:58As we're now a minute and 56 seconds into today's flight.
03:01The 9 Merlin engines are starting to throttle down and are standing by for MECA or main engine cutoff.
03:09MBAC chill started.
03:10We just heard that call out for MBAC chill.
03:13And coming up in under like 20 seconds we have 5 events happening back to back.
03:18Stage 1 throttle down.
03:19Stage separation.
03:20Stage 1 flip.
03:21SES 1 and the start of boost back burn.
03:24It's going to be pretty quick so keep a close eye on the action and the mission event.
03:28Main engine cutoff.
03:29Tracker at the bottom of your screen.
03:31Stage 2 alpha.
03:32Stage 2 alpha.
03:33Stage separation.
03:342 alpha.
03:35And back ignition.
03:39And there you see stage 1 pulling away.
03:44Ignition of the lone Merlin vacuum engine for stage 2.
03:50And again those happening in quick succession as we continue to get great views of that Florida coastline and the eastern seaboard there.
03:57As crew 11 continuing its path to orbit now approaching 3 minutes into today's flight.
04:02Still a little ways to go.
04:03About 6 minutes left.
04:04As they continue to climb their way up and eventually track down the International Space Station.
04:10And there you see the Merlin vacuum engine.
04:14The second stage on the right hand side.
04:16And great views of the first stage that's making its return to Earth on the left.
04:20About 5 and a half minutes of a powered flight remaining as we continue to monitor the progress of both vehicle stage 2 and crew 11.
04:32Making the climb uphill in stage 1.
04:34Looking to land again at landing zone 1.
04:36The last landing at that location for this Falcon 9 booster.
04:41Falcon 9 booster.
04:50Dragon.
04:51Space X.
04:52Nominal trajectory.
04:55Dragon copy in.
04:57We are continuing to hear great call outs over the nets.
05:01That both Dragon and Falcon are right on track to orbit.
05:06So the first stage booster is now on its way to landing zone 1.
05:11And we just saw those grid fins open up on the left hand side of your screen.
05:16The first stage has a couple events ahead of its landing.
05:19Stage 1 will start its entry burn.
05:21Which will be the second of three burns to return the booster a few miles from its launch site at landing zone 1.
05:26During this entry burn Falcon 9 will use its engines to pump the brakes to slow the vehicle down.
05:31Before it reaches the denser parts of the Earth's atmosphere.
05:35And if you didn't know Falcon 9 has a complex heat shield that is designed to protect the engines and the vehicle.
05:40From all that combined thermal and aerodynamic loading during max entry queue.
05:45Which is the moment of max stress on the vehicle during entry.
05:48And that will be followed by a landing burn.
05:50And this burn will last.
05:51Dragon.
05:52SpaceX.
05:53Nominal trajectory.
05:54Continuing to hear good call outs.
05:57Great performance calls continue as we're now five minutes into today's flight.
06:06Still about eight and a half to go.
06:08A little bit more than that is the second stage continuing to perform anomaly on the right hand side.
06:122,400 meters per second.
06:15Crew 11 cruising into the upper echelons of the Earth's atmosphere.
06:19While we continue to monitor the second stage on that left hand side.
06:26And we'll also get continued guidance and navigation call outs from the control officers here in SpaceX.
06:33Dragon is pointed in the right direction and continuing its flight.
06:36And again that second stage going to continue firing until close to that nine minute mark into flight.
06:40And accelerating Dragon to more than 17,000 miles per hour and placing the crew in orbit.
06:46And you'll hear good orbital insertion would be that call out.
06:48There's the single Merlin vacuum engine that can produce over 220,000.
06:52Dragon.
06:53SpaceX.
06:54Nominal trajectory.
06:55Pounds of thrust on that nominal trajectory you're hearing right now.
06:58Vacuum copy.
06:59And into the vacuum of space.
07:01Now approaching six minutes into today's flight.
07:04About two minutes and 40 plus seconds remaining.
07:07We are coming up on the entry burn which is just under 30 seconds from now.
07:12And so you'll see the first stage's center Merlin engine reignite as it comes back down to Earth.
07:18And after that we will be approaching.
07:21Stage one entry burn start up.
07:23And there's the beginning of entry burn right there.
07:26Again this is the second of three burns to return the booster to landing zone one.
07:31Stage one entry burn shut down.
07:36We just made it through entry burn.
07:39And you're getting some great views too on that stage one's return to the Florida coastline.
07:44Again landing at landing zone one.
07:46While on the right hand side the second stage.
07:48And that Merlin vacuum engine continuing to propel crew 11.
07:51Dragon SpaceX nominal trajectory.
07:54Into orbit and.
07:56Dragon puppies.
07:58And again great.
08:00And now it's about two minutes left of a powered flight remaining.
08:03Still receiving those great calls from the crew on the ground.
08:06And we're getting those relays from crew 11 commander Xena Carter.
08:09SH-1 transonic.
08:10We are now very quickly approaching the start of our landing burn.
08:14Where three engines, engines one, five, and nine will relight to help slow the vehicle down.
08:20Just before it touches down on landing zone one.
08:24We should hopefully have some great tracking shots of that.
08:27Stage one landing burn.
08:29Stage two FTS is saved.
08:33Stage one landing leg deployed.
08:37Stage two.
08:38Stage one.
08:39Okay.
08:40Fantastic return there of the stage one booster.
08:42That's the final plan landing at LB1.
08:43Another.
08:44The successful landing of the first stage booster as we continue to follow along with a little less now than one minute of powered flight of the second stage.
09:04and you'll hear the call-out SECO or second engine cutoff is great view
09:09they're glowing orange with the earth eclipsing right around that Merlin
09:15vacuum engine and everything continuing to perform nominally for NASA SpaceX
09:19internal guidance
09:27about 20 more seconds remaining of powered flight and we'll get those
09:31call-outs here shortly as everything continuing
09:35copy Shannon and there's the great call for Shannon we talked about earlier that
09:40last abort zone if necessary where they can land off the coast of Shannon Ireland
09:48there we just that heard that good call for a SECO or second engine cutoff
09:59coming up next will be stage separation dragon SpaceX nominal orbit insertion and
10:07that's the great call you want to hear
10:08a good look inside the trunk there as you're looking for that separation but
10:17you want to hear that nominal orbital insertion as crew 11 now has reached
10:22microgravity now we'll continue to coast for a little bit after after SECO to
10:29allow rates and motion from the burn to settle out right now we have a great view
10:36on our screen of the dragon heat shield actually which is made up of similar
10:41similar materials and there we have that dragon and stage two separation as we see
10:49dragon post into its orbit
10:54and a wonderful view there is dragon endeavor with crew 11 on board safe and
11:02separation confirmed and safe and dragon chief engineer on dragon the ground
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