The Journey of Resilience to The Space Station on This Week @NASA – November 21, 2020

TL;DR

NASA astronauts successfully launch and dock the SpaceX Resilience Crew Dragon spacecraft, beginning the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station.

Transcript

The journey of Resilience to the space station … The next ocean-observing satellite … And an update on a critical rocket test series for our Artemis missions … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA On Nov. 15, NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Japan’s Soichi Noguchi headed skyward from our Kennedy ... Read More

Key Insights

• 💋 NASA and SpaceX's collaboration in the Commercial Crew Program marks a new era of operational flights to the International Space Station from the Florida Coast.
• 👻 The increase in crew size to seven members on the space station allows for enhanced scientific research and maintenance during long-duration missions.
• 🌊 The launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will provide critical data on global sea levels, aiding in understanding climate change and its impact on ocean levels.
• 😚 Repairs and preparations for the Space Launch System rocket's core stage are progressing, bringing Artemis missions to the Moon closer to fruition.
• 👶 Russian cosmonauts are preparing for the arrival of a new Russian research module on the International Space Station.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the significance of the launch of the SpaceX Resilience Crew Dragon spacecraft?

The launch of the Resilience spacecraft marks the beginning of the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station, demonstrating the success of NASA's Commercial Crew Program and the partnership with SpaceX.

Q: How many crew members are now on the International Space Station?

With the arrival of the crew aboard Resilience, the space station's long-duration expedition crew size increased to seven members for the first time ever.

Q: What is the purpose of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite?

The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite is designed to make global sea level observations for at least the next decade, providing valuable data for understanding climate change and its impact on Earth's oceans.

Q: What progress has been made in the preparation for Artemis missions to the Moon?

Engineers at the Stennis Space Center have successfully repaired a valve in the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket. They are now preparing for a wet dress rehearsal and a hot fire test, essential steps towards launching Artemis missions to the Moon.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• NASA astronauts, along with a Japanese astronaut, launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard the SpaceX Resilience Crew Dragon spacecraft, marking the start of the first crew rotation mission to the International Space Station.

• Resilience and its crew successfully docked with the space station, increasing the long-duration expedition crew size to seven members for the first time.

• The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite was launched to observe global sea levels, while engineers repaired a valve in the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket for future Artemis missions.