In this thread we will document the progress of the SpaceX man rated crew vehicle...Crew Dragon.  

Launch date projection as of  28 September 2020:

a.  Uncrewed Demo 1 - 2 March 2019.    Successful
b.  In-flight abort test - 19 January 2020 around 800 AM EST.  Successful
c.  Crewed Demo 2 -   30 May 2020.  3:22 PM EDT.  Launch successful.  Crew Dragon docked with the ISS on 31 May.  Undocking at 734 PM EDT on 1 August 2020.  Pensacola site sea splashdown successful.
d.  Crew-1.   First operational mission - 31 October 2020  2:40 AM EDTNext up
e.  Crew-2.   Second operational mission - 30 March 2021

Note:  Docking with the ISS is around 1027 AM EDT on Sunday, 31 May 2020.

Overview of the 30 May 2020 manned launch  (Demo-2).  SpaceX streaming is here as well.  SpaceX streaming to start about 1100 AM on 30 May.

NASA TV coverage starts at 1100 AM, 30 May 2020



NASA TV Schedule:  NASA TV schedule

May 31, Sunday
10:27 a.m. - Docking of the SpaceX/DM-2 Crew Dragon and NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station - Hawthorne, California/Johnson Space Center (All Channels)
12:45 p.m. - SpaceX/Crew Dragon hatch opening to the International Space Station - Hawthorne, California/Johnson Space Center (All Channels)
1:15 p.m. - SpaceX/Crew Dragon and International Space Station crew welcoming event aboard the International Space Station (All Channels)
3:15 p.m. -  SpaceX/Dragon DM-2 post-docking briefing (All Channels)
4:30 p.m. - Video file feed of SpaceX/DM-2 rendezvous, docking, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony (Media Channel)

SpaceflightNow coverage


Archived posting

Engine test anomaly early report here

Watch on NASA TV (all times ET): https://go.nasa.gov/2IW7vYt  
March 7 12:15pm Hatch Closure
March 8 2:00am Undocking
March 8 7:30am Deorbit Burn & Splashdown

Hatch closure soon (now 1236 PM EST)

My initial guess as to where the capsule will be in the fiery (plasma) portion of re-entry (and overhead) is a little southeast of Columbia SC, near Spartanburg SC, up to Waynesville NC. Since I have seen a shuttle re-entry about twice this distance, I will extend the range to a short distance north of Knoxville TN, past Monticello KY towards Elizabethtown KY.

If you run a pass for the ISS to include daylight passes, find the one around 830 AM EST. If the elevation of the pass is high (70 degrees or so), you can use the predictions with reasonable validity for azimuth and elevation.

For Spartanburg SC, The ISS passes overhead at 838 AM EST.  30 seconds later is passes over Columbia SC.  The Capsule may be several minutes later so allow five minutes or so.

Since the spacecraft will be much lower that the ISS, as you get away from this line and the highest elevation of the pass gets lower (roughly 50 degrees and lower), you will have to look below that path in an attempt to see it if it is visible during daylight. I am guessing that by this point it will be five minutes or so behind the ISS passage.

If there is a sonic boom, that may occur closer to the South Carolina coast.

There will also be a portion of the Crew Dragon assembly called the trunk that should be jettisoned after the re-entry burn. Looking at the Soyuz entry, the trunk may fall behind the Crew Dragon capsule once they enter the Earth's atmosphere.  Update:  The trunk does not re-enter at the same time so will not be visible.  It enters from natural orbital decay at a later date.

People in the northwest might be able to see the ISS, Crew Dragon and trunk in visually semi-close position. I would plan on using binoculars for the capsule and trunk. You may have to scan a little lower than the path of the ISS and before and after it.

This information is the best that I can derive at this time. Later position information from SpaceX or NASA would override my guess.

Here is the pass for Seattle

...where it is?

I take that back, it's west of Cleveland, in Sandusky

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Research_Center#Plum_Brook_Field_Station

In!

OST

At Naval Air Facility El Centro in Southern California, SpaceX recently completed its 16th test of Crew Dragon’s parachute system—verifying the system’s ability to slow Crew Dragon and ensure a safe landing in the unlikely event of a low altitude abort. https://t.co/OOQnAtNXJ3 pic.twitter.com/kFX7Qth3AK

SpaceX  (@SpaceX) June 26, 2018

Came here to post this

Another view here

Do they have an ascent abort test scheduled yet?

Currently not scheduled but assumed to be in between the September DM1 uncrewed flight and the January DM2 first crewed flight.  I assume those dates be will slip as well.

Any bets on whether SpaceX or Boeing launches Crew first?

According to wiki the tentative launch date for the first manned flight is the 17th of January 2019, I'm sure it'll get pushed back but I can't wait.

So am I. I'm ready for us to start manned missions again.

Meanwhile NASA is still years away from flying their SLS, which is still billions from its first test flight.  Oh, and it's just a collection of parts that our nazis designed.  Sigh.

In other news, both Blue Original and Virgin should be flying paying customers on suborbital hops next year as well.

Is there any plan for it to have a launch escape system?

Yes.  It uses a pusher system integrated into the capsule itself vs the launch escape tower tractor systems historically used and used on the Orion and Starliner.

Was originally going to be the landing system as well.

Yep!

Supposedly the bottleneck for both now is NASA certification paperwork.

I can certainly believe that.  Supposedly certifying the RD-180 has been a giant pain in the ass due to getting the needed information from Russia.

SpaceX still has to successfully fly Block 5 seven times before they can fly crew.  First launch that counts towards the 7 will be DM1 as it is the first Block 5 that will fly with the COPV 2.0.

ETA:  I don't think NASA has officially given the green light to SpaceX doing "load and go" on crewed launches as well.  But, once again waiting on NASA certification.

It needs some windows.

Comparison of Dragon 2 with other capsules

Half the problem is that there's almost nobody left in the agency that has ever done the man-rating process so it's almost like we've never done it before.

It's 2018 - cameras >>> windows
A window is a hole in the hull. Don't want those...

AA-2 for Orion will be cool to watch, will activate at about 30k feet

Article on Boeing and SpaceX space suits for Commercial Crew

Boeing:

Attached File


SpaceX:

Attached File

Neat  Is it scheduled yet?

It's got windows

Can be seen on the capsule during EMI testing.  Same capsule shown in OP, just the opposite side.

Attached File

Around Aug 2019 I think.

SpaceX.  I don't even think it will be that close.

Of course, I could be wrong.  The Elon Musk haters have assured me that everything he does is smoke and mirrors.   We'll find out any day now that he hasn't actually been launching payloads for the last several years.

SpaceX's Pad 39A undergoing upgrades for Dragon 2 crew launches

And a hatch with explosive bolts.

Stig?

from what it sounds liek they are stuck in a paralysis by analysis loop with the RS25's.  Yes, they work.. you dont need 4 times more tests than planned.

No bucks...

Boeing's suit makes me think of the Gemini 7 suits... at least that soft helmet does, anyway.

On Starman over there, I still want to see the hookups for air, thermal control, etc.

What a great time to be alive.

No doubt!!!

Some people can't tell the difference between Musk's businesses, and they look at the Gov't money that SpaceX gets, and forget that the Gov't gets something - launch services - for that money with SpaceX. (And very reasonably priced Launch services, at that)

Tesla and Solar City, on the other hand, take tons of Gov't money and return nothing to the taxpayer. Those businesses (1 now, but still) are specifically structured to maximize gov't handouts. People see that, and say 'Musk is a Huckster'. They're right... but that doesn't mean that everything he does is that way.

People can't split the actions from the man or company. SpaceX is the real deal. Tesla/Solar City are subsidy factories.

No way you are staying awake under that g-load!

Absolutely!

May not want to be awake if you're taking that ride

I'd rather be alive than conscious if the main motor catastrophically fails.

SpaceX proposes to conduct Dragon splashdowns in Gulf of Mexico

What, like Bezos' "big beautiful window" on his flying dildo?

Behindtheblack.com

Yea dragon!

My plant is a SpaceX supplier.  They have really ramped up their supplier audits in preparation for manned flight.

Kavandi: SpaceX just wrapped up thermal vacuum testing [of Crew Dragon] at Plum Brook. #AIAAPropEnergy

— Jeff Foust (@jeff_foust) July 9, 2018

Next stop, the Cape!