SpaceX and NASA are supervising this Sunday, November 3, a relocation of the Crew Dragon capsule linked to the Crew-9 mission. The event can be followed live.
The American space agency announced it on October 29. SpaceX must move its Crew Dragon capsule to reposition it at another docking port on the International Space Station (ISS). The maneuver is scheduled for this Sunday, November 3, 2024. It will not last very long.
The space maneuver in summary
- Quoi ? The movement of the Crew Dragon capsule;
- When ? November 3, 2024, at 11:15 a.m. (Paris time);
- Or ? Around the ISS, at an altitude of 400 km;
- What will we see? Relocation of the vehicle from one port to another.
Where to see the movement of the capsule live?
The maneuver can be followed via different solutions described by NASA. A video stream may be available on YouTube. It will be integrated into the article if necessary.
What is the purpose of the mission?
The International Space Station has a limited number of docking ports and several spots are already occupied. The objective here is to relocate the SpaceX capsule to another location on the ISS. The vacated port is intended to be occupied by a supply cargo ship – also chartered by SpaceX – which will soon reach the station.
On this occasion, the capsule will occasionally welcome four astronauts on board – this is the procedure. For the record, this capsule is seen as a sort of lifeboat, because it will be the one that will have the mission of repatriating to Earth two astronauts from the station who were unable to return earlier. They are unofficially nicknamed ISS castaways.
When does the move take place?
The operation will be carried out on November 3. This is not the first time this has happened, and it will happen relatively quickly. Undocking is scheduled for 11:35 a.m. and less than an hour later, at 12:18 p.m., the capsule should again be physically linked to the station. It will also be necessary to take into account the time for the crew to board and exit.
