Space X Launch Today--Return to Space

[Dr.Strangelove]

@lazybratsche

I can’t find a cite, but I heard somewhere that the change from seven to four seats is in part due to the change from propulsive to parachute landing, and the resulting higher impact during landing.

I hadn’t heard that one before, but did find a cite:

After redesigns, the finish line is in sight for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon...

A requirement change from NASA also contributed to delays, Shotwell said.

After SpaceX had already designed the interior layout of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, NASA decided to change the specification for the angle of the ship’s seats due to concerns about the g-forces crew members might experience during splashdown.

The change meant SpaceX had to do away with the company’s original seven-seat design for the Crew Dragon.

“With this change and the angle of the seats, we could not get seven anymore,” Shotwell said. “So now we only have four seats. That was kind of a big change for us.”

It doesn’t quite say the reason was propulsive-vs-water landings, but in any case the reason does seem to be related to g-forces during splashdown. It also seems driven by NASA instead of SpaceX, so maybe they could go back to 7 for pure commercial customers willing to take a bit more abuse.

[Irishman]

@Bijou_Drains

On CNN they got the countdown wrong. The liftoff was around 3 seconds left.

I was wondering if anyone else saw that. I didn’t see the launch live, I was working, but my mom taped CNN for me. I was watching the launch recording, and it did something very strange. I started hearing a second audio muted under the main audio, the second audio was a few seconds ahead. Suddenly the picture changed and the rocket was already in the air. For some reason there were two feeds, one of them delayed, and they stupidly swapped between the feeds during the actual launch. It was bizarre.

I finally saw the launch later in a delayed repeat on that program.