NASAとSpaceXが宇宙飛行士回収船を使ったクルードラゴンの脱出リハーサル

NASAとSpaceXは、SpaceXの海上輸送船GO Searcherでの緊急脱出難訓練を行い、SpaceXがNASAのために実施する最終的な有人ミッションへの共同準備を継続している。この船は、実際のミッションシナリオで宇宙船と宇宙飛行士を回収するために使用することを目的としたものである。そして今週実施されるリハーサルは、実際の有人SpaceXミッションに先立ち準備を万全に整えるために重要なものだ。

NASAとSpaceXのミッションチーム全員が揃って最初から最後まで行われた最終リハーサルの写真には、SpaceXの新しいクルースーツに身を包んだNASAの宇宙飛行士のDoug Hurley(ダグ・ハーレイ)氏とBob Behnken(ボブ・ベンケン)氏や、帰還したクルードラゴン宇宙船から脱出する必要が生じたときの模擬状況、そしてGO Searcherからケープカナベラル空軍基地へリコプターで移送する様子などが写されている。

誰の目から見ても、このリハーサルは成功であり、NASAならびにSpaceXの双方に満足できる結果を残したようだ。NASAによってリリースされた、リハーサルの様子を以下のスライドでチェックして欲しい。

  1. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    A quick moving storm passes as teams from NASA and SpaceX practice procedures for medical emergency evacuation onboard the GO Searcher ship, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  2. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    A quick moving storm passes as teams from NASA and SpaceX practice procedures for medical emergency evacuation onboard the GO Searcher ship, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  3. SpaceX Dragon Crew Extraction Rehearsal

    Teams from NASA and SpaceX gather at the Trident Basin in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 13, 2019 to rehearse extracting astronauts from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which will be used to carry humans to the International Space Station. Using the Go Searcher ship SpaceX uses to recover their spacecraft after splashdown and a mock-up of the Crew Dragon, the teams worked through the steps necessary to get NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken out of the Dragon and back to dry land. Hurley and Behnken will fly to the space station aboard the Crew Dragon for the SpaceX Demo-2 mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  4. SpaceX Dragon Crew Extraction Rehearsal

    NASA astronauts Bob Behnken, left, and Doug Hurley board the SpaceX GO Searcher ship at the Trident Basin in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 13, 2019 to rehearse extracting astronauts from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which will be used to carry humans to the International Space Station. Using the Go Searcher ship SpaceX uses to recover their spacecraft after splashdown and a mock-up of the Crew Dragon, the teams worked through the steps necessary to get NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken out of the Dragon and back to dry land. Hurley and Behnken will fly to the space station aboard the Crew Dragon for the SpaceX Demo-2 mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  5. SpaceX Dragon Crew Extraction Rehearsal

    NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Bob Behnken work with teams from NASA and SpaceX to rehearse crew extraction from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which will be used to carry humans to the International Space Station, on August 13, 2019 at the Trident Basin in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Using the Go Searcher ship SpaceX uses to recover their spacecraft after splashdown and a mock-up of the Crew Dragon, the teams worked through the steps necessary to get NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken out of the Dragon and back to dry land. Hurley and Behnken will fly to the space station aboard the Crew Dragon for the SpaceX Demo-2 mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  6. SpaceX Dragon Crew Extraction Rehearsal

    NASA astronauts Doug Hurley, left, and Bob Behnken work with teams from NASA and SpaceX to rehearse crew extraction from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which will be used to carry humans to the International Space Station, on August 13, 2019 at the Trident Basin in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Using the Go Searcher ship SpaceX uses to recover their spacecraft after splashdown and a mock-up of the Crew Dragon, the teams worked through the steps necessary to get NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken out of the Dragon and back to dry land. Hurley and Behnken will fly to the space station aboard the Crew Dragon for the SpaceX Demo-2 mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  7. SpaceX Dragon Crew Extraction Rehearsal

    NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, along with teams from NASA and SpaceX, rehearse crew extraction from SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which will be used to carry humans to the International Space Station, on August 13, 2019 at the Trident Basin in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Using the Go Searcher ship SpaceX uses to recover their spacecraft after splashdown and a mock-up of the Crew Dragon, the teams worked through the steps necessary to get NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken out of the Dragon and back to dry land. Hurley and Behnken will fly to the space station aboard the Crew Dragon for the SpaceX Demo-2 mission. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  8. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    Teams from NASA and SpaceX practice procedures for medical emergency evacuation onboard the GO Searcher ship, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  9. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    A helicopter equipped for air medical operations lands on the GO Searcher ship as teams from NASA and SpaceX practice procedures for medical emergency evacuation, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  10. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    Teams from NASA and SpaceX practice procedures for medical emergency evacuation onboard the GO Searcher ship, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  11. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    A helicopter equipped for air medical operations takes off from the GO Searcher ship as teams from NASA and SpaceX practice procedures for medical emergency evacuation, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  12. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    Teams from NASA and SpaceX practice procedures for medical emergency evacuation onboard the GO Searcher ship, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  13. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    The GO Searcher ship is seen from a helicopter during practice for a medical emergency evacuation, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Teams from NASA and SpaceX gathered to refine procedures for emergency situations. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  14. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    The GO Searcher ship is seen from a helicopter during practice for a medical emergency evacuation, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Teams from NASA and SpaceX gathered to refine procedures for emergency situations. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
  15. SpaceX Dragon Crew Emergency Evacuation Rehearsal

    Teams from NASA and SpaceX practice medical emergency evacuations from the GO Searcher ship via helicopter, Friday, August 15, 2019 in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. The teams gathered to refine procedures for emergency situations. SpaceX will use the GO Searcher ship during the Demo-2 mission to recover NASA astronauts returning from the International Space Station in their Crew Dragon spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

SpaceXとNASAは、クルードラゴンを使った最初の実際の有人飛行の発射を行うという目標に向けて働き続けているものの、4月の静的試験噴射の際に起きたクルードラゴン試験機の爆発などによって、その目標の達成が難しいかもしれない状況へ後退を余儀なくされている。

[原文へ]

(翻訳:sako)