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SpaceX Dragon SPX-1: ISS resupply (Titanium umbrellas?)

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  • SpaceX Dragon SPX-1: ISS resupply (Titanium umbrellas?)

    On Aug 31, 2012 SpaceX conducted a full wet dress rehearsal (WDR) for its scheduled Oct 8 2012 08:12 PM EST launch of SPX-1, its first fully operational cargo Dragon resupply mission to the ISS.

    In a WDR the Falcon 9 is rolled out, fueled and the countdown run down to the very moment before engine ignition. Then the tanks are drained, the F9 is rolled back to the hangar and everything is checked out. Later another rehearsal will include a "hot-fire" - a 3-4 second engine burn to check them out too. This usually tales place a few days before launch. During the recent WDR the Dragon and its cargo trunk were not attached, but they likely will be for the hot-fire.

    Non-ISS cargo for this flight will include a prototype ORBCOMM OG2 communications satellite built by Sierra Nevada Corp. (also builders of the Dream Chaser spaceplane.) If all goes well 17 more ORBCOMM's will be lofted on later F9 flights.

    This will be the next to last flight for the Falcon 9 v1.0 before the much larger and powerful Falcon 9 v1.1 comes into service. The F9 v1.1 will also be the core stage of the monster Falcon Heavy.

    Gallery -







    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2


    NASA TV Schedule
    >
    October 7, Sunday


    7 p.m. - Launch Coverage for the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-1 Mission to the International Space Station (Launch scheduled at 8:34 p.m. ET) - KSC (All Channels)
    >
    Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 20 September 2012, 16:38.
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

    Comment


    • #3
      Email from SpaceX -

      OCTOBER 7 ANNOUNCED AS TARGET LAUNCH DATE FOR SPACE STATION MISSION

      NASA and SpaceX have announced October 7, 2012 as the target launch date for SpaceX’s first resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft is scheduled for 8:34 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida. October 8 is the backup date.

      The launch represents the first of 12 SpaceX flights to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract, and follows a successful demonstration mission in May when SpaceX became the first private company ever to attach to the ISS and return safely to Earth.

      The SpaceX CRS-1 mission also represents restoration of American capability to deliver and return cargo to the ISS—a feat not achievable since the retirement of the space shuttle. SpaceX is also contracted to develop Dragon to send crew to the space station. SpaceX’s first manned flight is expected to take place in 2015.

      On this mission, Dragon will be filled with supplies, which include materials to support 166 experiments in plant cell biology, human biotechnology, and materials technology. One experiment will examine the effects of microgravity on the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans, which is present on all humans. Another will evaluate how microgravity affects the growth of cell walls in a plant called Arabidopsis.

      Expedition 33 Commander Sunita Williams of NASA and Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will use a robotic arm to grapple Dragon following its rendezvous with the station, expected on October 10. They will attach Dragon to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Harmony module for a few weeks while crew members unload cargo and load experiment samples for return to Earth.

      Dragon is scheduled to return in late October for a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California. Dragon will fly back carrying scientific materials and space station hardware.
      Dr. Mordrid
      ----------------------------
      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

      Comment


      • #4
        Go to NBCNews.com for breaking news, videos, and the latest top stories in world news, business, politics, health and pop culture.


        SpaceX tests rocket engines on pad

        SpaceX says it successfully test-fired the engines on its Falcon 9 rocket today in preparation for Oct. 7's scheduled liftoff of the California-based company's first official cargo delivery to the International Space Station.

        The static-fire test at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida was considered the "last major test" in advance of the launch, SpaceX said in a Twitter update. The rocket was held down while its nine Merlin engines blazed for a couple of seconds on the pad, at the end of a computer-controlled fueling sequence. Data from the test will be analyzed in advance of the scheduled launch at 8:34 p.m. ET on Oct. 7.
        On September 29, 2012, SpaceX completed a successful static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket's nine Merlin engines. During this test, SpaceX engineers ran th...


        Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 29 September 2012, 22:22.
        Dr. Mordrid
        ----------------------------
        An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

        I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

        Comment


        • #5
          Livestream mission link (SpaceX show channel)

          Dr. Mordrid
          ----------------------------
          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

          Comment


          • #6
            Posted 10/5/12 6:04 PM

            @SpaceX: At today’s official Launch Readiness Review meeting, launch managers gave a “go” to proceed towards launch on Sunday, 10/7
            Ofher sources say launch at 8:35 PM
            Dr. Mordrid
            ----------------------------
            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

            Comment


            • #7
              Via FB

              Early in the morning, the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft rolled out to the launch pad. Engineers now complete final preparations for launch, targeted for 8:35PM ET tonight.
              Dr. Mordrid
              ----------------------------
              An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

              I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

              Comment


              • #8
                Launch: perfect

                Flight to orbit: perfect near perfect - see next post

                Dragon is in orbit, her solar wings are deployed and arrival at ISS is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

                Unfinished business: putting an Orbcomm communications satellite into its geosynchronous transfer orbit.
                Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 7 October 2012, 20:01.
                Dr. Mordrid
                ----------------------------
                An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                Comment


                • #9
                  Update:

                  With most all rockets if an engine fails the range safety officer blows it up as there isn't enough power remaining to continue the launch. End of mission, everything is lost.

                  An engine-out capability prevents this.

                  NASA had engine-out capability with the 5 engine Saturn V moon rocket, but not since. SpaceX has picked up that ball and is running with it because F9's engine-out capability has been proven during this launch.

                  At about 01:20 into the flight there was an anomaly on engine #1 as F9 entered a cloud bank. Speculation is that engine 1's turbopump, which delivers the fuel & oxidizer, blew out spewing debris.

                  F9 is designed with armor plate and ballistic blankets (Kevlar) around each engine to catch the debris from such an events, so the F9's computer just shut down that engines fuel and oxidizer valves then burned the others a bit longer. Problem solved.

                  Result: the Dragon and Orbcomm satellite are now in their proper orbits in spite of an engine failure.

                  This engine-out capability makes Falcon 9 a very safe rocket.
                  Dr. Mordrid
                  ----------------------------
                  An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                  I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Engine-out confirmed

                    SpaceFlightNow -

                    "Falcon 9 detected an anomaly on one of the nine engines and shut it down," Musk wrote in an email... "As designed, the flight computer then recomputed a new ascent profile in realtime to reach the target orbit, which is why the burn times were a bit longer."
                    Slow motion video of the event. Watch the top-right engine and you'll see the flameout and possible RUD ("rapid unscheduled disassembly" - an Elon Musk-ism.)

                    Remember: with any other US (and AFAIK foreign) launcher since Saturn V this would cause the flight termination (abort) system to destroy the rocket. Not so with Falcon 9.

                    Slow motion video of anomaly event of SpaceX launch on 07/10/12 .We should wait for an official assessment and avoid too many speculations.Personally, I stro...
                    Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 7 October 2012, 21:25.
                    Dr. Mordrid
                    ----------------------------
                    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Full Elon Musk statement -

                      Falcon 9 detected an anomaly on one of the nine engines and shut it down. As designed, the flight computer then recomputed a new ascent profile in realtime to reach the target orbit, which is why the burn times were a bit longer. Like Saturn V, which experienced engine loss on two flights, the Falcon 9 is designed to handle an engine flameout and still complete its mission. I believe F9 is the only rocket flying today that, like a modern airliner, is capable of completing a flight successfully even after losing an engine. There was no effect on Dragon or the Space Station resupply mission.
                      Dr. Mordrid
                      ----------------------------
                      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Brilliant
                        “Inside every sane person there’s a madman struggling to get out”
                        –The Light Fantastic, Terry Pratchett

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          SpaceX statement. No explosion, just a rather exciting shutdown sequence.

                          Of note: Apollo 6 lost 2 engines on its second stage and Apollo 13 lost the center engine of its first stage.

                          The Dragon spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station this morning and is performing nominally following the launch of the SpaceX CRS-1 official cargo resupply mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 8:35PM ET Sunday, October 7, 2012.

                          Approximately one minute and 19 seconds into last night's launch, the Falcon 9 rocket detected an anomaly on one first stage engine. Initial data suggests that one of the rocket's nine Merlin engines, Engine 1, lost pressure suddenly and an engine shutdown command was issued. We know the engine did not explode, because we continued to receive data from it. Panels designed to relieve pressure within the engine bay were ejected to protect the stage and other engines. Our review of flight data indicates that neither the rocket stage nor any of the other eight engines were negatively affected by this event.

                          As designed, the flight computer then recomputed a new ascent profile in real time to ensure Dragon's entry into orbit for subsequent rendezvous and berthing with the ISS. This was achieved, and there was no effect on Dragon or the cargo resupply mission.

                          Falcon 9 did exactly what it was designed to do. Like the Saturn V (which experienced engine loss on two flights) and modern airliners, Falcon 9 is designed to handle an engine out situation and still complete its mission. No other rocket currently flying has this ability.

                          It is worth noting that Falcon 9 shuts down two of its engines to limit acceleration to 5 g's even on a fully nominal flight. The rocket could therefore have lost another engine and still completed its mission.

                          We will continue to review all flight data in order to understand the cause of the anomaly, and will devote the resources necessary to identify the problem and apply those lessons to future flights. We will provide additional information as it becomes available.

                          Dragon is expected to begin its approach to the station on October 10, where it will be grappled and berthed by Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Expedition 33 Commander Sunita Williams of NASA. Over the following weeks, the crew will unload Dragon's payload and reload it with cargo to be returned to Earth. Splashdown is targeted for October 28.
                          Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 8 October 2012, 15:52.
                          Dr. Mordrid
                          ----------------------------
                          An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                          I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Current NASA TV timings:

                            October 10, Wednesday
                            4 a.m. - Coverage of the Grapple of the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-1 at the International Space Station (Grapple scheduled at 7:22 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels)

                            9:15 a.m. - Coverage of the Berthing of the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-1 to the International Space Station (Berthing begins at 9:40 a.m. ET) - JSC (All Channels)

                            All times Eastern
                            Dr. Mordrid
                            ----------------------------
                            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              CRS-1 now berthed at ISS

                              NASA designates the ship as Dragon-1

                              Dr. Mordrid
                              ----------------------------
                              An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

                              I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

                              Comment

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