Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - Dragon - CRS-4/SpX-4 - Sept 20, 2014 - DISCUSSION THREAD  (Read 316202 times)

Offline woods170

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Is a pad turnaround time of 19th-7th = 12 days really conceivable yet?

Not right now. Perhaps some day in the future, but not right now. IMO CRS-4 will be moving into october.
« Last Edit: 09/05/2014 02:09 pm by woods170 »

Offline Dudely

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Don't we often have more than one rocket launching from the same pad within a week? It's just that it's always two different companies' rockets.

Offline ugordan

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Don't we often have more than one rocket launching from the same pad within a week? It's just that it's always two different companies' rockets.

Then it's not the same pad, is it?

Offline intrepidpursuit

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Don't we often have more than one rocket launching from the same pad within a week? It's just that it's always two different companies' rockets.

No. Each rocket has its own dedicated pad.

Online Comga

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Here's the full image, showing nice detail on the interior of the Dragon trunk

Another SPIF photo.

Didn't you mean to say "Another spiffy SPIF photo"?    :P

I have seen a Nadir Viewing Platform, the payload on the right, up close.  It was quite large, particularly for a space-bound fixture.  (My payloads are usually under 10 kg.)  Seeing it occupy a small area of the Dragon trunk gives me a real appreciation of just how incredibly large that volume is. 
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Jim

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I have seen a Nadir Viewing Platform, the payload on the right, up close.  It was quite large, particularly for a space-bound fixture.  (My payloads are usually under 10 kg.)  Seeing it occupy a small area of the Dragon trunk gives me a real appreciation of just how incredibly large that volume is. 

What does this need to go to the ISS?  Just deploy from the trunk on a Dragonlab mission.  ;)
« Last Edit: 09/05/2014 03:55 pm by Jim »

Offline Jakusb

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Here's the full image, showing nice detail on the interior of the Dragon trunk

Another SPIF photo.

Major noob question, but what does SPIF stand for in this context?

Edit/CR: SPIF = Spacecraft Processing and Integration Facility (said Swoopert)
« Last Edit: 09/06/2014 11:10 am by CuddlyRocket »

Offline Dudely

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Don't we often have more than one rocket launching from the same pad within a week? It's just that it's always two different companies' rockets.

No. Each rocket has its own dedicated pad.

Oooh, ok. No commonality between launch vehicles, requiring a new pad for each company. That really sucks.

Offline MTom

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Here's the full image, showing nice detail on the interior of the Dragon trunk

Another SPIF photo.

Didn't you mean to say "Another spiffy SPIF photo"?    :P

I have seen a Nadir Viewing Platform, the payload on the right, up close.  It was quite large, particularly for a space-bound fixture.  (My payloads are usually under 10 kg.)  Seeing it occupy a small area of the Dragon trunk gives me a real appreciation of just how incredibly large that volume is.

They are helping in this appreciation too!  :)


Offline abaddon

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Oooh, ok. No commonality between launch vehicles, requiring a new pad for each company. That really sucks.

Not really, it's how two companies can launch within a week of each other.

Offline deruch

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Here's the full image, showing nice detail on the interior of the Dragon trunk

Another SPIF photo.

Major noob question, but what does SPIF stand for in this context?

Jim started an excellent thread about the Spacecraft Processing and Integration Facility (SPIF) after SpaceX acquired it relatively recently.  Link: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=34516.0

He posted a bunch of info and pictures, as well as answered questions. 
Shouldn't reality posts be in "Advanced concepts"?  --Nomadd

Offline anonymousgerbil

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I have seen a Nadir Viewing Platform, the payload on the right, up close.  It was quite large, particularly for a space-bound fixture.  (My payloads are usually under 10 kg.)  Seeing it occupy a small area of the Dragon trunk gives me a real appreciation of just how incredibly large that volume is. 

What does this need to go to the ISS?  Just deploy from the trunk on a Dragonlab mission.  ;)

I've been starting to think that Dragonlab will never be an actual thing...  or did I miss something?

Offline Darga

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I have seen a Nadir Viewing Platform, the payload on the right, up close.  It was quite large, particularly for a space-bound fixture.  (My payloads are usually under 10 kg.)  Seeing it occupy a small area of the Dragon trunk gives me a real appreciation of just how incredibly large that volume is. 

What does this need to go to the ISS?  Just deploy from the trunk on a Dragonlab mission.  ;)

I've been starting to think that Dragonlab will never be an actual thing...  or did I miss something?

There are 2 currently on the manifest-one in 2016 and one in 18.

Online Comga

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I have seen a Nadir Viewing Platform, the payload on the right, up close.  It was quite large, particularly for a space-bound fixture.  (My payloads are usually under 10 kg.)  Seeing it occupy a small area of the Dragon trunk gives me a real appreciation of just how incredibly large that volume is. 

What does this need to go to the ISS?  Just deploy from the trunk on a Dragonlab mission.  ;)

That has got to be the weirdest Night Gator post ever.

A joke.  Who would have thought?

I could answer that these payloads are going to the ISS because it has and will provide power, attitude control, and communications to the payloads, and there are no DragonLab missions planned, and they couldn't operate from inside a Dragonlab's trunk, but of course you know all this, Jim.

It's "free" capability, although at least one of these projects has spent years and an enormous amount of money accommodating their "free ride".
« Last Edit: 09/06/2014 05:34 am by Comga »
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Noah

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Could SpaceX still try to get a barge out there and land next to it? I just can't believe they would do the same as with Cassiope, now that they have the info from all of those flights and the only thing holding back a barge landing is the hardware, I'd still expect them to push it further.

Offline cambrianera

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Actually I guess legs were the cause of the breakdown of alighted stages (and precisely excessive forces on cylinder link on RP-1 tank).
Maybe a legless booster has more chances to be recovered intact and towed.
Oh to be young again. . .

Offline Jcc

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Maybe they have enough data as far as water landing with legs go, so don't need to spend the money and time putting legs on if they won't land on a solid surface this time. Maybe they have determined that their upgraded RCS can handle any spin tendency, or, maybe they will surprise us and put on grid fins? It's fun to speculate.

Offline Tomness

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What does this need to go to the ISS? Just deploy from the trunk on a Dragonlab mission ;)

I don't doubt Jim & PadRat abilties to pack & process that fabled "used" DragonLab if NASA wants in on it. Heck they might slap a Arm on it. Warrning no gekkos will be killed in the launch if this Dragon.

Offline 411rocket

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Is a pad turnaround time of 19th-7th = 12 days really conceivable yet?
Assuming we sprinkle enough fairy dust on the four-leaf clovers, can the current pad infrastructure theoretically handle two launches 12 days apart?

Spx4, move over to the hanger at LC40, you are up next. Depending, on how much get ahead work, was able to be done. The next flow, may not take too long, past the NET date (providing no glitches, provided by Pad). 

Offline Noah

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They would have to improve their accuracy a lot if they want to bring back a stage this year. I'd expect hem to be pretty accurate already but there simply is no need to be accurate at the moment. If you land on a barge or at the landing pad you have lots of sensor on them as well, so the rocket knows where to go.

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