I can't believe that ROSA array fits in the trunk. Going by the people in the picture as 2m, the array is more than 4m wide, which is greater than the trunk dimensions. Does it tri-fold or something?I looked for a deployment video and only found this: Is this array used to provide extra power to the station? If not, what is the load? Also, the press release says the experiment only runs 7 days. What happens to the array after that? It can't be rolled up and put back in the trunk. Does it remain at ISS permanently?
Thanks for the link to the dedicated thread. I'll take array specific questions there.The video I linked isn't this exact array, so don't go by that, this is a single roll.My question on how this fits in the trunk is still on topic. Yes the array rolls up along the long axis, but nothing shows it folding along the short axis, and the length of the short axis seems to be longer than the trunk can hold. Is it going in at an angle?
Jeff Foust @jeff_foust 26s27 seconds agoNASA’s Paul Hertz says at Nat’l Academies meeting that NICER payload to ISS set to launch May 14 on SpX-11 Dragon mission.
Quote Jeff Foust @jeff_foust 26s27 seconds agoNASA’s Paul Hertz says at Nat’l Academies meeting that NICER payload to ISS set to launch May 14 on SpX-11 Dragon mission.https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/846745556559036420
Jeff Foust @jeff_foustGatens: SpX-11 mission to the ISS in May will be the first to re-fly a Dragon capsule.
So, this might use another "flight proven" F9? ("SpaceX is determining which launch vehicle to assign to this mission")
Quote from: Lars-J on 03/28/2017 05:16 pmSo, this might use another "flight proven" F9? ("SpaceX is determining which launch vehicle to assign to this mission")I don't read it that way at all (hasn't NASA publicly opted for a wait-n-see approach to booster reuse?). I read it as determining which of the new boosters in the production pipeline (i.e. serial numbers) will end up being assigned for this flight.
But NASA doesn't care what the serial number of a new booster is
Quote from: Coastal Ron on 03/28/2017 05:26 pmBut NASA doesn't care what the serial number of a new booster is I really wouldn't go that far... They very likely have insight into the processing flow of hardware assigned for their mission. Doesn't mean they get to pick the hardware, nor did I ever say that.
and new Falcon 9 boosters are all the same.
Quote from: Coastal Ron on 03/28/2017 05:26 pmBut NASA doesn't care what the serial number of a new booster is ... Other than the contract expecting new boosters. The CRS-10 press conference was pretty clear about using flown boosters, IIRC.
Quote from: Coastal Ron on 03/28/2017 05:26 pmand new Falcon 9 boosters are all the same.We can't assume this. At last report, SpaceX hadn't yet flown a Block 4 or Block 5 booster.
Quote from: Sesquipedalian on 03/28/2017 05:56 pmQuote from: Coastal Ron on 03/28/2017 05:26 pmand new Falcon 9 boosters are all the same.We can't assume this. At last report, SpaceX hadn't yet flown a Block 4 or Block 5 booster.Customers buy transportation services, not launch vehicles. So from that standpoint stages are interchangeable.
I'm curious as to how SpaceX handles differences in engine performance. With 9 engines (FH will be even more complicated) do you need to balance a mix of engines around a central value of performance or do you save really high performing engines for flights that would benefit from it.