Author Topic: SpaceX and Boeing in home stretch for Commercial Crew readiness  (Read 14103 times)

Online Chris Bergin

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Offline Coastal Ron

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I didn't see any mention of the debate and concern about whether crew should be loaded before fueling on the Falcon 9, or after the Falcon 9 is loaded.

Maybe this question has been resolved, or maybe NASA is waiting for the final Falcon 9 Block 5 certification process before they decide?

Also, it would seem like Foreign Object Damage (FOD) mitigation in space has already been designed into both spacecraft, so regardless what NASA wants the hardware is as protective as it can be (i.e. no one plans on adding layers of reactive armor in the future). Could it be that it's the method of calculating the FOD dangers that is still being debated?

Overall though, it's exciting to be getting closer to both of these vehicles being made operational.
« Last Edit: 08/12/2017 02:26 am by Coastal Ron »
If we don't continuously lower the cost to access space, how are we ever going to afford to expand humanity out into space?

Offline Endeavour_01

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Excellent article filled with meaty details. Thanks to Chris G., Brady, and Nathan for their wonderful work. The long night for humans launched from US soil will soon be over.  :)
I cheer for both NASA and commercial space. For SLS, Orion, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon, Starship/SH, Starliner, Cygnus and all the rest!
I was blessed to see the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-99. The launch was beyond amazing. My 8-year old mind was blown. I remember the noise and seeing the exhaust pour out of the shuttle as it lifted off. I remember staring and watching it soar while it was visible in the clear blue sky. It was one of the greatest moments of my life and I will never forget it.

Online catdlr

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I didn't see mention of an in-flight abort for the starliner?
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Offline rcoppola

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I didn't see mention of an in-flight abort for the starliner?
That's because there isn't one. SpaceX decided to do their own, NASA didn't require it. Boeing is only doing a Pad Abort.
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Offline Ike17055

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I saw one comment recently that stated that the lauch of commercial crew as planned will represent the first manned launches from Cape Canaveral (all others being from KSC) since Apollo 7. Is that correct?

Offline Flying Beaver

I saw one comment recently that stated that the lauch of commercial crew as planned will represent the first manned launches from Cape Canaveral (all others being from KSC) since Apollo 7. Is that correct?

For Starliner, from LC-41, yes it would be. All US manned launches since Apollo 7 have been from LC-39 A or B.

Watched B1019 land in person 21/12/2015.

Online edkyle99

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I saw one comment recently that stated that the lauch of commercial crew as planned will represent the first manned launches from Cape Canaveral (all others being from KSC) since Apollo 7. Is that correct?

For Starliner, from LC-41, yes it would be. All US manned launches since Apollo 7 have been from LC-39 A or B.
This may be the place to mention that the Cape was still officially named "Cape Kennedy" at the time of the Apollo 7 launch.  Technically, Mercury Atlas 9 was, I think, the last manned mission from the place when it was still named "Cape Canaveral".  The name reverted to "Cape Canaveral" in 1973 or thereabouts.

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 08/14/2017 03:57 pm by edkyle99 »

Offline Ike17055

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Was the "kennedy" moniker applied to the geographic location of the Cape itself, or to the Air Force station, or both? Regardless, this means Starliner will restore manned flight to the Cape after a 50-year absence. Impressive.

Offline Jim

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Was the "kennedy" moniker applied to the geographic location of the Cape itself, or to the Air Force station, or both? Regardless, this means Starliner will restore manned flight to the Cape after a 50-year absence. Impressive.

It applied to the land mass, AF Station and Space Center. 

Offline Comga

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Near the end, this excellent article says
Quote
some incremental upgrades, like increased engine thrust – will debut next week on the CRS-12 launch,
Now that CRS-12 has flown, was there any evidence that this was, in fact, the case?
Several discussions seem to coming to the conclusion that CRS-12 had no greater thrust than CRS-11.
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline envy887

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Near the end, this excellent article says
Quote
some incremental upgrades, like increased engine thrust – will debut next week on the CRS-12 launch,
Now that CRS-12 has flown, was there any evidence that this was, in fact, the case?
Several discussions seem to coming to the conclusion that CRS-12 had no greater thrust than CRS-11.

There's evidence that the upper stage ran at higher thrust: it staged slower yet got to orbital velocity 10 seconds faster.

Offline Kabloona

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Several discussions seem to coming to the conclusion that CRS-12 had no greater thrust than CRS-11.

Here's the link to LouScheffer's analysis for those interested:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=42878.msg1713683#msg1713683

Offline Rondaz

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Astronauts Practice Spacewalks Virtually

Marie Lewis Posted on October 23, 2018

Commercial crew astronauts are rehearsing their movements in space for when they launch on Boeing and SpaceX missions to the International Space Station. Astronauts Suni Williams (above) and Mike Hopkins (below left) recently practiced spacewalking in the Virtual Reality Lab at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The training is designed to be as realistic as possible, with real time graphics and motion simulators to replicate the space environment.

NASA uses virtual reality for spacewalk training. The astronauts see a virtual representation of the space station through their goggles and are able to practice moving around on its exterior, without the drag that they would experience from the water in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, NASA’s enormous swimming pool where astronauts practice spacewalking underwater. They can practice maneuvering safely back to the space station as well as plotting paths from worksite to worksite.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is working with Boeing and SpaceX to return human spaceflight launches to the United States in 2019. Williams is assigned to Boeing’s first operational mission after the company’s test flight with crew. Hopkins is assigned to SpaceX’s first operational mission after the company’s test flight with crew.

Offline Rondaz

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Commercial Crew Teams Practice Triage and Medical Evacuation

Anna Heiney Posted on October 25, 2018
Commercial Crew Program, Kennedy

NASA and the Department of Defense Human Space Flight Support (HSFS) Office have a long history in preparing for human spaceflight missions. As NASA’s Commercial Crew Program prepares to begin launching astronauts once again from American soil, it is vital teams prepare for launch day operations, including possible but unlikely emergency scenarios, and simulations are key to getting teams as ready as possible.

Today, teams from NASA, HSFS and SpaceX are conducting a joint medical triage and medical evacuation (medevac) training exercise at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is the second of two emergency medical services simulations to be performed before commercial crew flight tests, which are scheduled for 2019. The first exercise was conducted at Space Launch Complex 41 and integrated teams from NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance.

“In the business of human spaceflight, we go to great lengths to design away or to control all the known hazards,” said Steve Payne, NASA Simulation Test Director and CCP Launch Integrator. “However, when the unexpected happens, we must be ready to respond. We develop and practice our procedures to handle the worst possible scenarios on launch day, but we hope we never have to use them. NASA is working closely with both our commercial partners and the Department of Defense to do everything possible to keep our flight crews and ground teams safe.”

For today’s exercise, teams are practicing a worst-case scenario, pad emergency and subsequent hypergolic fuel leak. Starting at the base of the egress system at Launch Complex 39A, volunteer ground crews are evacuating the pad perimeter using three Mine Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAP, vehicles. Three helicopters, emergency services, and the triage team are meeting the evacuated crews at triage site 8, between Launch Pads 39A and B.

As part of this exercise, evacuated personnel are undergoing a toxic vapor check. Kennedy Fire/Rescue teams are treating the crews as if contamination were detected and are performing decontamination measures. Following the medical evaluations, the simulated patients are being stabilized and prepared for transport. Selected patients are being evacuated to several area hospitals in order to validate all emergency procedures.

This simulation is a recent example of how safety is being built into systems, processes and procedures. These simulations are designed to exercise various components of emergency procedures, as well as triage and medevac response during the unlikely event of an emergency during launch operations. It is standard practice to conduct these exercises, and was regularly done during the Space Shuttle Program.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2018/10/25/commercial-crew-teams-practice-triage-and-medical-evacuation/
« Last Edit: 11/15/2018 02:45 pm by Rondaz »

Offline woods170

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Commercial Crew Teams Practice Triage and Medical Evacuation
<snip>

For the new folks here: when posting those NASA updates please also provide a link to the original article, per forum rules.

Thank you.

Offline Rondaz

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Launch Teams Simulate Boeing Uncrewed Flight Test Prelaunch Procedures

Marie Lewis Posted on November 15, 2018

Boeing, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and NASA completed an integrated rehearsal of prelaunch procedures for Boeing’s first uncrewed test flight of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard an Atlas V rocket for commercial crew missions to the International Space Station. The simulation, conducted on Nov. 7, focused on launch procedures beginning at five hours before launch, and continuing through a simulated scrub before liftoff.

The rehearsal consisted of launch teams participating from Boeing and NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Johnson Space Center in Houston. It incorporated voice communications, pad closeout events, polling for tanking, or fueling, readiness, and discussions about conditions, including flight hardware and weather.

Prelaunch anomalies were introduced into the rehearsal to provide opportunities for the teams to execute their resolution process. A scrub was called during the countdown rehearsal, allowing participants to test procedures for a delay and a decision to de-tank and prepare for a launch attempt the next day.

Boeing’s first uncrewed test flight, known as Orbital Flight Test (OFT), is slated for launch aboard an Atlas V rocket in March 2019. This will be the first flight of the Starliner, and it is a major step toward demonstrating that the spacecraft is ready to begin carrying astronauts to the space station.

Boeing is manufacturing three Starliner spacecraft in collaboration with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Starliner is designed to be reused up to 10 times.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2018/11/15/launch-teams-simulate-boeing-uncrewed-flight-test-prelaunch-procedures/

Offline Rondaz

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Astronauts Tour SpaceX Rocket Facility in Texas

Marie Lewis Posted on November 19, 2018

NASA astronauts who will be the first humans to fly aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft recently toured the company’s Rocket Development Test Facility in McGregor, Texas.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are set to crew SpaceX’s Demo-2 flight test in June 2019, which will be the first flight of Crew Dragon with people onboard.

NASA astronauts Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins will crew SpaceX’s first regular mission to the International Space Station, following Demo-2 and NASA’s certification of SpaceX commercial crew systems.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is working with SpaceX and with Boeing to return human spaceflight launch capability from the United States.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2018/11/19/astronauts-tour-spacex-rocket-facility-in-texas/

Online catdlr

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Commercial Crew: Prepare For Launch

NASAKennedy
Published on Dec 21, 2018

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and private industry partners, Boeing and SpaceX, will make history in 2019 with the return of human spaceflight launches to the International Space Station from U.S. soil. Get ready for the rocket rumble!
Music Courtesy of Gothic Storm Music



Tony De La Rosa, ...I'm no Feline Dealer!! I move mountains.  but I'm better known for "I think it's highly sexual." Japanese to English Translation.

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