Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - KSC LC-39A - 13 October 2023 (14:19 UTC)  (Read 187103 times)

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #20 on: 03/04/2020 05:06 pm »
Nice quote:

https://twitter.com/stephenclark1/status/1235263808588918789

Quote
Lindy Elkins-Tanton (@ltelkins), Psyche’s principal investigator: "I cannot imaging [imagine] that flying on a Falcon Heavy is going to hurt our outreach efforts.”

Offline Norm38

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #21 on: 03/05/2020 02:00 am »
Outreach efforts for what?  To whom?  Can anyone elaborate?

Offline Ghoti

Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #22 on: 03/05/2020 02:23 am »
Outreach efforts for what?  To whom?  Can anyone elaborate?
NASA tries to get as many people in the general public excited about space and the science being done.

Offline Comga

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #23 on: 03/05/2020 03:27 am »
Outreach efforts for what?  To whom?  Can anyone elaborate?
NASA tries to get as many people in the general public excited about space and the science being done.
and Elkins-Tanton seems to think, as we do, that Falcon Heavy is pretty cool. 
With better on-board video, dual RTLS landings, a barge ASDS landing attempt, and fairing catchers, who could argue?
I'd watch it, in person or online, even if it wasn't launching a cool science mission.
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Craftyatom

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #24 on: 03/05/2020 06:17 pm »
Outreach efforts for what?  To whom?  Can anyone elaborate?
I've had the pleasure of seeing some of Lindy's talks, as we're at the same institution, and I can tell you first-hand that she puts a significant emphasis on outreach for the Psyche mission as a whole.  There have been interdisciplinary teams here working on making models, posters, presentations, etc. since the award was made - they've gone so far as to create free online public courses about the selection process and spacecraft design.

The idea is to bring everyone along for the ride.  Ideally, everything about this mission should be part of the public experience, from the design constraints to the science data to the process of working on an award for NASA.  This is embodied by her Twitter, where nary a day goes by without some interesting news/information about the mission.

So, TL;DR: Outreach for the mission, to everyone, about pretty much everything.
« Last Edit: 03/05/2020 06:18 pm by Craftyatom »
All aboard the HSF hype train!  Choo Choo!

Offline PM3

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #25 on: 03/14/2020 11:46 am »
Gunter Krebs reports that KPLO (Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter) will be included on this flight:

Quote
In 2020 the launch was changed to a joint launch on a Falcon-Heavy (Block 5) together with the Psyche, EscaPADE and Janus missions.

https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/kplo.htm
"Never, never be afraid of the truth." -- Jim Bridenstine

Offline ZachS09

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #26 on: 03/14/2020 02:59 pm »
Combining all four missions, the total payload mass should be about 3,734 kilograms, which is well within the gap between the Mars and Pluto capabilities (between 16,800 and 3,500 kilograms).
Liftoff for St. Jude's! Go Dragon, Go Falcon, Godspeed Inspiration4!

Offline ccdengr

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #27 on: 03/14/2020 04:24 pm »
Gunter Krebs reports that KPLO (Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter) will be included on this flight...
Is there an independent source for this information, which seems implausible at best to me?

I'm pretty well-connected to both missions and I haven't heard anything.

Offline ccdengr

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #28 on: 03/14/2020 10:49 pm »
Is there an independent source for this information, which seems implausible at best to me?
A quick skim of the Falcon User's Guide suggests that there isn't a standard way to put multiple spacecraft on the vehicle (section 3.7: "Falcon launch vehicles can accommodate a broad range of dispenser systems including multi-payload systems, dual-payload attach fittings and mission-unique adapters. SpaceX can develop and provide such adapters and dispensers if desired, as a nonstandard service, or can integrate third-party systems.")

So even if this energetically possible, it seems like it might require a lot of new engineering.  The Cubesats as secondaries are much easier since Falcon supports the standard ESPA ring.

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #29 on: 03/15/2020 10:17 pm »
Gunter Krebs reports that KPLO (Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter) will be included on this flight...
Is there an independent source for this information, which seems implausible at best to me?

I'm pretty well-connected to both missions and I haven't heard anything.

NASA's NSSDCA Master Catalog now lists KPLO for a Falcon-Heavy launch in July 2022:

Quote
SSDCA ID: KPLO

Launch Information
Launch Date/Time: 2022-07-01T00:00:00Z
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 Heavy
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States

https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=KPLO
« Last Edit: 03/15/2020 10:17 pm by Skyrocket »

Offline gongora

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #30 on: 03/15/2020 10:43 pm »
Gunter Krebs reports that KPLO (Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter) will be included on this flight...
Is there an independent source for this information, which seems implausible at best to me?

I'm pretty well-connected to both missions and I haven't heard anything.

NASA's NSSDCA Master Catalog now lists KPLO for a Falcon-Heavy launch in July 2022:

Quote
SSDCA ID: KPLO

Launch Information
Launch Date/Time: 2022-07-01T00:00:00Z
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 Heavy
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States

https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=KPLO

Any chance it's a typo?  The Mission Profile data there says July 2022 on F9.

Offline ccdengr

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #31 on: 03/15/2020 11:19 pm »
NASA's NSSDCA Master Catalog now lists KPLO for a Falcon-Heavy launch in July 2022:
Is that your source?  The same site says Psyche is launching on 8/1/2022 on an unknown launch vehicle, so I don't think NSSDCA is very authoritative.

Offline PM3

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #32 on: 03/16/2020 04:41 pm »
NASA's NSSDCA Master Catalog now lists KPLO for a Falcon-Heavy launch in July 2022:

Quote
SSDCA ID: KPLO

Launch Information
Launch Date/Time: 2022-07-01T00:00:00Z
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 Heavy
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States

https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=KPLO

Any chance it's a typo?  The Mission Profile data there says July 2022 on F9.

I have asked NASA, and now they have changed the NSSDCA entry for KPLO to Falcon 9.
"Never, never be afraid of the truth." -- Jim Bridenstine

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #33 on: 04/16/2020 07:50 pm »
Quote
04.16.2020
Psyche: Five Questions with Maxar’s Program Management
By: Maxar Technologies
Read Time: 6 minutes

On April 15, 2020, Maxar Technologies completed an important milestone in building Psyche, a spacecraft that will launch in 2022 to explore a metallic asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The milestone, called the solar electric propulsion chassis critical design review (CDR), marks the end of the spacecraft engineering phase and the start of the manufacturing phase.

We spoke with Peter Lord, Maxar’s Technical Director and Deputy Program Manager for Psyche, to learn about the importance of the CDR milestone and to hear the latest updates on the program.

Maxar: How did you get involved in the mission, and what is your role?

Peter Lord: I’ve been with Psyche since 2014. I led the response to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) initial request for information regarding Maxar’s solar electric propulsion (SEP) capabilities. JPL was surveying industry for existing technologies for use on their next round of Discovery-class mission proposals for NASA. We worked with JPL on several formulation studies, including bringing a team of our experts to JPL for an intensive Team X design exercise. Maxar’s proven experience in solar electric propulsion was a perfect fit for the program, which led to our selection as the industrial partner for the mission. The Principal Investigator, Lindy Elkins-Tanton from ASU, went to great lengths to forge one of the most inspired and talented teams I have ever been a part of. We were welcomed into the inner circle of brilliant scientists at the heart of the mission to Psyche. It was exciting to know we had a shot at fostering a new relationship with NASA by leveraging Maxar’s 1300-class commercial spacecraft platform to accomplish cutting edge scientific exploration.

As Technical Director, I focus on the unique challenges of adapting a commercial spacecraft for use on a NASA mission. Maxar has a deeply ingrained culture driven to reduce costs whenever possible, while at the same time never compromising performance or reliability. As Deputy Program Manager, I provide backup to our Program Manager Steve Scott.

Maxar: What does the CDR milestone achieve?

Peter Lord: The CDR signifies that we have committed to the final design of the spacecraft, and will begin the manufacturing phase. To get to this point, we completed many trade studies to figure out the best way to modify our existing designs to accommodate the unique needs of this particular mission and to build the spacecraft. For new designs or modifications to existing design, we’ve done extensive design analysis then built and test engineering models to make sure everything works just the way we want it to. Since the design and manufacturing phases overlap, we are at the peak number of people working on the program, with over 100 engineers working full time. With the CDR complete, our design engineers will wrap up their work and move on to new programs, while the manufacturing and test engineers ramp up their effort as we begin to assemble and test the spacecraft.

Maxar: What key innovations is Maxar delivering for Psyche?

Peter Lord: For NASA Discovery missions, integrated science and engineering teams compete to offer the best science for a fixed amount of money, and so cost-effectiveness is essential. The Maxar and JPL engineering team’s job is to lower the cost of getting the science team’s instruments to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter -- a journey of over a billion miles. That’s where Maxar’s commercial heritage came in. With more spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit than any other manufacturer in the world and more than 35 Maxar-built spacecraft with electric propulsion currently on-orbit, Maxar was able to offer a highly cost-effective spacecraft solution for Psyche. The innovation came from working closely with JPL engineers to adapt our 1300-class platform to meet NASA’s mission requirements with as little change as possible. Since solar electric propulsion systems are more efficient than typical bi-propellant propulsion systems, scientists can get their payloads to further destinations in space and ultimately do more science for less money.

Maxar: Why is it important to visit Psyche?

Peter Lord: First, the asteroid Psyche may be able to tell us how Earth’s core and the cores of the other terrestrial (rocky) planets came to be. We can never go to the Earth’s core. Because we cannot see or measure Earth’s core directly, the Psyche asteroid may offer a unique window into the violent history of collisions and accretion that created the terrestrial planets. It is the only known place in our solar system where we can examine what may be a metallic core of an early planet. Second, Psyche changes the way government programs are run by lowering the cost of exploring the solar system. Instead of paying for a one-of-a-kind, custom-built spacecraft designed entirely to mission requirements, JPL partnered with Maxar to leverage our existing 1300-class commercial design, which offers a cost-effective, commercial price and accelerated schedule. For Psyche, we’re pairing the lightest, smallest graphite spacecraft body we have with a medium-sized solar array and our latest electric propulsion system. JPL is providing communications, the flight computer and all the software needed to fly a spacecraft deep into the solar system far from human help.

Maxar: What’s the next step for the program?

Peter Lord: We are currently testing Psyche’s spacecraft body, a lightweight graphite cylindrical structure at the heart of our 1300-class spacecraft design. Because the design of the 1300-class spacecraft body already existed, we were able to manufacture one for Psyche months before completing the CDR milestone. It’s exciting to see our ideas starting to turn into reality! Our next major milestone is the Project CDR, where the science and engineering teams come together to present our combined work to NASA. During this crucial decision point, NASA must formally approve the team’s detailed plans for the exploration of Psyche before we can take the next steps on our way to launch in 2022.

https://blog.maxar.com/space-infrastructure/2020/psyche-five-questions-with-maxars-program-management

2nd image caption:

Quote
Psyche’s spacecraft body being tested at Maxar’s Palo Alto, California manufacturing facility.

3rd image caption:

Quote
A Maxar technician prepares to integrate part of Psyche’s electric propulsion subsystem.
« Last Edit: 04/16/2020 07:53 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #34 on: 04/29/2020 07:09 am »
https://twitter.com/ltelkins/status/1255328456121991169

Quote
#PI_Daily @NASAPsyche

Last preparations of slides for Critical Design Review: due to board on Monday.

Tomorrow morning -- all-team meeting! Can't wait!

Offline gongora

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - August 2022
« Reply #35 on: 07/07/2020 04:45 pm »
Building NASA's Psyche: Design Done, Now Full Speed Ahead on Hardware
Quote
Psyche, the NASA mission to explore a metal-rock asteroid of the same name, recently passed a crucial milestone that brings it closer to its August 2022 launch date. Now the mission is moving from planning and designing to high-gear manufacturing of the spacecraft hardware that will fly to its target in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Online jacqmans

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - August 2022
« Reply #36 on: 07/09/2020 02:41 pm »
The main body of NASA's Psyche spacecraft, called the Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) Chassis, is in a clean room at Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, where a technician prepares to integrate part of the electric propulsion system onto the chassis. Maxar will deliver the SEP Chassis to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in February 2021. Set to launch in August 2022, Psyche's will explore a metal-rich asteroid of the same name that lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft will arrive in early 2026, and orbit the asteroid for nearly two years to investigate its composition.
Jacques :-)

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - August 2022
« Reply #37 on: 07/09/2020 02:51 pm »
This artist's concept, updated as of June 2020, depicts NASA's Psyche spacecraft. Set to launch in August 2022, the Psyche mission will explore a metal-rich asteroid of the same name that lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft will arrive in early 2026 and orbit the asteroid for nearly two years to investigate its composition. Scientists think that Psyche, unlike most other asteroids that are rocky or icy bodies, is made up of mostly iron and nickel — similar to the Earth's core. The Psyche team will use a magnetometer to measure the asteroid's magnetic field. A multispectral imager will capture images of the surface, as well as data about the Psyche's composition and topography. Spectrometers will analyze the neutrons and gamma rays coming from the surface to reveal the elements that make up the asteroid itself.
Jacques :-)

Offline ulm_atms

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - July 2022
« Reply #38 on: 07/09/2020 03:38 pm »
NASA's NSSDCA Master Catalog now lists KPLO for a Falcon-Heavy launch in July 2022:

Quote
SSDCA ID: KPLO

Launch Information
Launch Date/Time: 2022-07-01T00:00:00Z
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 Heavy
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States

https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=KPLO

Any chance it's a typo?  The Mission Profile data there says July 2022 on F9.

I have asked NASA, and now they have changed the NSSDCA entry for KPLO to Falcon 9.

Isn't KPLO hitching a ride with Psyche? So is this going on a F9 or FH?  This quote says F9 for KPLO and the title says FH for Psyche.  I'm just confused at this point.

Offline Skyrocket

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Re: SpaceX Falcon Heavy - Psyche - 39A - August 2022
« Reply #39 on: 07/09/2020 03:56 pm »
Isn't KPLO hitching a ride with Psyche? So is this going on a F9 or FH?  This quote says F9 for KPLO and the title says FH for Psyche.  I'm just confused at this point.

To clear up the confusion:

* Psyche (along with 2 EscaPADE and 2 Janus space probes) will fly on a Falcon Heavy
* KPLO will fly on a Falcon-9

Tags: Psyche Falcon Heavy 
 

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