SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - Dragon - CRS-5/SpX-5 - January 6, 2015 - UPDATE THREAD

[ugordan]

Press kit: http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/SpaceX_NASA_CRS-5_PressKit.pdf

[Chris Bergin]

NET January 6 is what we have, unofficially. Come back after the holidays, following resolution to the F9, get the Static Fire done and then go for the launch.

The launch date will be at the mercy of the usual ISS constraints, so I don't think there will be a firm launch date just yet. Everyone's saying January, however.

SpaceX not commenting, so this is not official.

Updated the article:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/12/spacex-static-fire-falcon-9-crs-5/

[Chris Bergin]

James Dean with Florida Today:

https://twitter.com/flatoday_jdean/status/545338327118123008

[Chris Bergin]

Stephen Clark's take on the slip. He doesn't ramble on like I tend to do.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2014/12/17/spacex-expected-to-set-new-falcon-9-launch-date/

[Chris Bergin]

Jan 6 confirmed to me by SpaceX - so they came through on their promise. Will update the article as we have a statement.

[Chris Bergin]

Updated article with the statement in full:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/12/spacex-static-fire-falcon-9-crs-5/

[Chris Bergin]

And the NASA machine has gotten around to it now.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2014/12/18/crs-5-launch-date-net-jan-6/

[jacqmans]

December 18, 2014

NASA, SpaceX Update Launch of Fifth SpaceX Resupply Mission to Space Station

NASA and SpaceX announced today the launch of SpaceX's fifth commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station now will occur no earlier than Tuesday, Jan. 6.

The new launch date will provide SpaceX engineers time to investigate further issues that arose from a static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket on Dec. 16 and will avoid beta angle constraints for berthing the Dragon cargo ship to the station that exist through the end of the year.

A beta angle is the position of the sun relative to mechanical structures on the space station. During the time of high beta angles, which run from Dec. 28 through Jan. 7, thermal and operational constraints prohibit Dragon from berthing to the station.

Space station managers will meet Monday, Jan. 5, for a readiness review in advance of the launch attempt Jan. 6. The launch postponement has no impact on the station's crew or its complement of food, fuel and supplies and will not affect the science being delivered to the crew once Dragon arrives at the station.

The launch is scheduled at approximately 6:18 a.m. EST. NASA Television coverage will begin at 5 a.m.

A backup launch attempt is available Wednesday, Jan. 7.

A launch on Jan. 6 will result in a rendezvous and grapple of Dragon Thursday, Jan. 8, at approximately 6 a.m. NASA TV coverage will begin at 4:30 a.m. Installation coverage will begin at 9 a.m.

Prelaunch briefings at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will be rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 5, with times still to be determined.

For an updated schedule of prelaunch briefings, events and NASA TV coverage, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/1FrjDEO

For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/spacex

For NASA TV schedule and video streaming information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

-end-

[Chris Bergin]

Per L2, the Falcon 9 v1.1 is back up at her SLC-40 Pad for another Static Fire attempt to gain additional engineering data. This will not change the new launch date NET (such as, it could be a perfect Static Fire, won't push the launch up, etc....if case anyone is wondering - for more than one reason).

[getitdoneinspace]

Here is the latest.

[OSE]

Nothing new but Elon just tweeted:

"Falcon/Dragon launch punted to early Jan. Need time to review all systems thoroughly again."

[Chris Bergin]

Good news boys and girls! Per L2, the Second Static Fire has been conducted and was nominal.

Now for the caveat: Nominal means they got the routine duration of the Merlin 1Ds firing and that she enjoyed a good countdown to get to that point. They then review the data from the firing, which isn't immediate, but it's already a better situation than the previous attempt.

NET remains Jan 6.

[Chris Bergin]

There's your official confirmation:
http://www.spacex.com/press/2014/12/19/crs-5-launch-update

[Chris Bergin]

Oh and I thought this would be a stock photo, but it's not - it's of the CRS-5 F9 - because I see grid fins......

[Fuji]

SpX-5 Payloads
-CATS (Cloud-Aerosol Transport System)
-Microbial Observatory-1
-Flatworm Regeneration
-Wearable Monitoring (ASI payload)
-Free-Space PADLES (Passive Dosimeter for Life-Science Experiment in Space) (JAXA payload)
-Fruit Fly Lab-01
-etc.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spacex_cats/index.html
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/fruit_fly_lab01/

Correction.
-Free-Space PADLES is delayed another flight.

Adds
-Two Flock 1D'
-AESP14  Brazilian 1U CubeSat and SSOD is paid payload for JAXA.
-Another JAXA's reserch payloads
  Epigenetics (C. elegans), JAXA PCG Demo,  Microbe-4, Plant Rotation, Stem Cells
http://iss.jaxa.jp/iss/flight/dragon_spx5/    (Japanese)

[AnalogMan]

NASA Updates Pre-Launch Briefings for Upcoming Resupply Mission to Space Station
RELEASE M14-207  December 29, 2014
http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/december/nasa-updates-pre-launch-briefings-for-upcoming-resupply-mission-to-space-station/

The fifth SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract now is scheduled to launch at 6:20:29 a.m. EST Tuesday, Jan. 6, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA Television coverage of the launch begins at 5 a.m.

The new launch date will provide SpaceX engineers time to investigate further issues that arose from a static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket on Dec. 16, and will ensure proper sun angles for thermal and operational conditions to berth Dragon.

The prelaunch news conferences also have moved to Monday, Jan. 5, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All briefings, which are subject to a change in time, will air live on NASA TV and the agency's website.

The first briefing of the day will air at noon and cover the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) Earth science instrument headed to the space station. Participants for this briefing will be:

  •Julie Robinson, ISS Program chief scientist at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston
  •Robert J. Swap, program scientist with the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington
  •Matthew McGill, CATS principal investigator at Goddard

The second briefing will air at 1:30 p.m. and cover some of the numerous science investigations headed to the space station. Participants for the science briefing will be:

  •Julie Robinson, NASA’s ISS Program chief scientist
  •Kenneth Shields, director of operations and education for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space
  •Cheryl Nickerson, Micro-5 principal investigator at Arizona State University
  •Samuel Durrance, NR-SABOL principal investigator at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne

The final briefing will air at 4 p.m. and provide up-to-date information about the launch. Participants for the prelaunch briefing will be:

  •Mike Suffredini, NASA’s ISS Program manager
  •Hans Koenigsmann, vice president for Mission Assurance at SpaceX
  •Maj. Perry Sweat, U.S. Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral  Air Force Station in Florida

An on-time launch on Jan. 6 will result in the Dragon spacecraft arriving at the space station on Thursday, Jan. 8. Expedition 42 Commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore of NASA will use the station's 57.7-foot robotic arm to reach out and capture Dragon at approximately 6 a.m. Flight Engineer Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency will support Wilmore as they operate from the station's cupola. NASA TV coverage of grapple will begin at 4:30 a.m. Coverage of Dragon's installation to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module will begin at 8:15 a.m.

Reporters who wish to participate by telephone must call Kennedy's newsroom at 321-867-2468 no later than 15 minutes before the start of each briefing. Those following along on social media may ask questions using the hashtag #askNASA.

For more information about media accreditation at Kennedy, contact Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598 or [email protected].

For an updated schedule of prelaunch briefings, events and NASA TV coverage, visit:
http://go.nasa.gov/1FrjDEO

For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/spacex

For NASA TV schedule and video streaming information, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

For more information about the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station

[Orbiter]

First weather forecast is in for a launch attempt on January 6th, looking at a 60% chance of favorable conditions at T-0. Main concern will be thick clouds.

http://www.patrick.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070716-028.pdf

[AndrewM]

SpaceX's livestream invite went out about an hour ago.

[jacqmans]

Launch Operations Forecast

http://www.patrick.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070716-028.pdf

[Fuji]

CRS-5 Press Kit
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/SpaceX_NASA_CRS-5_PressKit-105.pdf

CRS-5 Fact Sheet
http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/SpaceX_CRS-5_factsheet.pdf