NASA's JC Liou of Orbital Debris Office: We expect our Space Debris Sensor to fly to ISS on Nov 1 @SpaceX's Falcon 9/Dragon.
[Andrew Rush, Made In Space]: have built and qualified a pilot mfg facility for high-quality ZBLAN optical fibers. Scheduled to fly to ISS on SpX-13. #ISSRDC
Space Debris Sensor Waiting For LaunchThe Space Debris Sensor (SDS) has completed functional testing and been delivered to the Kennedy Space Center for final integration checkout with the International Space Station (ISS). From there it will go into storage until a SpaceX launch vehicle is ready to deliver it to the ISS. Launch is currently scheduled for late 2017.The SDS is a flight demonstration of an impact sensor designed to detect and characterize impacts by small debris objects. The sensor will be attached to the ESA Columbus module facing the ISS velocity vector with one square meter of detection area. The sensor combines multiple technologies to measure the time, speed, direction, size, and density of objects greater than 50 µm in size. With this information, as well as the orbital position of each detection, the sensor should collect enough data over its intended minimum 2-year mission to update the NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model for objects smaller than 1 mm near ISS altitudes. With lessons learned from the SDS experience, a follow-on mission to place a second-generation sensor at higher altitudes will someday provide the ability to update the risk from small debris to many operational spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
Sorry, I´ve modified my post.TSIS will be launched NET 2018.https://www.wmo-sat.info/oscar/satellites/view/529
All packed up and ready to go. Here we come, Florida!
This fall, NASA will continue to monitor the sun-Earth relationship by launching the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor-1, or TSIS-1, to the International Space Station
What is the average timeframe from arriving at the Cape until launch?Or another question. Are three months enough from arrival to launch?
Quote from: Olaf on 07/30/2017 09:23 amWhat is the average timeframe from arriving at the Cape until launch?Or another question. Are three months enough from arrival to launch?Based on pages 50 and 53 of the Falcon Users Guide Ver 2 , Launch campaign kickoff -Verifies that all people, parts and paper are ready for the shipment of the payload to the launch site and are ready to begin launch site activities. This is 3 months until launch. Delivery of the spacecraft is generally 30 days in advance of launch.
Space Debris Sensor Waiting For LaunchThe Space Debris Sensor (SDS) has completed functional testing and been delivered to the Kennedy Space Center for final integration checkout with the International Space Station (ISS). From there it will go into storage until a SpaceX launch vehicle is ready to deliver it to the ISS. Launch is currently scheduled for late 2017.The SDS is a flight demonstration of an impact sensor designed to detect and characterize impacts by small debris objects. The sensor will be attached to the ESA Columbus module facing the ISS velocity vector with one square meter of detection area.(snip)
Quote from: gongora on 05/03/2017 04:27 pmSpace Debris Sensor Waiting For LaunchThe Space Debris Sensor (SDS) has completed functional testing and been delivered to the Kennedy Space Center for final integration checkout with the International Space Station (ISS). From there it will go into storage until a SpaceX launch vehicle is ready to deliver it to the ISS. Launch is currently scheduled for late 2017.The SDS is a flight demonstration of an impact sensor designed to detect and characterize impacts by small debris objects. The sensor will be attached to the ESA Columbus module facing the ISS velocity vector with one square meter of detection area.(snip)Why would this be facing the velocity vector?At first blush that would seem to be the direction of least debris flux.Stuff at 400 km but going slower than the ISS would have a lower perigee. That would take it into the denser atmosphere, where it's orbital lifetime would be less. AIUI, that's why the ISS is flown at the altitude it does, so that the residual exosphere scrubs small debris from orbit.Now a rearward facing surface would be exposed to debris with perigees at or below the ISS altitude but with higher apogees. These would have higher velocity than the ISS and "catch up to it."However, if one assumes that orbits circularize with greatest drag at perigee, small debris, with corresponding lower coefficients of drag, would act as if constantly being accelerated in the -V direction. That would have them impinge from the front.Does that mean that SDS expects minute debris to be in circularized orbits rather than elliptical?
Quote from: Comga on 07/31/2017 05:45 amQuote from: gongora on 05/03/2017 04:27 pmSpace Debris Sensor Waiting For LaunchThe Space Debris Sensor (SDS) has completed functional testing and been delivered to the Kennedy Space Center for final integration checkout with the International Space Station (ISS). From there it will go into storage until a SpaceX launch vehicle is ready to deliver it to the ISS. Launch is currently scheduled for late 2017.The SDS is a flight demonstration of an impact sensor designed to detect and characterize impacts by small debris objects. The sensor will be attached to the ESA Columbus module facing the ISS velocity vector with one square meter of detection area.(snip)Why would this be facing the velocity vector?At first blush that would seem to be the direction of least debris flux.Stuff at 400 km but going slower than the ISS would have a lower perigee. That would take it into the denser atmosphere, where it's orbital lifetime would be less. AIUI, that's why the ISS is flown at the altitude it does, so that the residual exosphere scrubs small debris from orbit.Now a rearward facing surface would be exposed to debris with perigees at or below the ISS altitude but with higher apogees. These would have higher velocity than the ISS and "catch up to it."However, if one assumes that orbits circularize with greatest drag at perigee, small debris, with corresponding lower coefficients of drag, would act as if constantly being accelerated in the -V direction. That would have them impinge from the front.Does that mean that SDS expects minute debris to be in circularized orbits rather than elliptical?I would think crossing orbits (polar, for instance) would be greatest debris impact risk (and the highest relative velocity).