http://spacenews.com/qa-airbus-oliver-juckenhofel-gung-ho-on-deep-space-gateway/QuoteWe expect to launch Bartolomeo in 2018.
We expect to launch Bartolomeo in 2018.
Quote from: Olaf on 10/24/2017 03:41 pmhttp://spacenews.com/qa-airbus-oliver-juckenhofel-gung-ho-on-deep-space-gateway/QuoteWe expect to launch Bartolomeo in 2018.Most likely Bartolomeo and Bishop (Nanoracks Commercial Airlock) will be delayed by more than a year.AFAIK, Bartolomeo and Bishop are pressurized payloads for SpX-19 and SpX-21. SpX-16 (or -14) deliver IDA-3 to the ISS. All other SpaceX resupply missions have external science payloads.HTV-6; -7; -8 and -9 have all six Li-ion batteries as pressurized payload. And AFAIK Cygnus and Dreamchaser can't deliver it to the ISS. So only if IDA is delayed or dropped or the manifest has been shuffled, Bartolomeo will be available NET2019. (This is also stated in the 2017 presentation, page 2: I posted; Mission duration 2019-2024.)
I like the Oceaneering GOLD2 payload connector, looks even smaller than CLPA adapter, that Nanoracks Kaber deployer is using. The MISSE-FF, uses a smaler version, most likely called GOLD, to connect MSC's (MISSE Sample Carriers) to the payload facility. The document states that Bartolomeo has 4 single and 4 double GOLD 2 interfaces. I get the impression that the nadir (Earth facing) side of the platform is reserved for another payload. Possibly a FRAM for a 2th MUSES platform.This document is still a bit vage: slide 7 (added image). I'm curious for your thoughts about this.
Don't you mean unpressurized payloads (i.e. in the trunk/external)?
The Bartolomeo external platform is a ~40mln Euro investment for Airbus Space. A dedicated Dragon launch would add at least 150mln dollar to this. So I don't think that is realistic.
A search for Bartolomeo today lead me to this presentation from june 4th.http://youbenefit.spaceflight.esa.int/docs/20180620/Bartolomeo.pdf
Robotic Survey of Columbus (COL) Trunnions: The robotics team performed a survey of the Cargo Bridge & Columbus Trunnion using the MSS cameras in preparation for the Bartolomeo (BTL) commercial facility arriving on SpX-20. Upon arrival, it will be robotically deployed and attached to the ram-facing Columbus (COL) trunnion pins. The trunnion-to-trunnion distance is critical to the success of Bartolomeo installation as a larger-than-expected spacing could result in excessive structural loading within the outrigger beam during trunnion clamp closure. This survey will assist in confirming the on orbit trunnion-to-trunnion measurement.
The European Space Agency ESA has now firmly booked a payload slot for a Norwegian instrument to monitor plasma density in the Earth's atmosphere.
The Multi-Needle Langmuir Probe (m-NLP) is an instrument from the University of Oslo and the Norwegian company Eidsvoll Electronics to measure ionospheric plasma densities.
The payload is scheduled to launch on ISS resupply flight NG-14 in October 2020 and will be the first payload to be installed on the Bartolomeo Platform outside the European Columbus Module.