Author Topic: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD  (Read 96502 times)

Offline Prober

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #200 on: 04/19/2013 12:43 am »
Does anyone "in the know" (Kim?  Antonio?) know if this was a leak-down issue (pump off, oil bleeding by a valve) or a control issue (pump on, servo commanded to zero flow, but actually not quite perfectly zeroed)?

No, not a leak-down issue. I don't want to get into specifics (I'll leave that for Orbital to explain, if they choose), but the issue won't recur.

it was handled very professionaly by Orbital.
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Offline antonioe

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #201 on: 04/19/2013 12:53 am »
As usual, a combination of several "ingredients"... some related to the hydraulics of the strongback, some to the horizontal integration, others to the lanyards, etc. etc. - even the actual timing of the pre-retract had a hand in "conspiring" for the event.  Kim K. is right: it won't happen again. (Did I just said "never"?  Tsk, tsk...)  It was not trivial to predict, either...
« Last Edit: 04/19/2013 12:56 am by antonioe »
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Offline antonioe

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #202 on: 04/19/2013 01:20 am »
In this world, you can't keep your sanity unless you have a good sense of humor, and unless you try to find humor even under the most stressful circumstances.  This launch attempt was no exception, and I am thankful to a certain cyber-journalist and a certain space-oriented website for two priceless gems:

The first (I thank my son, a Legislative Aid for a State Delegate in Richmond for texting me the link) identified Frank Culbertson as "Orbital's CEO."  I mentioned it to Dave Thompson and he laughed so hard he almost got the hiccups: "Yesss... Disneyworld, here I come!" was his reaction.

Well, what do you know: the said journalist was having breakfast at the Comfort Suites this morning at the table next to the one where Dave and I were having breakfast; when I whispered to him that this was the cat who had "fired" him, he wanted to get up and thank him, but I grabbed him in time.  Of course, said journalist didn't recognize Dave - not even eye contact!  ::)

The second one, from the said journalist's web site:

"Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket will not launch today. A premature separation of one of the tethers holding the rocket in place on the pad caused the abort."  :D

I know Antares has a low Thrust to Weight ratio, but that's ridiculous...
« Last Edit: 04/19/2013 01:21 am by antonioe »
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Offline Lee Jay

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #203 on: 04/19/2013 01:34 am »
"Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket will not launch today. A premature separation of one of the tethers holding the rocket in place on the pad caused the abort."  :D

I know Antares has a low Thrust to Weight ratio, but that's ridiculous...

Well, that explains the premature separation - you guys were using data cables to keep your rocket in place.  Sheesh!   :D

Offline Peter NASA

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #204 on: 04/19/2013 01:43 am »
It might sound patronizing if I said the guys in our office were praiseful of Orbital's handling of Wednesday's events, because you're Orbital, you know what you're doing. But they were.


The second one, from the said journalist's web site:

"Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket will not launch today. A premature separation of one of the tethers holding the rocket in place on the pad caused the abort."  :D

I know Antares has a low Thrust to Weight ratio, but that's ridiculous...

It's shoddy reporting like that which makes me grateful for a site like this one.

Offline antonioe

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #205 on: 04/19/2013 01:49 am »
... the guys in our office were praiseful of Orbital's handling of Wednesday's events ...

I cannot think of a more satisfying praise than that coming from one's peers.  I am proud to count people like you as my peers.  Thank you.
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Offline SoCalEric

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #206 on: 04/19/2013 02:00 am »
Not to be any smart alec, but I was just wondering, looking at the nice photos in the article, what does it mean to simulate mass?  (vs, you kind of either have it or you don't). "Payload simulator" or "Cygnus simulator" I could relate to. Just wondering if there was any technical history or meaning behind the term "mass simulator", which I presume is not to be interpreted literally. Thanks.
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Offline QuantumG

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #207 on: 04/19/2013 02:03 am »
what does it mean to simulate mass?  (vs, you kind of either have it or you don't).

It's where you have the mass that counts.
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Offline antonioe

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #208 on: 04/19/2013 02:14 am »
Well, trying to take your question seriously (I guess you DO mean to ask it...) I would say that a REAL payload, like Cygnus, has many properties: it carries a functioning solar/ battery power system, communications system, propulsion, etc. etc.  Mass - not only the TOTAL mass, but also the mass distribution - is one of those properties.

A "mass simulator" of a spacecraft is a device that only attempts to simulate the mass properties - again, not just total mass, but moments of inertia.  The next step would be for the STIFFNESS to be similar to that of the real spacecraft: that would be a DYNAMICS SIMULATOR and the coupled modes - launch vehicle and spacecraft - would be similar to that of the complete, much more expensive spacecraft.  You could go on perhaps radiating the same RF, and so on until you end up spending as much money as for a real spacecraft...

SO you have to be careful when you say "payload simulator" or "Cygnus simulator": how functional is it?

For the Antares test launch, we have a chunk of metal that has the same mass and moments of inertia as a loaded Cygnus... oh, wait!  I forgot!  It also has APPROXIMATELY the same outside shape ("outer mold line") as the real Cygnus... again, approximately...

Now for some GOOD NEWS: I didn't realize we have a THIRD rocket cam on this flight: in addition to the two inside the fairing, there's one on the outside, looking down!!!  Unfortunately, we only have enough bandwidth to downlink a single camera stream, and to boot the switching gear is a bit ratty...
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Offline SoCalEric

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #209 on: 04/19/2013 03:04 am »
....attempts to simulate the mass properties - again, not just total mass, but moments of inertia. 

Ahh. k. that makes sense.
On the heels of SpaceX's cheese payload on its first dragon flight I was half expecting some inside joke.

In this case "This module only PRETENDING to be baryonically endowed" would have been an odd thing to see painted on the side.

Thanks.
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Offline Jim

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #210 on: 04/19/2013 07:12 am »
Not to be any smart alec, but I was just wondering, looking at the nice photos in the article, what does it mean to simulate mass?  (vs, you kind of either have it or you don't). "Payload simulator" or "Cygnus simulator" I could relate to. Just wondering if there was any technical history or meaning behind the term "mass simulator", which I presume is not to be interpreted literally. Thanks.

It is a common term and not unique to this mission.   First Delta IV Heavy had one, the last Delta III.  Spacecraft use them to represent experiments/payloads/systems that are not available for spacecraft level testing like modal surveys, random vibe testing, thermal vac, etc.   Sometimes the simulators fly if the experiments/payloads/systems is unavailable to be launched.  This is help the spacecraft to maintain its mass properties. 

Offline mmeijeri

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #211 on: 04/19/2013 07:16 am »
This is help the spacecraft to maintain its mass properties. 

Do such simulators also contain liquids if necessary?
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This is help the spacecraft to maintain its mass properties. 

Do such simulators also contain liquids if necessary?

I have never heard of liquid mass simulators except for those intended experiments on the early Saturn Is.....
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline Jim

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #213 on: 04/19/2013 07:35 am »
This is help the spacecraft to maintain its mass properties. 

Do such simulators also contain liquids if necessary?

I have never heard of liquid mass simulators except for those intended experiments on the early Saturn Is.....

I agree

Online Chris Bergin

NASA TV - during the RS-32 coverage - go to a live view of Antares, sat patiently for Saturday's attempt.
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Offline Prober

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #215 on: 04/19/2013 05:27 pm »
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Online Galactic Penguin SST

Apparently tomorrow's launch window can be either 5-7 pm or 6-8 pm EDT  - weather brief in 2.5 hours will decide that.
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Online Chris Bergin

Orbital:

Today's weather briefing result - looks good for Sat. Antares launch attempt.  T-0 time still 5:00 p.m. Window from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

New launch day thread late tonight or early tomorrow (depending on where you are in the world ;D)
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Offline russianhalo117

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Re: SCRUB: Orbital Antares A-ONE LAUNCH ATTEMPT 1 UPDATE THREAD
« Reply #218 on: 04/19/2013 09:28 pm »
Orbital:

Today's weather briefing result - looks good for Sat. Antares launch attempt.  T-0 time still 5:00 p.m. Window from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

New launch day thread late tonight or early tomorrow (depending on where you are in the world ;D)
Antares Launch Update
Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:34:56 PM CDT

Orbital has confirmed the next opportunity to test launch its Antares
rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia will be no earlier
than 5 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 20.

NASA TV coverage of the launch will begin at 4:30 p.m. By the time
coverage starts, the launch window will likely have been reduced to 10-15
minutes.

An attempt Friday was called off after review of the weather forecast.
The forecast for Saturday indicates an 85 percent chance of favorable
conditions. If needed, a back-up launch opportunity is available on Sunday.

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/cargo/orbitalsciences-index.html

Online Chris Bergin

New thread for the second attempt:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=46.0

Locking this one.
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