Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Dragon COTS Demo (C2+) FD10 - EOM - UNBERTH, ENTRY, SPLASHDOWN (Read 294545 times)

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #60 on:** 05/31/2012 08:46 am »

About 10 meters off Station now, as a guestimate on my part.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #61 on:** 05/31/2012 08:50 am »

Station should be complete with the attitude change.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #62 on:** 05/31/2012 08:51 am »

Dragon's cool little lights are on.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #63 on:** 05/31/2012 08:53 am »

All live and all in sequence, but the camera angles are dramatically different:

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #64 on:** 05/31/2012 08:56 am »

Big arm having a good stretch now.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #65 on:** 05/31/2012 08:59 am »

I know this is about Dragon, but how about that SSRMS. Very cool bit of kit.

I remember when it had Scott Parazynski on the end (although her was also on the end of the OBSS I think) for the Array repair. That was epic.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #66 on:** 05/31/2012 09:00 am »

35 mins to release.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #67 on:** 05/31/2012 09:01 am »

Sunrise!

SpaceX update:

SpaceX Mission Update

Dragon has successfully been de-mated from the International Space Station.

We now anticipate that the spacecraft will be released from the station’s robotic arm closer to 2:35 AM Pacific.

Updated Dragon Return Timeline – (times are approximate and subject to change)

Time (Pacific) Event

02:35 Dragon released by the station’s robotic arm

02:36 Dragon’s Draco thrusters fire first departure burn

07:51 Draco thrusters fire deorbit burn

08:09 Dragon’s trunk is jettisoned

08:35 Drogue parachutes are deployed

08:36 Main parachutes are deployed

08:44 Dragon lands in the Pacific

malu5531 · « **Reply #68 on:** 05/31/2012 09:01 am »

Quote from: Chris Bergin on 05/31/2012 08:51 am

Dragon's cool little lights are on.

An interesting note; Those lights indicate starboard (green) and port side (red). Traditionally ocean going vessels moor to port on the port side, where passengers later will board. The Dragon is no different, the entrance hatch, where passengers later will board, is on the port side.

This is also the same reason we always board airliners on port side (left side).

(reason for always moor on left side; the steering oar on ancient vessels always was on the right side (starboard), due to the prevalence of right-handedness). It's fun when an old "standard" still lives on in the latest spacecraft.