How much more cargo mass are they taking up this time than on the demo flight? I assume they will have confidence to fly with less margin this time?Does anyone know how much extra prop was left at the end of the Demo mission?
If they only do the one test flight, does NASA get an extra CRS flight in under the existing contract? Or does that flight just get dropped?
F9V1.1 has yet to be flown. Would NASA put expensive cargo on an untested launcher?
Quote from: Lee Jay on 06/26/2012 02:19 pmIf they only do the one test flight, does NASA get an extra CRS flight in under the existing contract? Or does that flight just get dropped?No.1. NASA did not pay for a flight under COTS. It paid for certain milestones and data whose cost were much less than a whole flight2. Since COTS 3 milestones were met with the COTS 2 flight, Spacex would get paid for those milestones without having to expend a vehicle.
Quote from: Jim on 06/26/2012 02:36 pmQuote from: Lee Jay on 06/26/2012 02:19 pmIf they only do the one test flight, does NASA get an extra CRS flight in under the existing contract? Or does that flight just get dropped?No.1. NASA did not pay for a flight under COTS. It paid for certain milestones and data whose cost were much less than a whole flight2. Since COTS 3 milestones were met with the COTS 2 flight, Spacex would get paid for those milestones without having to expend a vehicle. Was the Cots2+ cargo in the contract, added for free or is SpaceX getting extra for the delivery?
Imaging that forthcoming Progress M-15M docking would have success. How do you think if it's teoretically feasibly to make any agreement between Roscosmos and NASA to downmass KURS-NA internal equipment onboard Dragon CRS SpX-1 in case such a need arises to analyse system malfunction?
Quote from: max_schmurz on 07/27/2012 09:08 pmImaging that forthcoming Progress M-15M docking would have success. How do you think if it's teoretically feasibly to make any agreement between Roscosmos and NASA to downmass KURS-NA internal equipment onboard Dragon CRS SpX-1 in case such a need arises to analyse system malfunction?The Kurs-NA troublesome equipment is already on the Progress. Unless they can actually dock again, and assuming that Kurs-NA is not needed for un docking, and assuming that the cosmonauts have the necessary tooling, and the problem is with equipment inside the pressure cabin, then yes, it could be done. I seriously doubt it will be done.
It is noted that we are half-way from the May 22 launch of COTS-2+ to the currently listed and relatively stable Oct 5 scheduled launch date of CRS-1. Yet no photos of new hardware at the Cape, the CRS-1 Dragon, launch preps, cargo, anything (unless I missed it.)
Quote from: Comga on 07/30/2012 05:40 amIt is noted that we are half-way from the May 22 launch of COTS-2+ to the currently listed and relatively stable Oct 5 scheduled launch date of CRS-1. Yet no photos of new hardware at the Cape, the CRS-1 Dragon, launch preps, cargo, anything (unless I missed it.) Nothing that I know of, maybe L2 has some info?
Second stage is likely at the Cape already.
Quote from: Jason1701 on 07/30/2012 07:18 amSecond stage is likely at the Cape already.They showed both stages already at Hangar AO at the time of the C2+ launch?
That they did."While Saturday's Falcon 9 is on the pad, the rocket for our next mission is already in FL." - May 18, 2012
Quote from: manboy on 07/30/2012 11:39 amThat they did."While Saturday's Falcon 9 is on the pad, the rocket for our next mission is already in FL." - May 18, 2012From that picture, it looked like some stuff still remained to do at the HIF - Applying insulation and decails to the skin as well as the fairing around the thrust structure on the core.
Don't forget the Dragon.