Quote from: Chris Bergin on 06/22/2010 06:39 pmWe're up to NET Aug 26th - but too far out for a solid date yet.Chris, is this inside info or has it been announced somewhere?
We're up to NET Aug 26th - but too far out for a solid date yet.
Quote from: ChefPat on 06/23/2010 11:41 amQuote from: Chris Bergin on 06/22/2010 06:39 pmWe're up to NET Aug 26th - but too far out for a solid date yet.Chris, is this inside info or has it been announced somewhere?Brown envelope handed to me in a dark car park
FDF posted a new date this week of 9 Sept.http://fdfhome.gsfc.nasa.gov/fdinfo_Launch_2010.html
This has to be correct after all it’s from NASA.gov and we know the Government would never lie to us. Yea right and Elvis is playing poker on Mars with Amelia Airheart (sic).
Quote from: SIM city on 07/16/2010 03:37 pmFDF posted a new date this week of 9 Sept.http://fdfhome.gsfc.nasa.gov/fdinfo_Launch_2010.htmlThis has to be correct after all it’s from NASA.gov and we know the Government would never lie to us. Yea right and Elvis is playing poker on Mars with Amelia Airheart.
I wonder how open NASA will be to flying a single C2/C3 mission if COTS-C1 is completely successful? Presumably would save SpaceX money but not NASA who will make the full payments based on the milestones achieved not number of missions if I understand SpaceX logic.
Presumably would save SpaceX money but not NASA who will make the full payments based on the milestones achieved not number of missions if I understand SpaceX logic.
IMHO, I think that NASA will not commit to merging C2 and C3 until C2 is underway. If the Dragon vehicle shows sufficient control reliability and responsiveness, then they will allow SpaceX to open the C3 mission book and progress onto the objectives therein. Otherwise, no-go.
Quote from: Ben the Space Brit on 07/20/2010 09:40 amIMHO, I think that NASA will not commit to merging C2 and C3 until C2 is underway. If the Dragon vehicle shows sufficient control reliability and responsiveness, then they will allow SpaceX to open the C3 mission book and progress onto the objectives therein. Otherwise, no-go. I'm not sure NASA can or will decide whether C2 is allowed to dock on the fly. Either everyone plans for it from the start - in which case C2 is C3 or they don't in which case C2 remains C2.
If requirements WXYZ are still go at the end of the C2 tests, they go try to berth. If not, they go retro.
Quote from: Antares on 07/20/2010 05:19 pmIf requirements WXYZ are still go at the end of the C2 tests, they go try to berth. If not, they go retro.Since C2 wasn't supposed to berth, just approach ISS, that by definition means C3 objectives are addressed with C2.My point is NASA won't decide to allow C2 to dock in mid-flight, if they allow docking it wil be decided before flight (thus condensing C3 to C2) and the final go/no-go for docking will obviously be decided after other objectives are safely demonstrated as you say.