Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 : CRS-12 : Aug 14, 2017 : DISCUSSION  (Read 122612 times)

Offline AncientU

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SpaceX is launching a supercomputer to the International Space Station

Quote
For the year-long experiment, astronauts will install the computer inside a rack in the Destiny module of the space station. It is about the size of two pizza boxes stuck together. And while the device is not exactly a state-of-the-art supercomputer—it has a computing speed of about 1 teraflop—it is the most powerful computer sent into space. Unlike most computers, it has not been hardened for the radiation environment aboard the space station. The goal is to better understand how the space environment will degrade the performance of an off-the-shelf computer.
During the next year, the spaceborne computer will continuously run through a set of computing benchmarks to determine its performance over time. Meanwhile, on the ground, an identical copy of the computer will run in a lab as a control.
If the test is successful, it will open the door to the use of even more powerful computers aboard the space station and other spacecraft NASA is developing to send humans farther into space. Fernandez said HPE also envisions that scientists could eventually use an on-board supercomputer for data processing of their experiments on the station, rather than clogging the limited bandwidth between space and ground with raw data.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/08/spacex-is-launching-a-supercomputer-to-the-international-space-station/

A not so "Supercomputer" several generations behind the current state of the art  IMO. Maybe this experiment could be follow up with a Nvidia Tegra SoC (system on a chip) architecture computer. Which can be modified from a current automotive central processor.

Intel just introduced a teraflop processor for desktop computers.  $1,999.00
Fast, but not hardly a supercomputer -- that would be pentaflops...

http://www.popsci.com/intel-teraflop-chip
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Offline Star One

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SpaceX is launching a supercomputer to the International Space Station

Quote
For the year-long experiment, astronauts will install the computer inside a rack in the Destiny module of the space station. It is about the size of two pizza boxes stuck together. And while the device is not exactly a state-of-the-art supercomputer—it has a computing speed of about 1 teraflop—it is the most powerful computer sent into space. Unlike most computers, it has not been hardened for the radiation environment aboard the space station. The goal is to better understand how the space environment will degrade the performance of an off-the-shelf computer.
During the next year, the spaceborne computer will continuously run through a set of computing benchmarks to determine its performance over time. Meanwhile, on the ground, an identical copy of the computer will run in a lab as a control.
If the test is successful, it will open the door to the use of even more powerful computers aboard the space station and other spacecraft NASA is developing to send humans farther into space. Fernandez said HPE also envisions that scientists could eventually use an on-board supercomputer for data processing of their experiments on the station, rather than clogging the limited bandwidth between space and ground with raw data.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/08/spacex-is-launching-a-supercomputer-to-the-international-space-station/

A not so "Supercomputer" several generations behind the current state of the art  IMO. Maybe this experiment could be follow up with a Nvidia Tegra SoC (system on a chip) architecture computer. Which can be modified from a current automotive central processor.

Intel just introduced a teraflop processor for desktop computers.  $1,999.00
Fast, but not hardly a supercomputer -- that would be pentaflops...

http://www.popsci.com/intel-teraflop-chip

If you wanted to be charitable it's a supercomputer in space computer terms.

Offline Kansan52

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Opinion Alert.

First, the   article states this is not the most powerful computer available. It is a pathfinder that could lead to more powerful computers.

Second, it is a trade off between hardening and cost.

Third, it is more powerful than any other  computer on board. It will speed research on the station if it works.

Offline macpacheco

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Opinion Alert.

First, the   article states this is not the most powerful computer available. It is a pathfinder that could lead to more powerful computers.

Second, it is a trade off between hardening and cost.

Third, it is more powerful than any other  computer on board. It will speed research on the station if it works.
Let me add that power consumption is a very important factor at the ISS. Intel CPUs can be really fast, but are not the best teraflops/Watt ratio.
If you send a modest size super computer cluster to the ISS, you need to also ship a few tons of solar panels, batteries and cables to upgrade the electrical capacity of the station.
« Last Edit: 08/12/2017 08:46 pm by macpacheco »
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Online Welsh Dragon

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Wouldn't cooling capacity be a massive problem too? The radiators have a limited capacity and computing generates a lot of heat. To the point that large data centres are being moved to the Arctic.

Offline docmordrid

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If it's anything like NVIDIA's DGX-1 it pulls about 3.2kW, and each DGX-1 in a rack can deliver up to 170 TFLOP's.  Of course more is better.
« Last Edit: 08/12/2017 04:30 pm by docmordrid »
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Offline Nomadd

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Wouldn't cooling capacity be a massive problem too? The radiators have a limited capacity and computing generates a lot of heat. To the point that large data centres are being moved to the Arctic.
Electrical all pretty much winds up as heat. Any time you add more solar for any reason you'd have to worry about cooling.
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Offline input~2

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WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS 141623Z TO 141726Z AUG,
ALTERNATE 151600Z TO 151703Z AUG
IN AREAS BOUND BY:
A. 28-40N 080-44W, 30-10N 079-08W,
31-06N 078-08W, 31-55N 077-06W,
32-10N 076-25W, 31-34N 076-54W,
30-40N 077-53W, 28-23N 080-28W,
28-22N 080-39W.
B. 30-00N 078-58W, 30-10N 079-08W,
31-06N 078-08W, 31-45N 077-03W,
31-41N 076-58W, 31-35N 076-58W,
30-40N 077-53W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 665/17.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 151803Z AUG 17.//

Authority: EASTERN RANGE 091458Z AUG 17.

Date: 091636Z AUG 17
Cancel: 15180300 Aug 17



WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
SOUTHEASTERN INDIAN OCEAN.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS SPACE DEBRIS
141718Z TO 141749Z AUG, ALTERNATE
151655Z TO 151726Z AUG IN AREA BOUND BY
17-15S 078-31E, 37-36S 104-38E,
45-43S 124-24E, 51-24S 156-25E,
53-33S 156-13E, 49-26S 118-56E,
39-04S 096-49E, 24-47S 080-28E,
18-43S 076-33E.
2. CANCEL HYDROPAC 2684/17.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 151826Z AUG 17.//

Authority: EASTERN RANGE 091455Z AUG 17.

Date: 091622Z AUG 17
Cancel: 15182600 Aug 17


Offline DatUser14

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Short phasing time this opportunity.
what is meant by "short phasing time this opportunity"?
Titan IVB was a cool rocket

Offline ChrisGebhardt

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Short phasing time this opportunity.
what is meant by "short phasing time this opportunity"?


It means the time it takes from launch to rendezvous (phasing) is on the shorter end of how long it can take for Dragon.  Right now, phasing is 40hrs for CRS-12.

Offline Flying Beaver

So this flight is flying flown landing legs if I heard Hans correctly.

Correct.  That's the only thing they said is being reused on this F9 (at least what they could remember off the top of their heads).

No mention of flying the titanium grid fins from Iridium-2?
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Offline gongora

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So this flight is flying flown landing legs if I heard Hans correctly.

Correct.  That's the only thing they said is being reused on this F9 (at least what they could remember off the top of their heads).

No mention of flying the titanium grid fins from Iridium-2?

They have another launch at Vandenberg this month.  Why would they ship that set of grid fins to the East coast?

Offline Herb Schaltegger

So this flight is flying flown landing legs if I heard Hans correctly.

Correct.  That's the only thing they said is being reused on this F9 (at least what they could remember off the top of their heads).

No mention of flying the titanium grid fins from Iridium-2?

They have another launch at Vandenberg this month.  Why would they ship that set of grid fins to the East coast?

Not necessarily the same flight units, but perhaps a second set?
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Offline gongora

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So this flight is flying flown landing legs if I heard Hans correctly.

Correct.  That's the only thing they said is being reused on this F9 (at least what they could remember off the top of their heads).

No mention of flying the titanium grid fins from Iridium-2?

They have another launch at Vandenberg this month.  Why would they ship that set of grid fins to the East coast?

Not necessarily the same flight units, but perhaps a second set?

The original question was about reused equipment on the flight.  A brand new set of titanium grid fins to use in Florida wouldn't count.

Offline gongora

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During the pre-launch briefing today there was a question about the placement of ISS-CREAM on the exterior of the ISS.  They said they chose that location because the Japanese module has a cooling loop its externally mounted payloads can use.  The other external payload locations don't have that functionality.

Offline jjyach

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So this flight is flying flown landing legs if I heard Hans correctly.

Correct.  That's the only thing they said is being reused on this F9 (at least what they could remember off the top of their heads).

No mention of flying the titanium grid fins from Iridium-2?

Based on what I saw from the static fire (Grid pattern, central Spine, painted white) they appear to be the old style for CRS-12

Offline kdhilliard

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From the update thread:
Rocket horizontal on the pad. You can also see the progress in taking down the RSS

The black and pink bands are for moisture protection at the Dragon/Trunk and S2/S1 barriers and seals.
Added in response to the caliper shaped ice seen in the CRS-11 trunk?

~Kirk

Offline matthewkantar

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Maybe they will use up the old stock of grid fins on CRS flights as the are much less burny.

Matthew

Offline Ben the Space Brit

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Closer shot

Quote
Here's a sneak peek of the #SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon at Pad 39A. Liftoff of CRS-12 to ISS is slated for 12:31PM ET tomorrow. LZ-1 landing!

https://twitter.com/nova_road/status/896819753586757632

Who knitted that cool scarf for the Dragon?
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Offline Barrie

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Closer shot

Quote
Here's a sneak peek of the #SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon at Pad 39A. Liftoff of CRS-12 to ISS is slated for 12:31PM ET tomorrow. LZ-1 landing!

https://twitter.com/nova_road/status/896819753586757632

Who knitted that cool scarf for the Dragon?

Pink scarf?  Might be a non-PC salute to the new Doctor Who ::)

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