Author Topic: ISS managers prepare for possible de-crew – launches to resume soon  (Read 10115 times)

Online Chris Bergin

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Online Silmfeanor

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Massive ISS update via Pete Harding!

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/10/iss-managers-possible-de-crew-launches-resume/

Wow, that was quite an impressive read, thanks for posting!

Interesting to read what would possibly happen in the decrew situation. I hope that it won't come to that, however.

A question - why isnt the Dragon returning filled to the brim with trash? Center of gravity constraints?

Offline Prober

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Exellent material !

« Last Edit: 10/10/2011 11:28 pm by Chris Bergin »
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"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant..." --Isoroku Yamamoto

Online Chris Bergin

Quick correction inserted into the article (which you quoted Prober, ironically).

Article is now very up to date.
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Offline Jason1701

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Great article. Why is the Dragon flight called D2/D3 and not C2/C3?

Offline Prober

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Quick correction inserted into the article (which you quoted Prober, ironically).

Article is now very up to date.

Big Grin

Let's continue with some advanced thinking......

"A major area of concern relates to the atmosphere of the ISS, both in event of a Micro Meteoroid Orbital Debris (MMOD) strike"

The robotics should be left in a ‘standby” mode if they can be controlled from the ground.   Connected to a decent camera this could serve as a decent set of eyes on the condition of the ISS.

« Last Edit: 10/11/2011 12:00 am by Prober »
2017 - Everything Old is New Again.
"I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant..." --Isoroku Yamamoto

Offline Jorge

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Great article. Why is the Dragon flight called D2/D3 and not C2/C3?

Demo 2/3 vs. COTS Demo 2/3. The abbreviations are used interchangeably within NASA.
JRF

Offline Lee Jay

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Gotta make sure no one locks the keys inside...

Offline Namechange User

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Gotta make sure no one locks the keys inside...

ISS purchased a subscription to OnStar to compensate for the strategic mistake made by politicos. 
Enjoying viewing the forum a little better now by filtering certain users.

Offline Lee Jay

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Gotta make sure no one locks the keys inside...

ISS purchased a subscription to OnStar to compensate for the strategic mistake made by politicos. 

Gotta hand it to the ISS team - they're always on the ball!

Offline Life_Support_32

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Quick correction inserted into the article (which you quoted Prober, ironically).

Article is now very up to date.
The robotics should be left in a ‘standby” mode if they can be controlled from the ground.   Connected to a decent camera this could serve as a decent set of eyes on the condition of the ISS.

The plan is that camcorders will be left connected in various modules internally so there is visual insight into the hardware (just in case ROBONAUT decides to go AWOL ;-)).  This is more to provide visual in case there was a fire event.

I don't believe the Robotics will remain active, but there are many cameras on the outside of the station (they're the ones you get good views of during crew sleep), so those will be active to provide insight.  You get more data of a rapid depress from the IMV Valves closing, thus isolating the modules, and also potential hardware failing, than external visual imagery.

Offline manboy

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Only six days margin to keep the ISS occupied. 8 days margin to keep the ten year space occupancy record going.
"Cheese has been sent into space before. But the same cheese has never been sent into space twice." - StephenB

Offline Comga

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What astounded me was the following statement:

"One CTBE of common trash per three crewmembers – or two CTBE per six crewmembers – is created every day on the ISS."

Note : 1 CTBE corresponds to a volume of 1.86 cubic feet

So upmass is limited by the ability to dispose of trash, with three occupants of the US and International Partners segments filling the equivalent of a Dragon every 50 days.  (The Dragon vehicle has the capacity to dispose of 50 CTBE.) 

What they need is a way to dump trash into a quickly decaying orbit.  Perhaps they could put them in a tool bag.  :P
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline Jason1701

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How about a spring-loaded or mass driver system reachable through the JEM airlock? Reboost as well as trash disposal!

Offline spectre9

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Nobody in orbit might be a good thing.

Save the astronauts some exposure.  :D

We already know that the zero G weakens their bones. Stop harming these wonderful people that work in space and give them their centrifuge accommodations module.


Offline manboy

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Nobody in orbit might be a good thing.

Save the astronauts some exposure.  :D

We already know that the zero G weakens their bones. Stop harming these wonderful people that work in space and give them their centrifuge accommodations module.
CAM wasn't meant for the crew members.
« Last Edit: 10/11/2011 07:50 am by manboy »
"Cheese has been sent into space before. But the same cheese has never been sent into space twice." - StephenB

Offline Confusador

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We've come to expect no less from Pete, but wow!  Covering both plans in detail and still making it coherent is quite something.

Regarding the software problem that Orbital had in the sim, the article seems to indicate that it was caused because "they do not have any telemetry in X2_R9,″ and "Orbital thought their software update would solve the problem..."  Does that mean that they tested with R11 and the problem still exists, or that Orbital had upgraded Cygnus to try and compensate for the problems in R9, but were unable? 

If it's just a matter of waiting for R11, that would be unfortunate but not unexpected.  Or, ideally, if it's a problem spacecraft side then they should have time to fix it, since that wouldn't require crew involvement.

Offline Robotbeat

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...
What they need is a way to dump trash into a quickly decaying orbit.  Perhaps they could put them in a tool bag.  :P
;D
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

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Offline billh

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Why can't they fill each departing vehicle with trash? What are the constraints?

Offline Garrett

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How about a spring-loaded or mass driver system reachable through the JEM airlock? Reboost as well as trash disposal!

I'm sure NASA engineers have done quite a few back of the envelope designs for different trash disposal systems. I would imagine such ideas never see the light of day because of funding issues. In a nominally functioning situation, there's no need for supplementary trash disposal, so why spend money on one?

Having said all that, and after reading Pete's article, I imagine that engineers will have to come up with a just-in-case plan. They probably already have such a plan. I suppose they could always throw trash overboard, like they do with the ammonia tanks.
- "Nothing shocks me. I'm a scientist." - Indiana Jones

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