Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 - CRS-8 Dragon - NET April, 2016 - DISCUSSION  (Read 397406 times)

Online Chris Bergin

Kicking off a CRS-8 Discussion Thread, moving out of the manifest discussion thread. This is Dragon's own RTF (not that she did anything wrong during CRS-7) and first launch on the upgraded F9.

Resources:

SpaceX News Articles from 2006 (Including numerous exclusive Elon interviews):
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21862.0

SpaceX News Articles (Recent):
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/spacex/

SpaceX Dragon Articles:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/dragon/

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Update and Party Threads will be created nearer to the event.

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L2 SpaceX Section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24469.0
« Last Edit: 02/06/2016 04:44 pm by Chris Bergin »
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Offline Danderman

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This is supposed to carry BEAM (http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/beam.htm) and 16 PlanetLabs CubeSATs to be deployed by Nanoracks.


Online Chris Bergin

On the books (FPIP) for March 20. We should start to see updates for this one soon, and we'll start an update thread at that time. Obviously SES-9 to launch first.
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Offline solartear

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The 1,360 kg BEAM will be by far the heaviest trunk cargo to date. Good to see it getting a workout after the loss of IDA-1.

Offline CorvusCorax

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This is Dragon's own RTF (not that she did anything wrong during CRS-7)

Didn't do anything "right" either -   like for example deploying parachutes on the way down ... ;)

There's always room for improvement ;)

Offline Craftyatom

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This is Dragon's own RTF (not that she did anything wrong during CRS-7)

Didn't do anything "right" either -   like for example deploying parachutes on the way down ... ;)

There's always room for improvement ;)

On the other hand, let's hope she never gets the chance, especially on flight #3 for Full Thrust.

Edit: got the number wrong.
« Last Edit: 01/23/2016 03:28 pm by Craftyatom »
All aboard the HSF hype train!  Choo Choo!

Offline Comga

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This is Dragon's own RTF (not that she did anything wrong during CRS-7)

Didn't do anything "right" either -   like for example deploying parachutes on the way down ... ;)

There's always room for improvement ;)

This is specious.
Dragon did everything right for a first stage burn: nothing
"Don't just do something. Sit there!"
What kind of wastrels would dump a perfectly good booster in the ocean after just one use?

Offline AncientU

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Is there any chance CRS-8 could move to LC-39A and let the queue of commercial launches roll at LC-40?
"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
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Offline Zed_Noir

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Is there any chance CRS-8 could move to LC-39A and let the queue of commercial launches roll at LC-40?

Ain't you forgetting the Falcon Heavy Demo?

Online ugordan

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Is there any chance CRS-8 could move to LC-39A and let the queue of commercial launches roll at LC-40?

Ain't you forgetting the Falcon Heavy Demo?

Which is coming Real Soon Now (TM)...

Offline AncientU

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Is there any chance CRS-8 could move to LC-39A and let the queue of commercial launches roll at LC-40?

Ain't you forgetting the Falcon Heavy Demo?

If FH is ready for 39A, then even better.
Don't think it's ready. Hopefully this summer.
"If we shared everything [we are working on] people would think we are insane!"
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Offline Robotbeat

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I'm not going to expect Falcon Heavy this year until I hear sign of it arriving at McGregor. Testing there should be pretty visible, and I expect multiple full-thrust tests of various durations until they are comfortable enough for a first flight.

LC-39A might then be ready before Falcon Heavy is. LC-39A is planned to take care of all non-polar government launches, I believe. Certainly Dragon and initial non-polar Falcon Heavy launches will take place from there. So there's going to be a transition to LC-39A for Dragon eventually, though almost certainly not in time for CRS-8.
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Offline shooter6947

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On the books (FPIP) for March 20.  Obviously SES-9 to launch first.

That leaves a 5-week gap between SES-9 & CRS-8.  Would they move Eutelsat up to late February to fill the gap, or will CRS-8 be the next mission after SES-9?

Online ugordan

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That leaves a 5-week gap between SES-9 & CRS-8.  Would they move Eutelsat up to late February to fill the gap, or will CRS-8 be the next mission after SES-9?

If you believe the 5-week gap is merely due to CRS scheduling, why do you think there's at least a 6 week gap between OG-2 and SES-9?

Offline rockets4life97

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Because Jason-3 was in between. I think 1 launch every 3 weeks (regardless of pad location) is what we can expect right now.

Online ugordan

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Jason-3 was out of VAFB. How did they manage to find time to refire the OG-2 booster at LC-40 if Jason-3 got them tied up that much?

That kind of logic doesn't hold water, IMHO. They might need a couple of days for static fire/post-launch data review before signing off on the next launch, but there is no reason to completely stop all processing flows just because there's a launch at the west coast.
« Last Edit: 01/24/2016 01:27 pm by ugordan »

Offline rockets4life97

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My thinking is that the pad flow is not the constraint (they've had fast turn arounds before).

Online ugordan

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Yes, when they had boosters stacked up and ready to go (like after the first Orbcomm launch because it got delayed a lot, vehicle production caught up). They now significantly changed the vehicle again. So why do people assume the delays are external (like above, suggesting squeezing Eutelsat in) and not the inability of SpaceX to maintain launch cadence? SES-9 sitting at CCAFS for a month and a half now seems to be telling a different tale.
« Last Edit: 01/24/2016 01:37 pm by ugordan »

Offline Kabloona

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Yes, when they had boosters stacked up and ready to go (like after the first Orbcomm launch because it got delayed a lot, vehicle production caught up). They now significantly changed the vehicle again. So why do people assume the delays are external (like above, suggesting squeezing Eutelsat in) and not the inability of SpaceX to maintain launch cadence? SES-9 sitting at CCAFS for a month and a half now seems to be telling a different tale.

And let's remember the OG2 stage re-fire at LC40 was in part to wring out the pad GSE, which appears to have some bugs from the densification upgrades, so the transition to Full Thrust has not been without the usual glitches.
« Last Edit: 01/24/2016 02:11 pm by Kabloona »

Offline Robotbeat

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"Unable to maintain launch cadence" is not a cause but a symptom. "Problem with the GSE" is a cause.
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

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