SpaceX COTS Demo 1 Updates

[jabe]

Rollout

where did you get that pic?  going to be fun to see the pics they are taking..if successful mission I'm sure they will be doing lots of stories on it..PR blitz...
jb

[mr. mark]

That's one clean machine. It doesn't get any better than that. It was worth the wait.

[butters]

At some point, SpaceX is going to have to start doing things on time at least some of the time. Maybe not this launch. Maybe not even the next launch. But at some point the learning curve is over, and it becomes unacceptable to miss nearly every single deadline they ever set.

[mr. mark]

Oh poo, butters are you saying that the shuttle Discovery launch was on time are you saying the last Delta 4 Heavy launch was on time....please!

[Robotbeat]

At some point, SpaceX is going to have to start doing things on time at least some of the time. Maybe not this launch. Maybe not even the next launch. But at some point the learning curve is over, and it becomes unacceptable to miss nearly every single deadline they ever set.

They set deadlines? I only remember things like "No-earlier-than" dates. And no, NET is not the same as "deadline."

[butters]

Oh poo, butters are you saying that the shuttle discovery launch is on time are you saying the last Delta 4 launch is on time....please!

All launch providers miss their launch dates occasionally or even frequently, but the better providers meet their schedules more often than not, and nobody routinely slips every launch multiple times and stays in business.

[ugordan]

nobody routinely slips every launch multiple times and stays in business.

I think you'll agree SpaceX is still far from "routinely", at least when it comes to Falcon 9 and especially Dragon.

[jabe]

Rollout

Really high resolution pic at spacexer's twitpic page

http://twitpic.com/3chy52

edit..well..lots of pics now being added..
check out this dragon pic...
http://twitpic.com/3ci01m

[ugordan]

check out this dragon pic...
http://twitpic.com/3ci01m

Is it me, or does the Dragon nosecone appear to be a 3-piece fairing and not two pieces usually depicted?

[butters]

Slippity, slippity... NET 12:45PM now.

[corrodedNut]

check out this dragon pic...
http://twitpic.com/3ci01m

Is it me, or does the Dragon nosecone appear to be a 3-piece fairing and not two pieces usually depicted?

I saw that too, maybe just mold marks, but the "hinge" (?) for the nose cap is now covered with an aerodynamic fairing.  Doesn't appear to be another one (or two) on the opposite side.

I'm starting to think they've gone back to the original one-piece nosecap jettison.

[HOTTOL]

check out this dragon pic...
http://twitpic.com/3ci01m

Is it me, or does the Dragon nosecone appear to be a 3-piece fairing and not two pieces usually depicted?

Do you know if and where cameras are fitted on the payload part?
I guess the second stage one is stil there.

[mr. mark]

Hinge might be a bad description. Originally the nose cap was to hinge back during docking. Now it just seperates from the capsule.

[corrodedNut]

Do you know if and where cameras are fitted on the payload part?
I guess the second stage one is stil there.

If previous flights are an indication, the camera will will look "up" and "down".

[HOTTOL]

Do you know if and where cameras are fitted on the payload part?
I guess the second stage one is stil there.

If previous flights are an indication, the camera will will look "up" and "down".

That I know and I saw it on Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 flights. But the camera has always been fitted on the second stage (apart from the Dragon drop test).
Do you know if there are more live camera on the trunk and/or Dragon for the comming flight ?

[Hauerg]

At some point, SpaceX is going to have to start doing things on time at least some of the time. Maybe not this launch. Maybe not even the next launch. But at some point the learning curve is over, and it becomes unacceptable to miss nearly every single deadline they ever set.

1. An "NET" is not a deadline
2. What does this tell us about the Shuttle? Shouldn't it be able to launch on time by now? Guess what, it still isn't.

[mr. mark]

Question: Why is the heatshield a camel color? I've never seen one with that color.

[simonbp]

Question: Why is the heatshield a camel color? I've never seen one with that color.

It's PICA-X: http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=20090223

Only used beforehand on the Stardust capsule: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust_%28spacecraft%29

If Stardust is any indication, the heatshield will be pretty black by the time it hits the ocean...

[ugordan]

The launch hazard area and restricted airspace map have now been posted at http://www.patrick.af.mil/

[FinalFrontier]

Question about this flight: Are they going to have cameras or a camera mounted on the dragon spacecraft? Is dragon going to be fully pressurized on this flight?