LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 (Flight 2) - COTS-1 - Launch Updates - December 8, 2010

[ugordan]

Also, the big secret is cheese. I don't get it.

This, maybe?

[JimO]

I've tried to keep up with the thread's intricacies but may have missed any discussion on the second set of parachutes in this recovery picture:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/002/splashdown/chutes1.jpg

Whose are they?

ADD: The drogue chute?

[Malderi]

That's probably the drogue chutes, and probably carrying away the cover for the mains.

[mr. mark]

We can laugh at the "cheese" but, just the fact that they flew some "cargo" means something. That along with the 1000's of patches as well.

[Stephan]

I've tried to keep up with the thread's intricacies but may have missed any discussion on the second set of parachutes in this recovery picture:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/002/splashdown/chutes1.jpg

Whose are they?

Drogue chutes ?
See the drop test : http://www.spacex.com/multimedia/videos.php?id=54&cat=recent

[jabe]

mmm I wonder how bad the cheese got banged around?

[Avron]

One thing I think is important, beyond cheese, process failures/design failures, fires / explosions.. is :

No one has argued the 100 % figure in respect to success of this test flight and that in  itself is a major milestone IMHO..

[majormajor42]

Somebody already edited the Cheese Shop Sketch page on wikipedia to make mention of SpaceX's secret cargo.  Alas, this cheese is not mentioned in the skit.  It is similar to Gruyere though.

It just might be cool to be at a Dinner Party near Hawthorne last night or in the near future where some of Elon's friends and employees are eating some space cheese.  Some fruit of their labor.

@avron  you are right.  but it would be nice to know some of the things that were checked off, in the affirmative, that they mentioned in the presser yesterday.  What type of manuvers did they do?

[corrodedNut]

Alas, this cheese is not mentioned in the skit. 

I think that might be the joke.

[ilia25]

No explosion, just a small fire. He explained in the presser, but you'll have to sort through 45 pages of Monty Python references and process failure notes to find it.

Ah, thanks!

[Kabloona]

Alas, this cheese is not mentioned in the skit. 

I think that might be the joke.

Indeed.

Q: "Have you any space cheese?"
A: "No."

[Jim]

Probably more important than a quick fix to the nozzle problem is that they flushed out a design fault in the vehicle in the process of root cause analysis.

Agreed. Maybe you can debate with Jim whether it was a "process failure" or a "design fault." I'll stand by with some popcorn.

No debate needed, it was both.  A design flaw that should have been fixed after the first flight

[Chris Bergin]

Just a heads up, will be moving this thread back into the SpaceX section later today and will start the COTS-2 thread.

[Kabloona]

Probably more important than a quick fix to the nozzle problem is that they flushed out a design fault in the vehicle in the process of root cause analysis.

Agreed. Maybe you can debate with Jim whether it was a "process failure" or a "design fault." I'll stand by with some popcorn.

No debate needed, it was both.  A design flaw that should have been fixed after the first flight

;-) Agreed, I'm just tweakin' ya. They should have looked at all vent locations after the first flight, and I'd be suprised if they didn't. Somehow they missed this one. I'm trying to figure out, though, why this problem didn't also show up on the first flight. If the GN2 vent had something to do with Dragon, it's conceivable that the vent wasn't there or wasn't used on flight 1.

[Namechange User]

What type of manuvers did they do?

If I had to guess, I would say a pre-determined firing sequence firing individual and coupled engines (cycling through all of them eventually) to verify not only the operation of the jets and system versus the expected but to also verify the functionality of the GNC system to verify appropriate control authority versus the predicted analysis and test data. 

[Kabloona]

What type of manuvers did they do?

If I had to guess, I would say a pre-determined firing sequence firing individual and coupled engines (cycling through all of them eventually) to verify not only the operation of the jets and system versus the expected but to also verify the functionality of the GNC system to verify appropriate control authority versus the predicted analysis and test data. 

I believe they did say the sequence was similar/identical to the maneuvers planned for ISS prox ops.

[Almurray1958]

Also pointing orientation for TDRS commo links

[Jim]

;-) Agreed, I'm just tweakin' ya. They should have looked at all vent locations after the first flight, and I'd be suprised if they didn't. Somehow they missed this one. I'm trying to figure out, though, why this problem didn't also show up on the first flight.

More recycles with changes in purge states.

[ugordan]

The worst kind of issue - one that doesn't immediately show itself.

[Kabloona]

;-) Agreed, I'm just tweakin' ya. They should have looked at all vent locations after the first flight, and I'd be suprised if they didn't. Somehow they missed this one. I'm trying to figure out, though, why this problem didn't also show up on the first flight.

More recycles with changes in purge states.

I'll buy that for a dollar...