SpaceX COTS Demo 2 Updates

[Alpha Control]

Thank you both for the comments! For Ugordan, if it's one of the pushers, would that be for separating stage 1 & 2?

[ugordan]

Yes. That's the only vehicle separation plane that I know of.

[Alpha Control]

Thank you both for the comments! For Ugordan, if it's one of the pushers, would that be for separating stage 1 & 2?

I think I found a photo that answers my question. The shape (where it protrudes beyond the curve of the hull) seems to match what we see in this stage 1 separation shot.

Edit: Ugordan answered while I was tracking down the photo. Thanks!

[dragon44]

That's the 1-2 interstage, has nothing to do with Dragon or its trunk. I believe that's one of the 3 pushers responsible for stage separation.

That's correct. There are 3 pushers and 9 clamps.
Here is a picture in the hangar showing the pushers without covers and the 9 slots where the clamps get installed.
Another pictures shows them in the test stand.

[Jason1701]

Excellent pictures, Mr. Mark. How did you get them?

[Chris-A]

This should do the trick.

[mr. mark]

Don't thank me for the pictures, thank NASA. NASA is now publishing regular pictures on their website, nasa.gov, of Spacex at KSC. Type in KSC media and then type in Spacex. You'll see some great pics of the Falcon 9 COTS 2/3 first stage hanger roll in and the pictures I showed here. It may be that NASA will now publish pictures faster than Spacex so, if you are interested, I'd check the NASA website on a regular basis for picture updates.

[Kabloona]

This should do the trick.

And for a little humor, here's the NASA caption for one of those photos. Read it carefully:

"Technicians are preparing the rocket for the second launch in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS, program to demonstrate private companies' ability to launch unscrewed spacecraft into orbit." (sic)

[pathfinder_01]

This should do the trick.

And for a little humor, here's the NASA caption for one of those photos. Read it carefully:

"Technicians are preparing the rocket for the second launch in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS, program to demonstrate private companies' ability to launch unscrewed spacecraft into orbit." (sic)

LOL

[rsnellenberger]

This should do the trick.

And for a little humor, here's the NASA caption for one of those photos. Read it carefully:

"Technicians are preparing the rocket for the second launch in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, or COTS, program to demonstrate private companies' ability to launch unscrewed spacecraft into orbit." (sic)

Certainly is final closure for the "birthing" discussion upthread...

[kevin-rf]

Virgin launches?

[Mackilroy]

It isn't the maiden flight though…

[telomerase99]

So do we know for sure whether cots 2 and 3 will be combined? Any idea when the next launch will be? Is that previously posted article surmised to be accurate? Seemed kind of sketchy to me...

[Halidon]

So do we know for sure whether cots 2 and 3 will be combined? Any idea when the next launch will be? Is that previously posted article surmised to be accurate? Seemed kind of sketchy to me...

Nothing is official yet. If uncombined Cots 2 would be NET July and Cots 3 would be NET February, if I recall correctly. If combined Cots 2/3 would be NET November.

[Chris Bergin]

Sneaky update. Written a reasonably meaty article on the C2/C3 (and also invades a bit into CRS-1 planning) based on L2 content. Just waiting on a couple of NASA managers to respond for context and will go with it tomorrow, or Tuesday if we need to push another STS-134 article out on Monday.

[Alpha Control]

Sneaky update. Written a reasonably meaty article on the C2/C3 (and also invades a bit into CRS-1 planning) based on L2 content. Just waiting on a couple of NASA managers to respond for context and will go with it tomorrow, or Tuesday if we need to push another STS-134 article out on Monday.

Intriguing. Looking forward to the C2/C3 article, Chris. Personally, I think there's much to be gained by keeping the SpaceX C2 and C3 flights as separate events. The obvious things such as a steadily increasing database of F9 & Dragon flight experience, which would add confidence to the overall system.

[gospacex]

Virgin launches?

I think the meaning might be "... as opposed to Constellation, which is".

[ugordan]

Personally, I think there's much to be gained by keeping the SpaceX C2 and C3 flights as separate events.

Realistically, we all know the reason for combining the flights is cost (and potentially hardware production schedules) to SpaceX. There is risk to combining them because any problems would then be discovered later in the game (the combined flight would be delayed from C2 date), hence why NASA is paying them to do more ground tests in the meantime.

Basically, instead of SpaceX spending its own money on this, NASA is. But hey, if they can pay Orbital ~$100M for a Taurus II test flight...

[QuantumG]

Realistically, we all know the reason for combining the flights is cost (and potentially hardware production schedules) to SpaceX.

Or maybe the reasons for combining the flights is *exactly what Elon is telling us* is the reason.. maybe NASA *agrees with him*.  Why do you feel the need to make up any other reasons?

[ugordan]

Saying the next flight would berth to the station would give Elon's words more weight *if* C3 took the place of C2 schedule. It's obvious they aren't ready yet and this is effectively just dropping a flight in the meantime. If NASA really agreed with him 100%, they wouldn't request additional ground tests to flush potential problems that would otherwise be detected earlier on a C2 flight than a combined flight.

I don't "feel the need to make up any other reasons", I'm calling it as I see it.

YMMV.