SpaceX COTS Demo 2/3 Updates (THREAD 2)

[robertross]

Depends.
Documentation actually is what helps you when something goes wrong and you need some forensic analysis about what it was.

Yes, but once the damage is done...(and lives put at risk)...there might not be a serviceable station left to have any real benefit.

This flight needs to be sound; that doesn't necessarily it needs to be flawless, but it must show it can handle any stumbling blocks it encounters.

So with that, we await the next update from NASA/SpaceX on how things are progressing 

[balan h20]

Documentation is what they use after the incident to CTA. It is and always has been the means of last resort for keeping ones job by proving that they did all that they could possible think of to CYA beforehand and have succeded in CTA afterward. If no incident occured then it can be considered as recyclable material. Save the Planet. Recycle past mission documentation and save the rainforest.

[ChrisC]

So with that, we await the next update from NASA/SpaceX on how things are progressing 

Yes, please, this.  Can we keep this thread for actual updates?  Take the discussion du jour (e.g. the merits of documentation) to one of the general threads please.

[erioladastra]

http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/reports/iss_reports/2012/02212012.html

"04/30/12 -- SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon launch (target date)
05/03/12 -- SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon berthing (target date)"

does this schedule mean that kuipers can be the second operator for berthing? or are the soyuz flights moved?

Nope - will be 2 person ops.

[Antares]

Documentation is what they use after the incident to CTA. It is and always has been the means of last resort for keeping ones job by proving that they did all that they could possible think of to CYA beforehand and have succeded in CTA afterward.

Please don't be cynical without first putting oneself in the shoes of those requiring the documentation and assuming good intent.  When dealing with humans or other unique payloads, documentation is how one proves to the customer everything necessary has been done prior to going.  It's one thing when the item at risk is replaceable, another when it's not.  Ever had a recall on your car?  How would they know who to send the letter to if they didn't document what went into it?  Same principle.

[A_M_Swallow]

Documentation is what they use after the incident to CTA. It is and always has been the means of last resort for keeping ones job by proving that they did all that they could possible think of to CYA beforehand and have succeded in CTA afterward.

Please don't be cynical without first putting oneself in the shoes of those requiring the documentation and assuming good intent.  When dealing with humans or other unique payloads, documentation is how one proves to the customer everything necessary has been done prior to going.  It's one thing when the item at risk is replaceable, another when it's not.  Ever had a recall on your car?  How would they know who to send the letter to if they didn't document what went into it?  Same principle.

It is easy to tell what documentation is useful, it is read when testing and getting something to work.  The integrators learn to ignore the useless.  There is doubly useless documentation - it is not read but has to be updated following a change.

[cuddihy]

I won't debate the merits of CMMI, but I have been with several organizations where a CMMI Level 3 or above certification was a requirement stated in the RFP. If your organization doesn't have a certified quality process, then you can't compete for the contract. I wonder if SpaceX manufacturing has gone through ISO 9001 certification either ?

Except it wasn't a requirement for COTS anywhere in the RFPs or award criteria.

CRS required 9001 and 9100 and some others.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/418857main_sec_nnj09ga04b.pdf

See pages 29, 31, 76, 147

Good catch. I had only checked COTS, but it doesn't make sense to allow SpaceX to develop COTS without formal CMMI certification and then require it after the fact, as a part of ongoing CRS ops.

I guess that's why the contract wording is not to require CMMI or to require AS certification but to "meet or exceed" the standards, and in one case not using the certification requires additional NASA reviews.

[Danderman]

Hartford Experiment To Fly On 'Dragon,' First Commercial Flight To International Space Station

http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-hartford-space-experiment-0216-20120215,0,6522372.story

An unmanned Dragon will depart from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX, a California-based space transportation firm that has contracted with NASA, has pushed back its target launch date from March to late April to work on software issues.

This week, students began the groundwork for their experiment at the University of Hartford, which is allowing the use of its lab. Annie Fisher eighth-graders Liam, Nick, Roshawn Brown and Tristan DeRosiers; University High School seniors Samantha Cedeno and Bo-Edward Lawrence; and Rob Lipski, a University of Hartford senior majoring in biology, are part of the team.

"This is completely a student-driven project," said Annie Fisher magnet coach Rachael Manzer, one of seven educators in the U.S. who have been training for a commercial space flight within the next few years as part of Teachers in Space. "This is their idea."
Researchers have cited bone loss as a risk of extended spaceflight. The Hartford experiment will examine the effect of parathyroid hormone, which can be used to treat osteoporosis, in microgravity.

"A reason we can't go to Mars is astronauts will lose bone mass," said Liam, an East Hampton resident who expects to attend University High in the fall.

 

Eleven other school communities in the country, including Fitchburg, Mass., also have designed student experiments through the Washington program that will ride on the payload owned by NanoRacks, a private company that operates a research lab on the International Space Station.

[IRobot]

Depends.
Documentation actually is what helps you when something goes wrong and you need some forensic analysis about what it was.

If you're focused on management documentation and not in software documentation, it won't help a thing. I've worked on two projects on a CMMI level 5 company. There were no code metrics, no code documentation, just a lot of management level metrics and documentation.
CMMI can either be an added value for a company's products or just a simple way to discard responsibilities.

[mmeijeri]

There were no code metrics, no code documentation, just a lot of management level metrics and documentation.

People often confuse bureaucracy with discipline. Unfortunately they also often confuse agility with cowboy coding.

[Blackjax]

There were no code metrics, no code documentation, just a lot of management level metrics and documentation.

People often confuse bureaucracy with discipline. Unfortunately they also often confuse agility with cowboy coding.

Well said.

[oldAtlas_Eguy]

There were no code metrics, no code documentation, just a lot of management level metrics and documentation.

People often confuse bureaucracy with discipline. Unfortunately they also often confuse agility with cowboy coding.

Well said.

+1
From the standpoint of a coder and the software project manager on contracts for the goverment (USAF) and commercial customers (AT&T was even more documentation than what I had to deal with for the DOD).

Enough about documentation, now let's get back to the COTS 2/3 updates.

Edit: fixed the AT&T acronym

[peter-b]

Dragon spaceship and Falcon 9 rocket just completed final assembly at Cape Canaveral http://pic.twitter.com/4GrSr3VU

https://twitter.com/#!/elonmusk/status/173528867699568641/photo/1

[Lars_J]

Nice picture!

From this angle, the solar panel "pontoons" don't seem to extend so far out. but it could be just the angle.

[Kabloona]

I would assume Dragon integration means the high-emissivity paint "fix" has already been applied to the Draco prop tanks. Has anyone heard anything further re the Merlin engine delamination issue?

[woods170]

I would assume Dragon integration means the high-emissivity paint "fix" has already been applied to the Draco prop tanks. Has anyone heard anything further re the Merlin engine delamination issue?

Who knows? However, I've heard Dragon will be de-mated before the WDR, for further work to be performed.

[ugordan]

However, I've heard Dragon will be de-mated before the WDR

Before or after? Makes no sense to do another WDR on the LV only as there have already been two. The 3rd WDR is supposed to happen in the next couple of days.

[douglas100]

Has anyone heard anything further re the Merlin engine delamination issue?

See Jon Goff's take on this.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=27748.msg866921#msg866921

[Kabloona]

However, I've heard Dragon will be de-mated before the WDR

Before or after? Makes no sense to do another WDR on the LV only as there have already been two. The 3rd WDR is supposed to happen in the next couple of days.

The Feb 3 SFN article said Dragon will be demated AFTER the WDR for final processing. I would guess the logic is you want to do at least one WDR with the vehicle in flight configuration (ie with Dragon on top) in order to verify the parts of the launch procedures, and the GSE, that interface with Dragon. Afterwards, apparently, they have to demate in order to fuel Dragon and do final processing.

[woods170]

However, I've heard Dragon will be de-mated before the WDR

Before or after? Makes no sense to do another WDR on the LV only as there have already been two. The 3rd WDR is supposed to happen in the next couple of days.

The Feb 3 SFN article said Dragon will be demated AFTER the WDR for final processing. I would guess the logic is you want to do at least one WDR with the vehicle in flight configuration (ie with Dragon on top) in order to verify the parts of the launch procedures, and the GSE, that interface with Dragon. Afterwards, apparently, they have to demate in order to fuel Dragon and do final processing.

Yes, like I said. My mistake is that I said 'before' instead of 'after'. Anyway, Dragon will be de-mated for final prepping and processing.
We do not know if the thermal paint has been applied at this point, or will be after the de-mate. But, it's really of no interest. All we need to know is that will be applied at some point in time before launch