SpaceX COTS Demo 2/3 Updates (THREAD 2)

[Comga]

Video of the wet dress test:

As someone who is fascinated by all aspects of spaceflight and obsessed with the progress of SpaceX, that was..... remarkably dull.   :-)  Did I miss something?  I knew that we wouldn't get the thunder of ignition, but just the sound of crashing waves and some commentary that was irrelevant to the WDR?

[QuantumG]

As someone who is fascinated by all aspects of spaceflight and obsessed with the progress of SpaceX, that was..... remarkably dull.   :-)  Did I miss something?

Maybe it was meant to show us how normal people feel about all ascpects of spaceflight

[mr. mark]

Hoping that we hear something in the next week or so about a firm launch date. We'll see.

[WHAP]

Video of the wet dress test:

As someone who is fascinated by all aspects of spaceflight and obsessed with the progress of SpaceX, that was..... remarkably dull.   :-)  Did I miss something?  I knew that we wouldn't get the thunder of ignition, but just the sound of crashing waves and some commentary that was irrelevant to the WDR?

That's what you hope for a WDR - boring.  If it's exciting, that's probably not good.

[Comga]

Video of the wet dress test:

As someone who is fascinated by all aspects of spaceflight and obsessed with the progress of SpaceX, that was..... remarkably dull.   :-)  Did I miss something?  I knew that we wouldn't get the thunder of ignition, but just the sound of crashing waves and some commentary that was irrelevant to the WDR?

That's what you hope for a WDR - boring.  If it's exciting, that's probably not good.

I would have found the control room audio and video of the vents cycling to be at least quite interesting.  It wouldn't take much.

[Robotbeat]

Video of the wet dress test:

As someone who is fascinated by all aspects of spaceflight and obsessed with the progress of SpaceX, that was..... remarkably dull.   :-)  Did I miss something?  I knew that we wouldn't get the thunder of ignition, but just the sound of crashing waves and some commentary that was irrelevant to the WDR?

That's what you hope for a WDR - boring.  If it's exciting, that's probably not good.

I would have found the control room audio and video of the vents cycling to be at least quite interesting.  It wouldn't take much.

About an hour of video is uploaded to youtube every second. Not all of it is going to be interesting.

[Comga]

I would have found the control room audio and video of the vents cycling to be at least quite interesting.  It wouldn't take much.

About an hour of video is uploaded to youtube every second. Not all of it is going to be interesting.

But we don't post links to, or embed, every youtube video, only the ones that are relevant and interesting, at least to rocket nerds.

All I was saying was that there was interesting audio somewhere that was not captured on the video.

[ugordan]

Jeff Foust reports that Gwynne Shotwell announced they have an April 30 launch date, berth May 3. Don't know if that is still a NET date or more concrete.

The other bit of info that wasn't public until now is that "they have almost an instantaneous launch window that day; launch opportunities only every 3 days."

http://twitter.com/#!/jeff_foust/status/179624083586158593

[RocketJack]

The other bit of info that wasn't public until now is that "they have almost an instantaneous launch window that day; launch opportunities only every 3 days."

Further indication of performance issues?

[Jim]

;-)

[cuddihy]

The other bit of info that wasn't public until now is that "they have almost an instantaneous launch window that day; launch opportunities only every 3 days."

Further indication of performance issues?

Bit late in the game for that!

[Comga]

The other bit of info that wasn't public until now is that "they have almost an instantaneous launch window that day; launch opportunities only every 3 days."

Further indication of performance issues?

;-)

Could it be a difference of opinion on margins, like propellant margin, between NASA, which leans to the conservative, and SpaceX, which leans to the ... less conservative? 

(Been there.  Done that. It's fine when NASA pays for it.)

[Jim]

The other bit of info that wasn't public until now is that "they have almost an instantaneous launch window that day; launch opportunities only every 3 days."

Further indication of performance issues?

;-)

Could it be a difference of opinion on margins, like propellant margin, between NASA, which leans to the conservative, and SpaceX, which leans to the ... less conservative? 

(Been there.  Done that. It's fine when NASA pays for it.)

NASA has no say in ascent performance margin

[yg1968]

Then SpaceX is the one being conservative?

[Jim]

Then SpaceX is the one being conservative?

what says it has anything to do with being conservative. 

Wouldn't a longer launch window be more conservative?

[mmeijeri]

Further indication of performance issues?

Yikes. Does this mean we can look forward to being stuck with instaneous launch windows every three days once Dragon is operational?

[Robotbeat]

Further indication of performance issues?

Yikes. Does this mean we can look forward to being stuck with instaneous launch windows every three days once Dragon is operational?

Maybe not after Falcon 9 flight 7 (Merlin 1D will be used after that).

Kudos to Jim for yet again making an accurate prediction (instantaneous launch window). Unless it wasn't a prediction.

[cuddihy]

What does instantaneous actually mean? 10 sec? 5 sec? 15 sec?

[robertross]

What does instantaneous actually mean? 10 sec? 5 sec? 15 sec?

~1 sec

edit: it's also the fact that if it doesn't go at that 'second', there is no window big enough for a chance to go again that day by the time they get around for a recycle in their count.

[RocketJack]

Then SpaceX is the one being conservative?

7.5% of total payload capability to LEO and an instantaneous launch window only when plane and phase angle is at a minimum... That isn't conservatism, it is a problem...