Author Topic: SpaceX COTS Demo 2/3 Updates (THREAD 2) (Read 787790 times)

Jason1701 · « **Reply #560 on:** 11/28/2011 05:27 pm »

Quote from: joertexas on 11/28/2011 05:19 pm

I find it amusing that the thruster covers are marked "Remove Before Flight". As a private pilot, I understand the purpose, but there are upwards of 50 people who are checking every detail, and I seriously doubt the markings are really necessary.

JR

And hundreds of people who check the pictures posted on NSF

jimvela · « **Reply #561 on:** 11/28/2011 05:33 pm »

Quote from: joertexas on 11/28/2011 05:19 pm

I find it amusing that the thruster covers are marked "Remove Before Flight". As a private pilot, I understand the purpose, but there are upwards of 50 people who are checking every detail, and I seriously doubt the markings are really necessary.

JR

I don't know about SpaceX, but where I work there are processes that depend on having the remove before flight items physically placed in a correct staging location. Without being able to show these items, we're not OK to go.

The last minute stuff in this category depends on this as there aren't days of analysis and review for those items- demonstrating positively that they are properly accounted for is necessary.

There are also always install before flight items or ground vs flight items. I can't say any more than that other than the process is similar for those.

That is part of the discipline that lets you do routine operations as opposed to one-off activities.

It's relatively easy to get it right for that one highly anticipated event that the whole company works towards.

Getting it right on the 10th one in a row where everyone has been working day and night to get the first 9 out on time is where the discipline pays big dividends.

kevin-rf · « **Reply #562 on:** 11/28/2011 05:38 pm »

The label also sticks out like a sore thumb when they are doing close-out. So if someone skipped a step (which they shouldn't, but people are people) it causes other people to notice.

go4mars · « **Reply #563 on:** 11/28/2011 05:58 pm »

Quote from: jimvela on 11/28/2011 05:33 pm

I don't know about SpaceX, but where I work there are processes that depend on having the remove before flight items physically placed in a correct staging location. Without being able to show these items, we're not OK to go.

It's always a good idea to inaccurate-proof wherever possible. Not that the current cover removers, or future cover-removers are idiots, but what if the guy's baby was up crying all night before, he found out last night that a close relative passed, and he got a speeding ticket on the way in. People can get dumber unexpectedly. Often circumstantially. Having a white rack with black paint the same shape as the panels under where the removable panels go, and other visually obvious things like obvious labeling are always a great idea.

Space Pete · « **Reply #564 on:** 11/28/2011 07:47 pm »

D2/D3 software update ops have started!

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 28/11/2011.

CDR Dan Burbank pre-gathered required hardware items of the CUCU (COTS UHF Communications Unit) and restowed it in Node 2 for the upcoming (11/30) Combined Demo software update and checkout, which will involve the CUCU software and SpaceX "Dragon" CCP (Crew Command Panel) firmware, followed by a checkout of the changes. [For the new Dragon Combined Demo (Demo 2 & 3 being merged), "Commanding from ISS" via the CCP will be demonstrated while the spacecraft flies 2.5 km under the ISS.]

mmeijeri · « **Reply #565 on:** 11/28/2011 07:51 pm »

Quote from: go4mars on 11/28/2011 05:58 pm

It's always a good idea to inaccurate-proof wherever possible.

HA, auto-inaccurate is back! Sort of anyway, it used to be auto-incorrect.

iamlucky13 · « **Reply #566 on:** 11/28/2011 09:55 pm »

Quote from: jimvela on 11/28/2011 05:33 pm

I don't know about SpaceX, but where I work there are processes that depend on having the remove before flight items physically placed in a correct staging location. Without being able to show these items, we're not OK to go.

The last minute stuff in this category depends on this as there aren't days of analysis and review for those items- demonstrating positively that they are properly accounted for is necessary.

This reminds me of watching the white room crew diligently inventorying everything they put in or remove from shuttle cabin during launch preps.

Space Pete · « **Reply #567 on:** 11/29/2011 07:39 pm »

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 29/11/2011.

In preparation of tomorrow's scheduled CUCU (COTS UHF Communications Unit) software & Dragon CCP (Crew Command Panel) firmware update, CDR Dan Burbank installed a USB thumb drive (#60) and readied a blank CD (#1675) in SSC-10 (Station Support Computer-10). The ground then uplinked a software patch and burned it on the CD. [New software, version R3.2, will be loaded into the CUCU from a DVD delivered on STS-135/ULF-7 and a patch from the thumb drive. CUCU is the SpaceX avionics box that is used for space-to-space communication with "Dragon" during rendezvous. CUCU contains two completely redundant strings, and each string needs a software update to the RIO (Remote Input/Output) control modules, the radio and the 1553 card. In addition, the firmware on the CCP will need to be updated for both the primary and spare CCP. The software update is done with a T61p laptop that will be booted to the Linux operating system from the ULF-7 DVD. After the software load, MCC-X (SpaceX's Control Center in Hawthorne, CA) will be doing some checkouts of the box and then Dan Burbank will do a checkout of both CCPs. Background: The originally planned Demo 2 & 3 missions have been merged. For the new "Dragon" Combined Demo, "Commanding from ISS" via the CCP will be demonstrated while the spacecraft flies 2.5 km under the ISS.]

mr. mark · « **Reply #568 on:** 11/29/2011 07:51 pm »

Thanks Space Pete. It may not be getting the press but, flight prep seems to going well.

Robotbeat · « **Reply #569 on:** 11/29/2011 09:34 pm »

Quote from: Space Pete on 11/29/2011 07:39 pm

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 29/11/2011.

In preparation of tomorrow's scheduled CUCU (COTS UHF Communications Unit) software & Dragon CCP (Crew Command Panel) firmware update, CDR Dan Burbank installed a USB thumb drive (#60) and readied a blank CD (#1675) in SSC-10 (Station Support Computer-10). The ground then uplinked a software patch and burned it on the CD. [New software, version R3.2, will be loaded into the CUCU from a DVD delivered on STS-135/ULF-7 and a patch from the thumb drive. CUCU is the SpaceX avionics box that is used for space-to-space communication with "Dragon" during rendezvous. CUCU contains two completely redundant strings, and each string needs a software update to the RIO (Remote Input/Output) control modules, the radio and the 1553 card. In addition, the firmware on the CCP will need to be updated for both the primary and spare CCP. The software update is done with a T61p laptop that will be booted to the Linux operating system from the ULF-7 DVD. After the software load, MCC-X (SpaceX's Control Center in Hawthorne, CA) will be doing some checkouts of the box and then Dan Burbank will do a checkout of both CCPs. Background: The originally planned Demo 2 & 3 missions have been merged. For the new "Dragon" Combined Demo, "Commanding from ISS" via the CCP will be demonstrated while the spacecraft flies 2.5 km under the ISS.]

They're going to update the firmware via CD? Oh, gosh... seems I always have problems doing that, but only at inconvenient times...

Lars_J · « **Reply #570 on:** 11/29/2011 09:52 pm »

Quote from: Space Pete on 11/29/2011 07:39 pm

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 29/11/2011.

In preparation of tomorrow's scheduled CUCU (COTS UHF Communications Unit) software & Dragon CCP (Crew Command Panel) firmware update, CDR Dan Burbank installed a USB thumb drive (#60) and readied a blank CD (#1675) in SSC-10 (Station Support Computer-10). The ground then uplinked a software patch and burned it on the CD. [New software, version R3.2, will be loaded into the CUCU from a DVD delivered on STS-135/ULF-7 and a patch from the thumb drive. CUCU is the SpaceX avionics box that is used for space-to-space communication with "Dragon" during rendezvous. CUCU contains two completely redundant strings, and each string needs a software update to the RIO (Remote Input/Output) control modules, the radio and the 1553 card. In addition, the firmware on the CCP will need to be updated for both the primary and spare CCP. The software update is done with a T61p laptop that will be booted to the Linux operating system from the ULF-7 DVD. After the software load, MCC-X (SpaceX's Control Center in Hawthorne, CA) will be doing some checkouts of the box and then Dan Burbank will do a checkout of both CCPs. Background: The originally planned Demo 2 & 3 missions have been merged. For the new "Dragon" Combined Demo, "Commanding from ISS" via the CCP will be demonstrated while the spacecraft flies 2.5 km under the ISS.]

Is this the first official (or semi-official) confirmation that the flights have been merged? Or just a confirmation that they are working under that assumption?

Salo · « **Reply #571 on:** 11/30/2011 05:49 am »

http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/change_log.php

Quote

2011-11-29 COTS SpaceX Demo-2/3 Launch date is TBD.

Comga · « **Reply #572 on:** 11/30/2011 06:21 am »

Quote from: Salo on 11/30/2011 05:49 am

http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/change_log.php
Quote
2011-11-29 COTS SpaceX Demo-2/3 Launch date is TBD.

Why is this news? From what date was it changed? "TBD" is what it has been for months. "NET" anything other than tomorrow would be news.

Jason1701 · « **Reply #573 on:** 11/30/2011 06:40 am »

I think it's the 2/3 part that people think is news. I don't think it changes anything.

go4mars · « **Reply #574 on:** 11/30/2011 01:18 pm »

Quote from: Robotbeat on 11/29/2011 09:34 pm

Quote from: Space Pete on 11/29/2011 07:39 pm
In preparation of tomorrow's scheduled CUCU (COTS UHF Communications Unit) software & Dragon CCP (Crew Command Panel) firmware update, CDR Dan Burbank installed a USB thumb drive (#60) and readied a blank CD (#1675) in SSC-10 (Station Support Computer-10). The ground then uplinked a software patch and burned it on the CD. [New software, version R3.2, will be loaded into the CUCU from a DVD delivered on STS-135/ULF-7 and a patch from the thumb drive....T61p laptop that will be booted to the Linux operating system from the ULF-7 DVD.
They're going to update the firmware via CD? Oh, gosh... seems I always have problems doing that, but only at inconvenient times...

What are the preferable alternatives?

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #575 on:** 11/30/2011 01:23 pm »

Not yet official, but you can see it must be heading that way. The decision is due, that's for sure.

Salo · « **Reply #576 on:** 11/30/2011 03:17 pm »

Quote from: Comga on 11/30/2011 06:21 am

Why is this news? From what date was it changed?

From 01/12/2012.

Comga · « **Reply #577 on:** 11/30/2011 03:25 pm »

Quote from: Salo on 11/30/2011 03:17 pm

Quote from: Comga on 11/30/2011 06:21 am
Why is this news? From what date was it changed?
From 01/12/2012.

That they are not going to launch in mid January is pretty much a foregone conclusion.
Jason had the better point. The listing does hint at a combined COTS-2 and COTS-3 mission, although is that new?

mr. mark · « **Reply #578 on:** 11/30/2011 03:29 pm »

As Chris said, we are getting hints around the edges and an announcement officially is overdue. We may not hear an official COTS 2/3 annoucement until closer to launch time. I'm wondering if the Russians are being sticklers and wants all the dots in a row before giving final approval? I'm assuming the Russians also need to give an ok on this.

Space Pete · « **Reply #579 on:** 11/30/2011 07:51 pm »

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 30/11/2011.

CDR Dan Burbank spent several hours on the scheduled updating of CUCU (COTS UHF Communications Unit) software & Dragon CCP (Crew Command Panel) firmware. After working on the updates of the redundant CUCU strings and the primary & spare CCPs, the subsequent Dryden test of the CCPs was delayed due to frequency clearance issues.