Author Topic: SpaceX COTS Demo 2/3 Updates (THREAD 2) (Read 787846 times)

Lars_J · « **Reply #840 on:** 12/29/2011 05:15 pm »

Aren't we getting a bit off topic??? This is for COTS 2/3 Updates.

The majority of the posts on the last few pages should have been posted in the general SpaceX discussion thread, IMO.

ChrisC · « **Reply #841 on:** 12/29/2011 06:58 pm »

Yes, please, thank you.

Comga · « **Reply #842 on:** 12/29/2011 07:27 pm »

Quote from: ChefPat on 12/26/2011 01:45 am

Quote from: Comga on 12/25/2011 04:12 pm
ChefPat: What was the other side of the bet? Three weeks, or just ten days?

It's kind of a pool. The guesses range from 5 days up to 25 or so.
Everybody put in a bottle of their favorite wine.
Mine is a bottle of Chateau Ste Michelle, Columbia Valley Syrah.

Rereading the December 15 SpaceX update they say:

"Catching up to the ISS will take from one to three days" and

"After Dragon spends about a week berthed at the ISS, astronauts will reverse the process, loading Dragon with cargo for return to Earth, sealing the hatches, and un-berthing the Dragon using the robotic arm. Dragon will then depart from the ISS and return to Earth within a day or so,..."

So... if anik's ISS schedule has landing on 2/23, backing off "about a week" plus "a day or so" puts berthing on Feb 15, about eight days after launch. Assuming they "catch up" in two days, that leaves about 6 days for the COTS-2 task execution and acceptance of the milesone accomplishments.

That doesn't sound impossible, but I still wouldn't wager an expensive bottle of wine on eight days. What is your day number in the pool, ChefPat?

ChefPat · « **Reply #843 on:** 12/29/2011 07:57 pm »

Quote from: Comga on 12/29/2011 07:27 pm

Quote from: ChefPat on 12/26/2011 01:45 am
Quote from: Comga on 12/25/2011 04:12 pm
ChefPat: What was the other side of the bet? Three weeks, or just ten days?

It's kind of a pool. The guesses range from 5 days up to 25 or so.
Everybody put in a bottle of their favorite wine.
Mine is a bottle of Chateau Ste Michelle, Columbia Valley Syrah.

Rereading the December 15 SpaceX update they say:

"Catching up to the ISS will take from one to three days" and

"After Dragon spends about a week berthed at the ISS, astronauts will reverse the process, loading Dragon with cargo for return to Earth, sealing the hatches, and un-berthing the Dragon using the robotic arm. Dragon will then depart from the ISS and return to Earth within a day or so,..."

So... if anik's ISS schedule has landing on 2/23, backing off "about a week" plus "a day or so" puts berthing on Feb 15, about eight days after launch. Assuming they "catch up" in two days, that leaves about 6 days for the COTS-2 task execution and acceptance of the milesone accomplishments.

That doesn't sound impossible, but I still wouldn't wager an expensive bottle of wine on eight days. What is your day number in the pool, ChefPat?

My guess is 14 days. One of the others has 8 days. Chateau Ste Michelle is only $10.

Comga · « **Reply #844 on:** 12/29/2011 11:18 pm »

Quote from: ChefPat on 12/29/2011 07:57 pm

My guess is 14 days. One of the others has 8 days.

My assumption is that no one wants to do anything before they have to. They will wait until 9 days before ATV-3 "Edoardo Amaldi" launches on March 9, to grant approval to approach. Ths would give SpaceX 21 days, assuming they launch on 2/7 as planned. It wouldn't surprise me if SpaceX misses a few of those 2-5 minute long launch windows, which would shorten the time from launch to berthing.

Prober · « **Reply #845 on:** 12/30/2011 03:19 pm »

Thought the plan was Dragon would be doing tests 10 days to 2 weeks before even getting near the ISS? Has this changed?

Comga · « **Reply #846 on:** 12/30/2011 06:19 pm »

Quote from: Prober on 12/30/2011 03:19 pm

Thought the plan was Dragon would be doing tests 10 days to 2 weeks before even getting near the ISS? Has this changed?

10-14 days is logical and expected, but we have anik's authoritative schedule that says 2-3 days. Do you have a reference for that test duration?

mr. mark · « **Reply #847 on:** 12/30/2011 07:16 pm »

Here is an update on the ORBCOMM satellites. They have been removed from the upcoming flight.

"Launching the Falcon 9 and Dragon without Orbcomm will enable SpaceX “to fully verify the mission performance of the COTS mission and focus on the successful berthing of the Dragon spacecraft,” Orbcomm said in a Dec. 28 statement."

http://www.spacenews.com/civil/122911-revised-orbcomm-launch-schedule-drops-satellite-from-space-station-bound-spacex-flight.html

Prober · « **Reply #848 on:** 12/30/2011 10:43 pm »

Quote from: Comga on 12/30/2011 06:19 pm

Quote from: Prober on 12/30/2011 03:19 pm
Thought the plan was Dragon would be doing tests 10 days to 2 weeks before even getting near the ISS? Has this changed?

10-14 days is logical and expected, but we have anik's authoritative schedule that says 2-3 days. Do you have a reference for that test duration?

Should be somewhere in the COTS materials

grr · « **Reply #849 on:** 12/31/2011 07:34 pm »

Quote from: mr. mark on 12/30/2011 07:16 pm

Here is an update on the ORBCOMM satellites. They have been removed from the upcoming flight.

"Launching the Falcon 9 and Dragon without Orbcomm will enable SpaceX “to fully verify the mission performance of the COTS mission and focus on the successful berthing of the Dragon spacecraft,” Orbcomm said in a Dec. 28 statement."

http://www.spacenews.com/civil/122911-revised-orbcomm-launch-schedule-drops-satellite-from-space-station-bound-spacex-flight.html

Amazing that it took this long to get it figured out to NOT include those.
Better to take small steps at a time, rather than run and jump so early on.