SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon COTS Demo (C2+) PRE LAUNCH UPDATES

[simonbp]

The guy in the foreground has a "Magic Dragon" tee shirt

Heh, nice catch! I've actually got a Magic Dragon shirt, but it's XXL and I look like I'm swimming in it...

[mr. mark]

Is there a reason why the trunk alignment is not symmetrical with the capsule?

[manboy]

Is there a reason why the trunk alignment is not symmetrical with the capsule?

I think it has to do with late loading of Dragon.

[Jim]

These images are credited to NASA, expect to get higher res versions before long:

EDIT- Now they are, and more:

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=225

Keep checking, more are being added.

Real good safety practices going on there. 

Wearing shorts while lifting a spacecraft loaded with propellants.  Or even being in the area with a loaded spacecraft.

[Jim]

SpaceX hired a guy that knows how to stream big Nasa events very well like the past shuttle launches (not Nasa). I'm very confident that the SpaceX webcast will be 'Awesome'.

NASA, all uppercase.

[woods170]

These images are credited to NASA, expect to get higher res versions before long:

EDIT- Now they are, and more:

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=225

Keep checking, more are being added.

Real good safety practices going on there. 

Wearing shorts while lifting a spacecraft loaded with propellants.  Or even being in the area with a loaded spacecraft.

With regards to the latter: that's not much different from this shot of hoisting ATV 5 (also loaded with propellant) onto Ariane 5.
And also no different from the way the Russians integrate fully loaded Soyuz and Progress spacecraft with the Soyuz launcher.

[oiorionsbelt]

How can you tell whether the propellants are loaded or not?

[SpacexULA]

How can you tell whether the propellants are loaded or not?

It's usually a pretty big deal the 1st time they load fuel into a spacecraft, if your following a launch they announce it.  Don't think there is a easy way to tell by looking at a spacecraft.

[Jim]

With regards to the latter: that's not much different from this shot of hoisting ATV 5 (also loaded with propellant) onto Ariane 5.

I meant wearing shorts in the same area around a loaded spacecraft, not people in the area.   People have to be there to perform the operation.

[Jim]

How can you tell whether the propellants are loaded or not?

Read earlier in the thread.  Propellants were loaded on Monday.

[Lee Jay]

Real good safety practices going on there. 

Wearing shorts while lifting a spacecraft loaded with propellants.  Or even being in the area with a loaded spacecraft.

I've seen many people in the VAB pictures during orbiter rotation to vertical and lift into position not wearing hard hats, safety glasses or safety shoes, and in a couple of cases I've seen people standing under the load.  Not sure how anyone at NASA gets away with that sort of thing, especially in pictures.

[Space Pete]

Why isn't the CCP in Cupola?

It will be moved to the Cupola for the capture (it was only in the Lab for tests).

[oiorionsbelt]

How can you tell whether the propellants are loaded or not?

Read earlier in the thread.  Propellants were loaded on Monday.

Found it thanks. Are there any outward appearances that would give an indication that a vehicle is loaded?
Why are shorts worse around hypergols than say long pants? I thought you needed SCAPE suits.

[Robotbeat]

With regards to the latter: that's not much different from this shot of hoisting ATV 5 (also loaded with propellant) onto Ariane 5.

I meant wearing shorts in the same area around a loaded spacecraft, not people in the area.   People have to be there to perform the operation.

I would almost imagine shorts are better than (say) slacks or scrubs, since you want to be able to wash the skin off as quickly as possible in case of a spill instead of being soaked and then have to strip and then have to wash. Having different cleanliness requirements is different than having poor safety.

[corrodedNut]

Is there a reason why the trunk alignment is not symmetrical with the capsule?

The solar arrays, when deployed, are 90 deg or "symmetrically aligned" to the hatch/grapple door, but when stowed or folded for launch they're not, nor are the pontoons.

[manboy]

Why isn't the CCP in Cupola?

It will be moved to the Cupola for the capture (it was only in the Lab for tests).

Thanks Pete.

[mr. mark]

The way they were dressed you would think they were sound engineers at a gig not working on rockets. Safety first!

[jimvela]

With regards to the latter: that's not much different from this shot of hoisting ATV 5 (also loaded with propellant) onto Ariane 5.

I meant wearing shorts in the same area around a loaded spacecraft, not people in the area.   People have to be there to perform the operation.

I would almost imagine shorts are better than (say) slacks or scrubs, since you want to be able to wash the skin off as quickly as possible in case of a spill instead of being soaked and then have to strip and then have to wash. Having different cleanliness requirements is different than having poor safety.

You've never worked around a spacecraft fully fueled with hypergols, have you?

[corrodedNut]

I've never seen any jettison mechanism for the nose cone, is it the same or similar to the stage separation mechanism?

See the partial hinge indicated in the attached photo. When the nosecap is jettisoned, a pneumatic cylinder or spring pushes/flips the cap over, and when it has rotated enough to reach the open part of the hinge, it falls away.

[corrodedNut]

NASA Video update:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=141872331