LIVE: SpaceX Dragon COTS Demo (C2+) FD2 and FD3 UPDATES

[Rex Chan]

Mods: remove if this is clutter, but this is fun. Also feel free to fix spelling errors.

Don had another convo with Houston (the lady from my prev posts):

Don/D: something about CBT outfit for Dragon? Asked if the power jumpers for Dragon are standard as Node 2 Nadir. Does he just uncap the connector and plug into Dragon

Houston/H: Yes, just cut the ziptie

D: something about data jumpers and outfit kit

H: something about vestible outfit kit

D: gas sample

H: Affirm

D: continue CBT

And then he asks a whole bunch of stuff about IMV duct/dock, vestible, Node, o-rings, vacuum, different category. Asking about the o-rings

H: checking... a few minutes later

There is no o-ring (as on IMV dock) as usually are, V-band clamp

D: something about facilitating vestible outfit... then asking about thermal covering/protection on CBM docking or will he be staring directly at the hatch

H: thermal protection is built-in to the (Dragon) hatch

D: says that simplifies things. Says it's a very good CBT. Over 1 year since review. Says his thanks for whoever prepared it, gets "heads in the game"

H: will pass on to SpaceX

D: any Merlin/Glacier (on board Dragon)?

H: no powered paylods

[Chris Bergin]

Less busy day today as Dragon chases down the ISS. Have no red flags (my term) for the flight so far.

Still in the C2 section of the flight of course. So far so good.

[Chris Bergin]

And Rex, you're doing great (really good to have you onboard). Everything like that is welcomed and interesting. Very good posts!

[MarekCyzio]

Thanks for clarifying - I thought the skid strip was part of Patrick AFB. Is it open to the public?

Skid strip is the landing strip in CCAFS close to the industrial area. It is not open to public. The name came from Snark missiles coming back to CCAFS and landing on simple skids. 
http://www.afspacemuseum.org/CCAFS/skidstrip/

[Rex Chan]

Don: done with CBT. Setting up over the shoulder cam/laptop. Getting Robot booted up.

NASA TV/ISS now showing IBM Thinkpad's booting WIndows Xp... I think I'm watching an astronaut waiting for Windows to boot...

[baldusi]

D: any Merlin/Glacier (on board Dragon)?
H: no powered paylods

That's the "freezers" for cooled payloads. I guess no fresh strawberries for Don 

[Rex Chan]

Don just got a Windows startup error: TFM Serv core did not start - leads to lodging a IT problem ISS/NASA style (someone is looking into it on the ground). Houston/Don agree that the simulator software does not use Windoes OS, so should not be affected.

Don to start up sim.

Sorry for being a noob - what is this ROBoT (spelling as per laptop screen)?

[Rex Chan]

NASA TV/Livestream had live view of SpaceX CA Mission Control, and NASA MC too. Only got a screen cap of SpaceX.

NASA TV/UstreamLive showing ISS screen with Dragon stuff (arm berthing?)

[Space Pete]

ROBoT is the Robotics On Board Trainer - basically an ISS robot arm simulator.

[Rex Chan]

ROBoT is the Robotics On Board Trainer - basically an ISS robot arm simulator.

Cool! So they *are* doing Dragon stuff. Might have to stay up and watch it all then...

Just got a screen cap from NASA MC. Is that a SpaceX video feed on the far right wall (showing solar panels)?

[paycom]

-Geo Flow (no idea what is is, but sounded like that) would happen after Dragon stuff finished.

That's a scientific experiment in the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL), that simulates fluid flow inside earth.

[Bugfix]

NASA TV "Space Station views" shows a computer screen with what I think is a simulation of the Dragon grapple.

[robertross]

FYI

CBT: Computer Based Training

some reading material...not sure if it's out of date

[Hodapp]

fyi

Cool tracking site.

http://www.n2yo.com/?s=25544|38348

[doug12185]

Much better tracking site here: http://www.lizard-tail.com/isana/tracking/. It shows long/lat/speed and distance of both ISS and Dragon.

[Rex Chan]

NASA TV "Space Station views" shows a computer screen with what I think is a simulation of the Dragon grapple.

Yep. Current screen cap shows (simulated) Dragon a lot closer.

They just went on a break. simDragon at 10m.

[JimOman]

Some minor explanations for those who don't speak mission ops language.

Don/D: something about CBT outfit for Dragon? Asked if the power jumpers for Dragon are standard as Node 2 Nadir. Does he just uncap the connector and plug into Dragon

Houston/H: Yes, just cut the ziptie

D: something about data jumpers and outfit kit

That's the power and data (1553) cables...

D: gas sample

H: Affirm

He was just confirming the procedure for sampling. As a precaution, the crew will take a gas sample from inside the Dragon through a port on the hatch before the hatch opens.

D: continue CBT

And then he asks a whole bunch of stuff about IMV duct/dock, vestible, Node, o-rings, vacuum, different category. Asking about the o-rings

H: checking... a few minutes later

There is no o-ring (as on IMV dock) as usually are, V-band clamp

D: something about facilitating vestible outfit... then asking about thermal covering/protection on CBM docking or will he be staring directly at the hatch


H: thermal protection is built-in to the (Dragon) hatch

Same as above, gas sampling questions as he does his computer based training.

D: says that simplifies things. Says it's a very good CBT. Over 1 year since review. Says his thanks for whoever prepared it, gets "heads in the game"

H: will pass on to SpaceX

Love the team work!

Great job with the updates Rex! Thanks.

[Rex Chan]

NASA TV "Space Station views" shows a computer screen with what I think is a simulation of the Dragon grapple.

Yep. Current screen cap shows (simulated) Dragon a lot closer.

They just went on a break. simDragon at 10m.

simDragon is very close now.

Andre is pointing at the screen...

[Chris Bergin]

Awesome. That's this view from the latest article:

[MP99]

Much better tracking site here: http://www.lizard-tail.com/isana/tracking/. It shows long/lat/speed and distance of both ISS and Dragon.

Thanks.

Looks good, but the author needs to work on his maths skills. The distance is currently bouncing around from 1139.9 to 1144.3.

Author either needs to calculate the lat/long of the two objects to more than two decimal digits on the minutes, or round the distance to "1150", "1140", "1130", etc. Former preferred, of course.

Cheers, Martin