LIVE: SpaceX Dragon COTS Demo (C2+) FD4 UPDATES

[Space Pete]

Station Crew Video of the Dragon Grapple and Berthing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGoJ66WNapE&feature=youtu.be

[Pheogh]

Station Crew Video of the Dragon Grapple and Berthing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGoJ66WNapE&feature=youtu.be

Sweet thank you!!

[ugordan]

Station Crew Video of the Dragon Grapple and Berthing

Much better quality than the video on NASA's website, thanks!

[Space Pete]

720p Cupola shot.

[Jorge]

And here is the box that was used today, as seen on the previously linked handheld video -note the dragon logo 

It's the CCP (Crew Command Panel)!

Not to be confused with HCP (HTV Command Panel) for HTV/Cygnus.

Excuse my use of the word "box" - I'm just happy I've learned how to take screenshots of a stream. Hopefully it'll be of some use in upcoming events, as I try to see a lot of them.
Also, HCP is being explained as HTV Command Panel - abbreviations in abbreviations gets kinda loopy sometimes. 

Internally, the acronym was quietly changed to "Hardware Command Panel" when Orbital decided to adopt the HTV PROX/HCP system for use with Cygnus.

[Space Pete]

Internally, the acronym was quietly changed to "Hardware Command Panel" when Orbital decided to adopt the HTV PROX/HCP system for use with Cygnus.

Very interesting, thanks Jorge. I was wondering how they'd deal with that.

[grakenverb]

Just back from taping comments for NBC Nightly News tonight -- I called today one of the 'top ten days in all of space history', and said that Dragon may have been the flagship but there is an entire fleet of varied vehicles being prepared in a dozen workshops to advance commercial/private access to space.

Cool! If they put the segment up on the internet, someone link it!

Here it is:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#47571949

[Rocket Science]

What I have seen this week were the cheers of young people at SpaceX that fit the same demographics of my students.” Cheering for a spaceflight”… Hard to put a value on that… Thanks Elon…

[Space Pete]

A full report on today's berthing activities. Also note the ATV-3 reboost tonight/tomorrow - Dragon's first!

From ISS On-Orbit Status Report for 25/05/12

Joe gathered and readied the equipment required for Dragon pressurization and leak checking tonight.

FE-5 Kuipers meanwhile powered up the Dragon CUCU (COTS UHF Communication Unit), connected the CCP (Crew Command Panel) cable from the Lab to the Cupola and performed a final checkout test.

FE-6 Pettit configured the Lab & Cupola RWSs (Robotic Workstations) for monitoring Dragon approach, then started up & configured the POC DOUG (Portable Onboard Computer Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics) software to support SSRMS maneuvering.   

For the actual capture (in darkness, with external floodlights), Don Pettit maneuvered the SSRMS and, with André standing by, performed successful capture at 9:56am EDT.

Don & André then used powerful binoculars, supported by the Lab starboard zenith & SSRMS base elbow cameras, to inspect the Dragon’s PCBM (Passive Common Berthing Mechanism) and its three O-rings for FOD (Foreign Object/Debris), while ISS reconfigured its attitude for the berthing.

FE-3 Acaba meanwhile powered up the CBCS (Centerline Berthing Camera System) inside the Node-2 at its nadir port, which will provide the visual guidance for Dragon berthing by Pettit & Kuipers. 

Dragon was then moved to the pre-install/hold position, aligned with the Node-2 nadir CBM.

The berthing was completed with 2nd Stage Capture at 12:02pm by SSRMS Operator Pettit and CBM Operator Acaba, followed by Joe & Don going through the steps of removing the CBCS and conducting the 1:05h pressurization & leak check of the vestibule between Node-2 and Dragon.

After hatch opening, Joe & Don will work through Vestibule Outfitting, consisting of CBM center disk removal and installation of 2 power jumpers, 2 data cables and one ARS (Atmosphere Revitalization System) jumper, while André will be powering off CUCU & CCP and removing the CCP cabling.

ISS/ATV Reboost:
Tonight (Fri) at 8:10 PM EDT/tomorrow (Sat) at 12:10 AM GMT, a one-burn ISS reboost with ATV-3 “Edoardo Amaldi” OCS (Orbit Correction System) thrusters will be conducted for a duration of 6 min 17 sec and a delta-V of 0.9 m/s (2.95 ft/s), resulting in a predicted mean altitude increase of 1.51 km (0.81 nmi). Purpose of this reboost and a second one in June is to set up orbit phasing for Soyuz TMA-03M/29S landing (7/1).

[Chris Bergin]

Just back from taping comments for NBC Nightly News tonight -- I called today one of the 'top ten days in all of space history', and said that Dragon may have been the flagship but there is an entire fleet of varied vehicles being prepared in a dozen workshops to advance commercial/private access to space.

Cool! If they put the segment up on the internet, someone link it!

Here it is:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#47571949

Thanks! That was a really good piece!

[Chris Bergin]

Right, so this is such an important thread I'm going to keep it open, but I'll start the next thread now for docked ops.

Then we'll have another for undocking and EOM.

[Duck]

I hate to ask a question that may have already been answered - but what is the procedure for opening the two hatches between the interior of Dragon and the ISS?

I've read a bit about CBM, and as I understand it, they need to open the ISS side hatch first (I'd love to see video of that actually happening - the door slide mechanism looks really interesting and I've never seen it happen), and then connect some umbilicals, before opening the Dragon-side hatch... is that right?

If that's already happened I'm surprised it wasn't shown on NASA TV.

-Iain

[Chris Bergin]

FD5+ (Docked Operations) Live Update Thread:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=28991.0

(Again, keeping this FD4 Berthing Thread open for the interim, especially as we're trying to work out the hatch opening sequence, per Duck's post. We know Dragon hatch opening/ingress is 11:40 GMT).

[FinalFrontier]

Station Crew Video of the Dragon Grapple and Berthing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGoJ66WNapE&feature=youtu.be

An all american spacecraft on an all american node again 

Can't tell you how happy I am to see that, and how much I thought I never would again after Atlantis left. Thanks for posting that.

[FinalFrontier]

Just back from taping comments for NBC Nightly News tonight -- I called today one of the 'top ten days in all of space history', and said that Dragon may have been the flagship but there is an entire fleet of varied vehicles being prepared in a dozen workshops to advance commercial/private access to space.

Cool! If they put the segment up on the internet, someone link it!

Here it is:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#47571949

Thanks! That was a really good piece!

Agreed. Great piece there by Mr. O and NBC. Glad to see them getting the word out there on this.

[rickl]

Just back from taping comments for NBC Nightly News tonight -- I called today one of the 'top ten days in all of space history', and said that Dragon may have been the flagship but there is an entire fleet of varied vehicles being prepared in a dozen workshops to advance commercial/private access to space.

Cool! If they put the segment up on the internet, someone link it!

Here it is:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#47571949

Thanks! That was a really good piece!

It was a good piece.  I saw it when it aired on TV (I ran downstairs to turn on the TV after I read JimO's comment and it had just started).  It's too bad they edited out the 'top ten days in all of space history' quote, though.

[jabe]

Station Crew Video of the Dragon Grapple and Berthing

curious..watching the series of thruster firings.what would it sound like in the dragon? thrusters seems closer to "living quarters" then the shuttle..
same as what apollo capsule would hear?
jb

[Space Pete]

I hate to ask a question that may have already been answered - but what is the procedure for opening the two hatches between the interior of Dragon and the ISS?

I've read a bit about CBM, and as I understand it, they need to open the ISS side hatch first (I'd love to see video of that actually happening - the door slide mechanism looks really interesting and I've never seen it happen), and then connect some umbilicals, before opening the Dragon-side hatch... is that right?

If that's already happened I'm surprised it wasn't shown on NASA TV.

-Iain

Okay, so the procedures are as follows.


1) Remove CBCS (Centerline Berthing Camera System) from Node 2 Nadir hatch

2) Equalise pressure in the area between the Node 2 Nadir and Dragon hatches (called the vestibule) by opening a valve on the Node 2 Nadir hatch

3) Open the ISS Node 2 Nadir hatch

4) Remove the four CPAs (Controller Panel Assemblies), which are electronics boxes that control the berthing sequence

5) Remove the CDC (Center Disk Cover)

6) Connect vestibule jumpers between ISS and Dragon (2 power jumpers, 2 data cables and one ARS (Atmosphere Revitalization System) jumper)

-The ISS crew have currently worked up to at least this point, likely further.

7) Install the VBA (Vestibule Barrier Assembly) - a curtain to close off the vestibule connector area from the hatch passageway
[NOTE: I am unsure whether this will be performed on Dragon since the quarter-turn fastener interfaces on the Dragon passageway (that affix the VBA to the passageway) do not appear to be present, or are at least of a different design, likely due to re-entry concerns.]

8 ) Equalise pressure between Dragon and ISS by opening a valve on the Dragon hatch

9) Open the Dragon hatch (no need to remove any MLI (Multi Layer Insulation) since MLI is attached to the Dragon hatch)

10) Check for floating FOD and take an atmospheric sample with a GSC (Grab Sample Container) from inside Dragon


If you want a video of how all this works, see from 15:08 to 16:47, 17:37 to 18:19, and 19:40 to end, in the below video of the Node 1 Nadir/PMM hatch opening back on STS-133 - in HD.

[mr. mark]

Station Crew Video of the Dragon Grapple and Berthing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGoJ66WNapE&feature=youtu.be

An all american spacecraft on an all american node again 

Can't tell you how happy I am to see that, and how much I thought I never would again after Atlantis left. Thanks for posting that.

Are you kidding me?........WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Targeteer]

Slightly off-topic but the crew was just awakened by an on-board alarm. I missed the original call but I think I heard BGA (Beta gimbal assembly?) error that was being reset with no crew action.  We'll see if they let them sleep in a little longer...