LIVE: SpaceX Dragon COTS Demo (C2+) FD5+ (DOCKED OPS) UPDATES

[JimO]

Thanks - that's the forthcoming C2 splash point though, I meant C1 from Dec 2010 (which was not in the same place)

Yes, helpful information -- thanks!

Now to the main question: how much of the fireball phase will be visible from, and televised from, the ISS?

Will ISS be receiving any entry data from Dragon during descent, and is any of it readable in real time?

Or will the entire entry be LOS?

[Chris Bergin]

This is going to slow right down now until late stow/pre-ungrapple.

Everyone keep an eye out for media briefings etc, during the interim.

[Prober]

from spaceflight now sidebar
ISS Departure: May 31, 2012 @ 1000 GMT (6 a.m. EDT)
Splashdown: May 31, 2012 @ 1542 GMT (11:42 a.m. EDT)
jb

What's the landing ground track? Any proximity to any land, or airliner routes, during the fireball phase?

wait: is this a change in the timeline?

was under the impression the dragon was to be berthed to ISS for like two weeks as part of the test.   

or was the two weeks the whole mission test?

[edkyle99]

from spaceflight now sidebar
ISS Departure: May 31, 2012 @ 1000 GMT (6 a.m. EDT)
Splashdown: May 31, 2012 @ 1542 GMT (11:42 a.m. EDT)
jb

What's the landing ground track? Any proximity to any land, or airliner routes, during the fireball phase?

wait: is this a change in the timeline?

was under the impression the dragon was to be berthed to ISS for like two weeks as part of the test.   

or was the two weeks the whole mission test?

I was wondering the same.  The press kit says "approximately two weeks".

 - Ed Kyle

[psloss]

Keeping May 31 as the return date was noted in between launch attempts -- (high) beta angle is one of the factors.  This was also discussed in the fly-under day status briefing.

[kraxxis]

from spaceflight now sidebar
ISS Departure: May 31, 2012 @ 1000 GMT (6 a.m. EDT)
Splashdown: May 31, 2012 @ 1542 GMT (11:42 a.m. EDT)
jb

What's the landing ground track? Any proximity to any land, or airliner routes, during the fireball phase?

It will be similar to the C1 flight - re-entering the atmosphere south of Hawaii, and landing a couple hundred miles off-shore from Southern california. Only this time the inclination is higher, so the re-entry should be even further south.

Do we have a NOTAM or anything to pin down the lat/lon of the C1 splashdown point?

05/110 (A1374/12) - AIRSPACE DCC SPACE X DRAGON REENTRY STATIONARY
RESERVATION WITHIN AN AREA BNDD BY 2445N/12000W 2518N/12048W
2719N/12250W 2911N/12439W 3025N/12546W 3105N/12619W 3140N/12601W
3155N/12518W 3128N/12428W 3028N/12300W 2843N/12053W 2740N/12000W
SFC-UNL. 31 MAY 15:05 2012 UNTIL 31 MAY 16:15 2012. CREATED: 28 MAY 15:09 2012

Could someone plot this area on a map pls?

[hernick]

You can plot NOTAM coordinates on www.notamdecoder.com - Just input:

2445N/12000W 2518N/12048W 2719N/12250W 2911N/12439W 3025N/12546W 3105N/12619W 3140N/12601W 3155N/12518W 3128N/12428W 3028N/12300W 2843N/12053W 2740N/12000W

and you'll get a nice map showing you where Dragon should land!

[Space Pete]

You can plot NOTAM coordinates on www.notamdecoder.com - Just input:

2445N/12000W 2518N/12048W 2719N/12250W 2911N/12439W 3025N/12546W 3105N/12619W 3140N/12601W 3155N/12518W 3128N/12428W 3028N/12300W 2843N/12053W 2740N/12000W

and you'll get a nice map showing you where Dragon should land!

Cool link, thanks!

Map attached.

[jabe]

You can plot NOTAM coordinates on www.notamdecoder.com - Just input:

2445N/12000W 2518N/12048W 2719N/12250W 2911N/12439W 3025N/12546W 3105N/12619W 3140N/12601W 3155N/12518W 3128N/12428W 3028N/12300W 2843N/12053W 2740N/12000W

and you'll get a nice map showing you where Dragon should land!

cool
thnx for that link
jb

[deltaV]

The shape of the south-east edge of that NOTAM area seems rather weird to me. Any ideas why it's a straight vertical boundary rather than a rounded boundary like the north-west end?

[hernick]

The shape of the south-east edge of that NOTAM area seems rather weird to me. Any ideas why it's a straight vertical boundary rather than a rounded boundary like the north-west end?

If you look at the coordinates in the NOTAM, you'll see the first and the last elements are 2445N/12000W 2740N/12000W. That's your eastern boundary, a straight vertical on the map. It's not a rendering error, if you were wondering.

Why is there a boundary at 12000W? I don't know, but anywhere more easterly might come too close to Baja California...

[Ben the Space Brit]

Why is there a boundary at 12000W? I don't know, but anywhere more easterly might come too close to Baja California...

Yeah, I was wondering if it was the edge of Mexican territorial waters and Mexico has refused SpaceX permission to do recovery ops there.

[ugordan]

Shouldn't that be international waters, that far off shore?

[dsmillman]

On ISS coverage today the following times were announced for Thursday May 31:

Dragon unberth:                     4:15 AM EDT
Dragon departure from ISS:     6:12 AM EDT

[corrodedNut]

NASA TV (all channels) schedule has:

"Coverage of the SpaceX/Dragon Unberthing from the [ISS] 03:30 AM - 05:00 AM [ET]"

"Coverage of the SpaceX/Dragon Deorbit Burn and Pacific Ocean Splashdown 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM [ET]"

[ChrisC]

And briefings:

May 30, Wednesday
10 a.m. - SpaceX Dragon Mission Status Briefing – JSC (All Channels)

May 31, Thursday
3:30 a.m. - Coverage of the SpaceX/Dragon Unberthing from the ISS - JSC (All Channels)
9 a.m. - ISS Update - JSC (Public and Media Channels)
10:15 a.m. - Coverage of the SpaceX/Dragon Deorbit Burn and Pacific Ocean Splashdown - JSC (All Channels)
2 p.m. - SpaceX Dragon Post-Splashdown Briefing - JSC (All Channels)

All times ET.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html

[Space Pete]

Hi-res Dragon photos released!

http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-31/inflight/ndxpage8.html

http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-31/inflight/ndxpage9.html

[ugordan]

The money shot:

[robertross]

The money shot:

New desktop backghround 

Thanks

[corrodedNut]

Look into these eyes: