SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon CRS SpX-1 MISSION GENERAL DISCUSSION

[Jim]

Is there still supposed to be some late-load cargo on SpX-1?

Could the 1000lbs be a baseline figure chosen to make sure there is plenty of space/mass margin for late-loaded stuff?

it is to be all inclusive.

[Ben the Space Brit]

FWIW, I think that this is about performance margins.  Simply put, NASA don't want to push Falcon-9 v1.0 too hard. This isn't test flight mode anymore, it's an operational mission so they want to have a payload level that puts Dragon-CRS1 straight down the middle of its performance envelope as demonstrated by the C2+ flight.

[ChefPat]

I wonder if they'll put those strawberries in this time.

[billh]

By comparison, the downmass capability of Dragon would seem to me to be immensely valuable.

It is.  No other existing vehicle has significant downmass capability.  Remember that Progress, ATV, HTV, and Cygnus all burn up on re-entry. 

As indicated by the fact that the downmass is larger than the upmass for this mission: 1238 lbs.

[manboy]

Pardon my laziness, but do we know if there is to be any unpressurized/external cargo on this mission, or not until CRS-2?

Planned external Cargo as of July 2012
CRS SpX-1 (2012-10-07): None
CRS SpX-2 (2012-12-17): Two HRSGFs
CRS SpX-3 (2013-7-20): High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV), Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) and Nitrous Oxide Fuel Blend (NOFBX).
CRS SpX-4 (2013-10-9): None

Also if I remember correctly two International Docking Adapters (IDAs) are scheduled to be launched independently to the ISS in Dragon's trunk during the 2014 to 2016 timeframe.

[manboy]

Why is the payload only 1000 pounds?

Does the station not need any more supplies?

Volume limited?

It doesn't look like all the volume has been utilized yet.

[kevin-rf]

It doesn't look like all the volume has been utilized yet.

That space is there so Elon can pop out of the center of a Cheese Wheel, eer ... Cake,  or something!

[Prober]

Pardon my laziness, but do we know if there is to be any unpressurized/external cargo on this mission, or not until CRS-2?

Planned external Cargo as of July 2012
CRS SpX-1 (2012-10-07): None
CRS SpX-2 (2012-12-17): Two HRSGFs
CRS SpX-3 (2013-7-20): High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV), Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) and Nitrous Oxide Fuel Blend (NOFBX).
CRS SpX-4 (2013-10-9): None

Also if I remember correctly two International Docking Adapters (IDAs) are scheduled to be launched independently to the ISS in Dragon's trunk during the 2014 to 2016 timeframe.

wasn't an orbitcom Sat going in the trunk on this mission?
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29476.msg956623#msg956623

SpX-1 Updates:
- Dragon fuelling is scheduled for next week.
- Secondarily payloads, Orbcomm satellite fuelling is scheduled tomorrow.

[corrodedNut]

Pardon my laziness, but do we know if there is to be any unpressurized/external cargo on this mission, or not until CRS-2?

Planned external Cargo as of July 2012
CRS SpX-1 (2012-10-07): None
CRS SpX-2 (2012-12-17): Two HRSGFs
CRS SpX-3 (2013-7-20): High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV), Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) and Nitrous Oxide Fuel Blend (NOFBX).
CRS SpX-4 (2013-10-9): None

Also if I remember correctly two International Docking Adapters (IDAs) are scheduled to be launched independently to the ISS in Dragon's trunk during the 2014 to 2016 timeframe.

wasn't an orbitcom Sat going in the trunk on this mission?

Yes, I was going to post: "Oh yeah, I forgot about Orbcomm"...but you beat me to it.  Not much chance of a (other than cubesats) secondary payload going up with any significant unpressurized cargo.

Was it decided if it was one or two Orbcomm sats?

[manboy]

Pardon my laziness, but do we know if there is to be any unpressurized/external cargo on this mission, or not until CRS-2?

Planned external Cargo as of July 2012
CRS SpX-1 (2012-10-07): None
CRS SpX-2 (2012-12-17): Two HRSGFs
CRS SpX-3 (2013-7-20): High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV), Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) and Nitrous Oxide Fuel Blend (NOFBX).
CRS SpX-4 (2013-10-9): None

Also if I remember correctly two International Docking Adapters (IDAs) are scheduled to be launched independently to the ISS in Dragon's trunk during the 2014 to 2016 timeframe.

wasn't an orbitcom Sat going in the trunk on this mission?
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29476.msg956623#msg956623

SpX-1 Updates:
- Dragon fuelling is scheduled for next week.
- Secondarily payloads, Orbcomm satellite fuelling is scheduled tomorrow.

Nope, the Orbcomm sat is on the second stage, not in the trunk.

Pardon my laziness, but do we know if there is to be any unpressurized/external cargo on this mission, or not until CRS-2?

Planned external Cargo as of July 2012
CRS SpX-1 (2012-10-07): None
CRS SpX-2 (2012-12-17): Two HRSGFs
CRS SpX-3 (2013-7-20): High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV), Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) and Nitrous Oxide Fuel Blend (NOFBX).
CRS SpX-4 (2013-10-9): None

Also if I remember correctly two International Docking Adapters (IDAs) are scheduled to be launched independently to the ISS in Dragon's trunk during the 2014 to 2016 timeframe.

wasn't an orbitcom Sat going in the trunk on this mission?

Yes, I was going to post: "Oh yeah, I forgot about Orbcomm"...but you beat me to it.  Not much chance of a (other than cubesats) secondary payload going up with any significant unpressurized cargo.

Was it decided if it was one or two Orbcomm sats?

It's a single satellite. See slide 44.

[Comga]

Pardon my laziness, but do we know if there is to be any unpressurized/external cargo on this mission, or not until CRS-2?

Planned external Cargo as of July 2012
CRS SpX-1 (2012-10-07): None
CRS SpX-2 (2012-12-17): Two HRSGFs
CRS SpX-3 (2013-7-20): High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV), Optical PAyload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) and Nitrous Oxide Fuel Blend (NOFBX).
CRS SpX-4 (2013-10-9): None

Also if I remember correctly two International Docking Adapters (IDAs) are scheduled to be launched independently to the ISS in Dragon's trunk during the 2014 to 2016 timeframe.

This is not SpX-1 related but I believe SAGE-III from NASA Langley and Ball Aerospace, with its Hexapod mount and other supporting hardware, is supposed to ride to the ISS in August 2014 on SpX-6 or SpX-7, give or take a few flights.

edit: fixed a typo, added hyperlink

[Ronsmytheiii]

http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html

Date: October 7
Time: 8:34 p.m.
Mission: SpaceX-1 Commercial Resupply Services flight

0034UTC October 8

Can anyone please look at the sun angles for that time, want to see if the upperstage burn will be visible for Virginia this time like last.

[ugordan]

Can anyone please look at the sun angles for that time, want to see if the upperstage burn will be visible for Virginia this time like last.

No joy on that. I worked out that Earth's shadow will extend to more than 500 km altitude at CCAFS at the T-0 of 0034 UTC October 8. Similar situation will be for northern latitudes as well.

Drat. A regular night launch.

[Zed_Noir]

Hope the folks in FL like their new sound & light show every few months from now on. 

Anyone got a estimate of the decibel level of 9 Merlin 1-D and how far away can the rumble be heard? I am guessing it's more intense than the current Falcon 9 V1.0 LV.

Of course, there will be a more spectacular show when the FH begin East Coast ops.

[Ben the Space Brit]

Hope the folks in FL like their new sound & light show every few months from now on. 

I presume that the launch windows for ISS rendezvous move steadily throughout the year.  How long will it be before they are launching CRS missions in the day-time again?

[spacetraveler]

FWIW, I think that this is about performance margins.  Simply put, NASA don't want to push Falcon-9 v1.0 too hard. This isn't test flight mode anymore, it's an operational mission so they want to have a payload level that puts Dragon-CRS1 straight down the middle of its performance envelope as demonstrated by the C2+ flight.

Possibly, but it still seems odd that the payload will be less than 1/3 of the contracted rate per flight (20k kg / 12). They surely don't need that much margin.

[DaveH62]

FWIW, I think that this is about performance margins.  Simply put, NASA don't want to push Falcon-9 v1.0 too hard. This isn't test flight mode anymore, it's an operational mission so they want to have a payload level that puts Dragon-CRS1 straight down the middle of its performance envelope as demonstrated by the C2+ flight.

Possibly, but it still seems odd that the payload will be less than 1/3 of the contracted rate per flight (20k kg / 12). They surely don't need that much margin.

It reads like a lot of the load is science racks. Does that further mass limit the payload?
Also, won't trunk loads, on future flights be heavier systems/hardware type payloads?

[grythumn]

Possibly, but it still seems odd that the payload will be less than 1/3 of the contracted rate per flight (20k kg / 12). They surely don't need that much margin.

I seem to recall that Falcon 9 1.0 only gets about 10k kg to LEO, including the dragon module. It's hard to find recent numbers, but figure about 4.2k kg dry mass for the dragon, 454 kg for the payload, up to 1200 kg of fuel for the dragon (who knows how full it needs to be), 124 kg + payload adapter + any booster per orbcomm bird. That's about 5.5-6k kg there; still a lot of margin, but not 2/3rds.

-R C

[Jim]

It reads like a lot of the load is science racks. Does that further mass limit the payload?

Not racks but contents of racks, which is not mass limiting

[Jim]

I seem to recall that Falcon 9 1.0 only gets about 10k kg to LEO, including the dragon module.

not with dragon