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

[MP99]

AFAIK, the ISS is not short of supplies. I do not regard this Dragon flight as a critical supply run,

It is for experiments

Did you mean:-

1) Agree ISS is not short of supplies - this flight is just for experiments;
or
2) It is critical for experiments?

Thanks, Martin

[jabe]

ok..a possibly off topic question...When the Dragon arrived at ISS, a Spacex or Dragon logo was nonexistent...any thoughts if it will have logo's this time around?
 
jb

[Mader Levap]

Why they did static fire test without Dragon on top?

[QuantumG]

Why they did static fire test without Dragon on top?

My thoughts exactly.. it's the final week and the Dragon still isn't integrated? That's odd.

[jabe]

My thoughts exactly.. it's the final week and the Dragon still isn't integrated? That's odd.

my WAG..still packing dragon, so it needs to stay in vertical position? 
jb

[CapitalistOppressor]

My thoughts exactly.. it's the final week and the Dragon still isn't integrated? That's odd.

my WAG..still packing dragon, so it needs to stay in vertical position? 
jb

Or maybe they just decided that Dragon is an expensive piece of hardware that provides only marginal utility as a part of these tests.  If Murphy decides to rapidly deconstruct F9 during the static fire, this at least saves SpaceX the expense of scraping bits of Dragon off of the pad.

[QuantumG]

Or maybe they just decided that Dragon is an expensive piece of hardware that provides only marginal utility as a part of these tests.

It's a nice theory, but the fact is that Dragon is supposed to have been on the stack for both the WDR and the static fire... something is wrong.

[Silmfeanor]

Or maybe they just decided that Dragon is an expensive piece of hardware that provides only marginal utility as a part of these tests.

It's a nice theory, but the fact is that Dragon is supposed to have been on the stack for both the WDR and the static fire... something is wrong.

it's weird and unexpected, I'll give you that. But something is wrong? If it was serious, wouldn't we have heard something about a launch slip by now instead of range-approved dates in conjunction with ISS readiness and all?

Too little information to start talking about something being wrong.

[ugordan]

It's a nice theory, but the fact is that Dragon is supposed to have been on the stack for both the WDR and the static fire... something is wrong.

Bold mine. Why is that a fact? The previous flight had at least one WDR without Dragon. In fact, having WDR so early in the Dragon processing flow almost guarantees the spacecraft won't be ready to be mated.

[mduncan36]

Or maybe they just decided that Dragon is an expensive piece of hardware that provides only marginal utility as a part of these tests.

It's a nice theory, but the fact is that Dragon is supposed to have been on the stack for both the WDR and the static fire... something is wrong.

Where do you get that from? It's not like Soyuz where it's been the same over and over for decades. It's still early enough in the game for things to change occasionally. Maybe something is just different.

[CapitalistOppressor]

Or maybe they just decided that Dragon is an expensive piece of hardware that provides only marginal utility as a part of these tests.

It's a nice theory, but the fact is that Dragon is supposed to have been on the stack for both the WDR and the static fire... something is wrong.

I am not going to even pretend to dispute that except to point out that its speculation to infer that something is "wrong" when someone changes their plan.  All things being equal I'd agree that something is fishy.

However, in the context of exploring "not wrong, just different" would SpaceX be able to speed up processing time by conducting WDR's and static fire's on just the launcher while processing the payload in parallel and only performing final integration as a last step?

Going forward they need to up their flight rate, which might mean we will see changes to streamline procedures.

Edit: And by "fishy" I mean "worthy of notice"

[manboy]

ok..a possibly off topic question...When the Dragon arrived at ISS, a Spacex or Dragon logo was nonexistent...any thoughts if it will have logo's this time around?
 
jb

I have no idea but I'm hoping to see an American flag.

[QuantumG]

However, in the context of exploring "not wrong, just different" would SpaceX be able to speed up processing time by conducting WDR's and static fire's on just the launcher while processing the payload in parallel and only performing final integration as a last step?

Going forward they need to up their flight rate, which might mean we will see changes to streamline procedures.

Yes, that seems reasonable.

[FinalFrontier]

Have been really busy (understatement) with work lately but I am really looking forward to the mission. Hoping everything goes as well as it did for COTS 2/3.


Glad that things have been relatively successful with the idea of commercial spaceflight (thus far) and I hope they continue to be. The more I look at these companies, and their vehicles the more I think this really is the best way forward, especially in lieu of the obvious political issues with something like SLS.

[Mike_1179]

It's a nice theory, but the fact is that Dragon is supposed to have been on the stack for both the WDR and the static fire... something is wrong.

The spacecraft is not on top for WDR of Delta or Atlas vehicles.  They don't do static fires, so how do you know it's SOP for the payload to be on top for this test? 

[simonbp]

Interesting point. For COTS-2+, the markings were on the solar farings and the nose cap, so gone by docking. I could see SpaceX putting some markings on the trunk proper given how good the images were last time.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/COTS_2_Falcon9Dragon_-_May_18.jpg

[paycom]

According to the F9 users's guide, payload mate to launch vehicle is supposed to take place 8 to 9 days prior to launch. So SpaceX is not much behind schedule if the Dragon integration takes place today or tomorrow.

[sdsds]

Specifically regarding this flight, has there been any mention of an abort mode in which the Dragon would separate and save the cargo should the Falcon flight be terminated early?

[Mader Levap]

Specifically regarding this flight, has there been any mention of an abort mode in which the Dragon would separate and save the cargo should the Falcon flight be terminated early?

AFAIK there is nothing like LAS in unmanned missions. Main reason is that most of cargo/satellites would not survive abort g loads. Humans are surprisingly resilent creatures.

[sdsds]

AFAIK there is nothing like LAS in unmanned missions. Main reason is that most of cargo/satellites would not survive abort g loads. Humans are surprisingly resilent creatures.

I take your main point: "old space" doesn't do it that way. But is SpaceX different, especially when it's launching Dragon on F9?

Many cargo/satellite launch vehicles rely on solids, the presence of which massively complicate an abort. For an abort of the all-liquid F9 isn't it possible the range might simply terminate thrust, rather than destroy the vehicle? Wouldn't that create an environment where the Dragon separation motors could detach the capsule from the trunk without exposing the interior cargo to off-nominal g forces?

Of course we all hope nothing like that is required! I'm just wondering if SpaceX is prepared to "snatch victory from the jaws of defeat" on this flight.