Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon CRS SpX-1 MISSION GENERAL DISCUSSION (Read 688170 times)

go4mars · « **Reply #240 on:** 10/02/2012 11:47 pm »

In my very limited experience, it also may depend on which country you come from (whether you can come in and look around or not). I'm not sure if that's actually true or not. I'll leave it at that without elaborating.

Robotbeat · « **Reply #241 on:** 10/03/2012 01:37 am »

Quote from: simonbp on 10/02/2012 11:42 pm

Quote from: Robotbeat on 10/02/2012 03:02 pm
The State Department believes there's a difference between US citizens and non-US citizens. That's the difference.

To be clear it's between US persons (including US permanent residents and certain foreign representatives of US organizations) and non-US persons. Explaining this to ditsy HR departments back when I had a Green Card was quite annoying...

Quite true. Glad to have you here, by the way!

Space Possum · « **Reply #242 on:** 10/03/2012 02:04 am »

Allow me to wade in here. Part of the reason is probably that the Spacex pad is on the Canaveral Air Force Station property. I took the tour of that place about a week ago, and we were restricted as to what we could photograph. We weren't allowed to photograph Pad 37 where the Delta 4 Medium was being processed, even though it's not a classified payload. The instant we crossed back out the AFB gate, our tour guide said "Take all the pictures of the Pad you want. It's OK now!" The tour guides mumbled that the restrictions were ridiculous, and they are right. My only explanation is...well...that's the Government for you!

Rocket Guy · « **Reply #243 on:** 10/03/2012 02:28 am »

The things they tell the tourists on the bus tour, like not shooting the Deltra IV pad, are equally ridiculous and are not representative of the rules for employees and media.

Prober · « **Reply #244 on:** 10/03/2012 02:41 am »

great nick there Space Possum

G-pit · « **Reply #245 on:** 10/03/2012 03:17 am »

Has there been any information on whether the cargo Dragon being flown this launch is evolved much from the Dragon flown on the demo flights?

I wonder if they discovered any room for improvement with the cargo config of Dragon. or if they are using these CRS flights to test out systems that are only *required* on a manned Dragon.

Comga · « **Reply #246 on:** 10/03/2012 03:46 am »

Quote from: Joffan on 10/02/2012 10:43 pm

Orbcomm logo visible at the base of the solar wing fairing

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/imageviewer.cfm?mediaid=62553&mr=l&w=0&h=0&fn=2012-5643&sn=KSC-2012-5643

What is that other logo below the red lettered "Orbcomm"?
Is that also Orbcomm? I don't see it on their website.

The website does have a countdown to the launch.

Joffan · « **Reply #247 on:** 10/03/2012 04:01 am »

Quote from: Comga on 10/03/2012 03:46 am

Quote from: Joffan on 10/02/2012 10:43 pm
Orbcomm logo visible at the base of the solar wing fairing

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/imageviewer.cfm?mediaid=62553&mr=l&w=0&h=0&fn=2012-5643&sn=KSC-2012-5643

What is that other logo below the red lettered "Orbcomm"?
Is that also Orbcomm? I don't see it on their website.

The website does have a countdown to the launch.

I'm assuming that it's Orbcomm's mission badge. I'm pretty sure it's theirs and not SpaceX's. You can see it in another shot of the vehicle, http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/images/large/2012-5631.jpg but not much better I'm afraid.

Ben the Space Brit · « **Reply #248 on:** 10/03/2012 10:27 am »

Someone up-thread asked if the SpX-1 spacecraft will have any SpaceX graphics on the hull. I've just seen a picture over on the processing updates thread that shows the spacecraft has the Dragon logo on the GNC sensor bay door, so it will be hidden in flight. Your guess is as good as mine why that is.

Does NASA have a prohibition of the logos of commercial entities appearing on spacecraft performing NASA missions?

kevin-rf · « **Reply #249 on:** 10/03/2012 12:33 pm »

A simpler explanation might be, no logo's anywhere that might complicate thermal management Hence a logo on the GNC sensor bay door and the outriggers.

nlec · « **Reply #250 on:** 10/03/2012 01:02 pm »

From some of the post-flight images I've seen, the outer (thermal?) covering of Dragon seems a bit fragile. Maybe there is some concern about applied logos damaging the covering during ascent or descent. I realized this doesn't explain the lack of logos on the trunk, which does not seem to have this same covering.

mr. mark · « **Reply #251 on:** 10/03/2012 01:13 pm »

Logos, Why? It's not like there is any other US private cargo spacecraft visiting ISS at this time. Put a logo on it to tell it apart from who?

Maybe next year after Cygnus is flying.

ChefPat · « **Reply #252 on:** 10/03/2012 03:17 pm »

Maybe we could dress it up like NASCAR?

Lars_J · « **Reply #253 on:** 10/03/2012 03:40 pm »

Quote from: ChefPat on 10/03/2012 03:17 pm

Maybe we could dress it up like NASCAR?

A bit of a straw man, don't you think? I think most of us just expected something minimalist like the Shuttle's decorations. A flag and company logo.

Prober · « **Reply #254 on:** 10/03/2012 06:01 pm »

Quote from: ChefPat on 10/03/2012 03:17 pm

Maybe we could dress it up like NASCAR?

still waiting for one day to see Coke or Pepsi on the side of a launcher. It just might happen.

kevin-rf · « **Reply #255 on:** 10/03/2012 06:23 pm »

Pizza Hut already won that war on a Proton in 2000.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/pizzahut-00b.html

Comga · « **Reply #256 on:** 10/03/2012 08:25 pm »

In the Updates thread there is a dispute over whether the (single Gen 2) Orbcomm is mounted in the Trunk or on the second stage. Does anyone have a reliable reference on this?
(Or just an answer from L2.)

ChefPat · « **Reply #257 on:** 10/03/2012 08:36 pm »

Quote from: Lars_J on 10/03/2012 03:40 pm

Quote from: ChefPat on 10/03/2012 03:17 pm
Maybe we could dress it up like NASCAR?

A bit of a straw man, don't you think? I think most of us just expected something minimalist like the Shuttle's decorations. A flag and company logo.

Strawman? I think not. Nobody looks at rocket thats just launched & says to themselves; "I wish that rocket had a company logo on it so I could tell who it belongs to."
The only people that give a hoot is us space junkies, & we don't need anything to tell us who's rocket is, who's payload is on it & every other minute detail of it.
Sheesh!!!

Lars_J · « **Reply #258 on:** 10/03/2012 08:54 pm »

Quote from: ChefPat on 10/03/2012 08:36 pm

Quote from: Lars_J on 10/03/2012 03:40 pm
Quote from: ChefPat on 10/03/2012 03:17 pm
Maybe we could dress it up like NASCAR?

A bit of a straw man, don't you think? I think most of us just expected something minimalist like the Shuttle's decorations. A flag and company logo.
Strawman? I think not. Nobody looks at rocket thats just launched & says to themselves; "I wish that rocket had a company logo on it so I could tell who it belongs to."
The only people that give a hoot is us space junkies, & we don't need anything to tell us who's rocket is, who's payload is on it & every other minute detail of it.
Sheesh!!!

Do I need to explain to you what a strawman is? Nobody is suggesting it to be covered like a Nascar car.

Comga · « **Reply #259 on:** 10/03/2012 09:09 pm »

As to the lack of logos, it is hard to imagine any thermal impact from a logo. (I deal with solar absorption and emissivity all the time.) The outer surface is not fragile, as the marks from reentry can be removed, even accidentlally as seen in recovery photos. It is could an issue with flaking paint, particularly for intermittant Sun exposure on the thermal protection, but look at the Shuttle logos, and how long and well they lasted.

It is more likely NASA wanting to keep logos out of the view of the cameras on the ISS. Certain NASA centers have been known to be very strict about this in the past. Logos on the solar panel pontoons and second stage conform to that.