SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon CRS SpX-1 PROCESSING/Pre-LAUNCH UPDATES

[jabe]

cool..
so if all is well with data..they need to "clean" the engines and prepare for the real launch day.

[Chris Bergin]

Right. That's as expected.

We'll keep this thread going for the interim and then on to the launch day thread!

[boinc]

So this time they conducted a hotfire without the dragon on the top. They did last time right? That's smart, keeps bird-poo off the spacecraft. 

[Confusador]

And a close up from Twitter.

[catdlr]

SpaceX CRS-1 Static Fire: 9/29/12

Published on Sep 29, 2012 by spacexchannel

On September 29, 2012, SpaceX completed a successful static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket's nine Merlin engines. During this test, SpaceX engineers ran through all countdown processes as if it were launch day. All nine engines fired at full power for two seconds while the rocket was held down to the pad. This is the last major all systems test in preparation for Falcon 9 and Dragon's next mission to the space station, targeted for October 7.

[Chris Bergin]

Article on the Static Fire, beefed up via L2 on the launch date discussions and ISS preps:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/09/falcon-9-hot-fires-engines-iss-prepares-dragons-arrival/

[Chris Bergin]

Sept. 28, 2012

MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-194

NASA COVERAGE SET FOR OCT. 7 SPACEX LAUNCH TO SPACE STATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first SpaceX launch for NASA's Commercial
Resupply Services (CRS) contract is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 7,
from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in
Florida. There is a single instantaneous launch opportunity for the
Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule at 8:35 p.m. EDT. Backup launch
opportunities are available on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, if needed.

NASA Television launch coverage from Cape Canaveral begins at 7 p.m.
on Oct. 7.

The launch of the Dragon spacecraft, designated SpaceX CRS-1, will be
the first of 12 contracted flights by the company to resupply the
International Space Station and is the second trip by a Dragon to the
station, following a successful demonstration mission in May. Under
the CRS contract, SpaceX will restore an American capability to
deliver and return significant amounts of cargo, including science
experiments, to the orbiting laboratory -- a capability not available
since the retirement of the space shuttle.

The Dragon will be filled with about 1,000 pounds of supplies. This
includes critical materials to support the 166 investigations planned
for the station's Expedition 33 crew, including 63 new
investigations. The Dragon will return about 734 pounds of scientific
materials, including results from human research, biotechnology,
materials and educational experiments, as well as about 504 pounds of
space station hardware.

MEDIA CREDENTIALING

Media who want to attend the prelaunch events, including the launch
pad photo opportunity, prelaunch news conference and launch, must
request accreditation online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

The deadline for U.S. media to apply for accreditation is Oct. 3. The
deadline has passed for international news media to apply.

Media credentials will be valid for mission activities from launch
through splashdown at both NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and
Johnson Space Center in Texas.

For further information about media accreditation, contact Jennifer
Horner at 321-867-6598 or 321-867-2468.

PASS AND IDENTIFICATION BUILDING HOURS OF OPERATION

The Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3, Merritt Island,
will be open to pick up media credentials on the following schedule:

Friday, Oct. 5: noon - 4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 6: 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 7: 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING

Saturday, Oct. 6 (L-1 day): A space station and SpaceX CRS-1 mission
science briefing will be held at Kennedy's Press Site at 3 p.m. NASA
Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming Internet
coverage.

Participating in the science briefing will be:
-- Julie Robinson, program scientist, International Space Station,
Johnson Space Center
-- Timothy Yateman, interim chief scientist, Center for the
Advancement of Science in Space
-- Sheila Nielsen-Preiss, scientist, Montana State University
-- Scott Smith, NASA scientist, Johnson Space Center

PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE

Saturday, Oct. 6 (L-1 day): The prelaunch news conference for the
NASA/SpaceX launch will be held at Kennedy's Press Site at 6 p.m.
NASA Television will provide live coverage, as well as streaming
Internet coverage.

Participating in the prelaunch news conference will be:
-- Bob Cabana, director, Kennedy Space Center
-- Sam Scimemi, director, International Space Station, NASA
Headquarters
-- Mike Suffredini, program manager, International Space Station,
Johnson Space Center
-- Gwynne Shotwell, president, SpaceX
-- Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station

POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE

Sunday, Oct. 7 (Launch day): A post-launch news conference will be
held at Kennedy's Press Site and is targeted to begin at 10 p.m.,
approximately 90 minutes after launch.

Participating in the post-launch news conference will be:
-- Sam Scimemi, director, International Space Station, NASA
Headquarters
-- Gwynne Shotwell, president, SpaceX

Media may participate in the news conferences in person at Kennedy
Space Center or via a phone bridge by calling the newsroom at Kennedy
15 minutes before the briefings begin at 321-867-2468. Audio of the
prelaunch briefings will be carried on the NASA "V" circuits which
may be accessed directly by dialing 321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or
-7135.

FALCON 9 LAUNCH PAD PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

Sunday, Oct. 7 (Launch day): There will be a photo opportunity of the
Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule on the launch pad. Media will
depart from Kennedy's Press Site by government bus at 10:30 a.m. for
Space Launch Complex 40. Media will return to the Press Site at 11:45
a.m. SpaceX security regulations require that media representatives
attending this event be U.S. citizens. A sign-up sheet will be
available in the newsroom for media desiring to participate in this
opportunity. Available space is limited and media must sign up in
person.

REMOTE CAMERA SETUPS

Sunday, Oct. 7 (Launch day): Media will be able to establish
sound-activated remote cameras at the launch pad. The location is
within Space Launch Complex 40 on the east side of the pad inside the
perimeter fence. Media who wish to participate in remote camera setup
will depart from Kennedy's Press Site by government bus at 10:30 a.m.
for the launch pad photo opportunity. The return to the Press Site
will be at 12:30 p.m., after remote cameras have been established.
SpaceX security regulations require that news media representatives
participating in any activity inside the pad be U.S. citizens. A
sign-up sheet will be available in the newsroom for media desiring to
participate in this opportunity. Available space is limited and media
must sign up in person.

NEWS MEDIA LAUNCH VIEWING

Sunday, Oct. 7 (Launch day): Media members may view the launch from
the NASA Causeway or Kennedy's Press Site. Busses will depart from
the Press Site parking lot for the NASA Causeway at 7 p.m. A sign-up
sheet will be available in the newsroom for media desiring to
photograph the launch from the roof of the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Available space is limited and media must sign up in person.

NASA TV LAUNCH COVERAGE

Sunday, Oct. 7 (Launch day): NASA TV live coverage will begin at 7
p.m. and will conclude at approximately 9 p.m. A post-launch news
conference is planned at approximately 10 p.m. For NASA TV downlink
information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried
on the NASA "V" circuits which may be accessed by dialing
321-867-1220, -1240, -1260 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio,"
the launch conductor's countdown activities without NASA TV launch
commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135 starting at 7 p.m. Launch
coverage also will be available on local amateur VHF radio frequency
146.940 MHz, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.

IN-FLIGHT NASA TV COVERAGE

Wednesday, Oct. 10 (L+3 days): Rendezvous and grapple coverage begins
at 4 a.m. for a grapple at 7:30 a.m. Berthing coverage begins at 9:15
a.m. for the start of berthing at 9:30 a.m.

Unberthing and release for deorbit is currently scheduled on Sunday,
Oct. 28; however, times have not yet been determined.

NASA WEB PRELAUNCH AND LAUNCH COVERAGE

Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the SpaceX CRS-1 flight will be
available on the NASA website. Coverage will include live streaming
and text updates beginning at 7 p.m. as the countdown milestones
occur. On-demand streaming video, podcast and photos of the launch
will be available shortly after liftoff. For questions about
countdown coverage, contact Jeanne Ryba at 321-867-7824. To follow
countdown coverage on NASA's launch blog and learn more about the
CRS-1 mission, go to the mission home page at:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

TWITTER

The NASA News Twitter feed will be updated throughout the launch
countdown at:

http://www.twitter.com/nasa

and

http://www.twitter.com/nasakennedy

and

http://www.twitter.com/spacex

KENNEDY NEWS CENTER HOURS OF OPERATION

Friday, Oct. 5: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 6: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 7: 5:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Media badges will be valid for access to Kennedy's Press Site through
Gate 3 on State Road 405 located east of the Kennedy Space Center
Visitor Complex. Gate 2 on State Road 3 will be closed over the
weekend and on the Columbus Day holiday, but State Road 405 may be
accessed from State Road 3 via Space Commerce Way.

RECORDED STATUS

Recorded status reports on the launch of CRS-1 and updates to the
media advisory will be provided on the Kennedy media phone line
starting Friday, Oct 5. The telephone number is 321-867-2525.

WIRELESS CAPABILITY

Wireless capability is available at the Kennedy Press Site for the
news media.

For further information about the International Space Station,
research in low Earth orbit, NASA's commercial space programs and the
future of American spaceflight, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration

For more information about SpaceX, visit:

http://www.spacex.com

       
-end-

[Ronsmytheiii]

Couple SPX-1 images (aka CRS-1)

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

[Silmfeanor]

Couple SPX-1 images (aka CRS-1)

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

Thanks! more are being posted I think - I like this one, showing the whole vehicle ( except the nosecap and some covers )

[Prober]

anyone found any new features yet?

is this using the higher bay SpaceX just built?

[Comga]

Dragon logos on the solar panel pontoons.  No logos visible on the capsule or trunk, and most of the surface is shown.  Not for NASA, not for SpaceX.

I wonder why...

[Ronsmytheiii]

anyone found any new features yet?

is this using the higher bay SpaceX just built?

That is the standard processing hangar beside LC-40 that SpaceX has used since the first Falcon 9.  SpaceX does not have a new highbay, they stored this current LV at an old Delta hangar while COTS 2+ was using the hangar/pad.

[ugordan]

That is the standard processing hangar beside LC-40 that SpaceX has used since the first Falcon 9.  SpaceX does not have a new highbay, they stored this current LV at an old Delta hangar while COTS 2+ was using the hangar/pad.

The SLC-40 hangar now has a "high bay" extension.

[Lars_J]

Dragon logos on the solar panel pontoons.  No logos visible on the capsule or trunk, and most of the surface is shown.  Not for NASA, not for SpaceX.

I wonder why...

Yep, same as last flight. (Only logos on the pontoons) I would have expected at least one SpaceX logo and a sizeable US flag. But they seem to be taking the low-key approach.

(Unless they plan on adding these logos in the last week)

[Comga]

Was this reported earlier?  I don't see it in this thread around the date below.

SPARKS, Nev., - September 25, 2012-Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) first prototype spacecraft of the ORBCOMM Generation 2 (OG2) constellation has successfully completed pre-ship review at the company's Space Systems headquarters in Louisville, Colo. The satellite was shipped to the Cape Canaveral Fl., launch site, where it is scheduled to be integrated as a secondary payload on the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle as part of the first Cargo Resupply Services (CRS) mission to the International Space Station.

http://www.sncorp.com/press_more_info.php?id=515

Wow.  PSR 9/25, launch 10/7, 12 days later.  Someone is awfully confident that all of the interfaces are as planned.

This previous post quoted Brian Mosdell as saying that the Orbcomm was to be fueled on 9/22.  That's three days before the date of the report.  How can the apparent discrepancy be explained?

edit: The release is all in the past tense.  Did they just report it late?

[Joffan]

SPARKS, Nev., - September 25, 2012-Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) first prototype spacecraft of the ORBCOMM Generation 2 (OG2) constellation has successfully completed pre-ship review...

edit: The release is all in the past tense.  Did they just report it late?

I was about to suggest the exact same as your edit... the press release doesn't actually say when the pre-ship review took place, and does imply that the satellite had already gone to the Cape at the date of the release.

[Joffan]

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

[Joffan]

Did they have a hatch window at the time of vehicle integration for COTS2+? I was looking through the SpaceX gallery and the side hatch seems to be locked down much earlier.  I'm assuming this is something to do with late load items, and the hatch will go on later.

EDIT: Found part of my answer the picture from integration of COTS2+: http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/imageviewer.cfm?mediaid=59208&mr=l&w=0&h=0&fn=2012-2564&sn=KSC-2012-2564 - the side hatch is on.

[kevin-rf]

Dragon logos on the solar panel pontoons.  No logos visible on the capsule or trunk, and most of the surface is shown.  Not for NASA, not for SpaceX.

I wonder why...

Easier thermal management? Logo's add an additional variable.

[corrodedNut]

anyone found any new features yet?

So far, the only differences I can find are that the Dragon logos are smaller.