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

[Ben the Space Brit]

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

A post-dusk launch then.  Should be pretty if the vehicle catches the sun as it climbs!

[Chris Bergin]

My description of the CBCS in the article was a bit "wonky", so I've modified that.

[Dappa]

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

A post-dusk launch then.  Should be pretty if the vehicle catches the sun as it climbs!

Sunset is at 7:01 p.m. on October 7th, so it'll be completely dark at 8:34.

[Rocket Guy]

October 9 would bring the first hint of a twilight launch, at 7:45pm or so. October 10 twilight, October 11 right around sunset, October 12 and further the sun is up.

[Comga]

Is there an official reference, or at least a reliable source, behind the assumption of a launch window every day, as opposed to every third day, as it was for COTS-2+?

[manboy]

Is there an official reference, or at least a reliable source, behind the assumption of a launch window every day, as opposed to every third day, as it was for COTS-2+?

I believe Gwynne stated it during one of the COTS 2 press conferences.

[Chris Bergin]

L2's CRS-1/SpX-1 has a documented Static Test Fire on September 29.

[robertross]

L2's CRS-1/SpX-1 has a documented Static Test Fire on September 29.

That's on a Saturday, so I can imagine what the traffic will be like on this site for that!!   

[MP99]

L2's CRS-1/SpX-1 has a documented Static Test Fire on September 29.

Also confirmed by Brian Mosdell on The Space Show.

The Space Show, Friday, 9-21-12:-

Guest: Brian Mosdell. Topics: SpaceX Florida operations with Falcon 9, Dragon, Heavy, and more...

We welcomed back Brian Mosdell, Director of the SpaceX launch operations in Florida...

23:40: Spx-1: hot fire "week from tomorrow" (was broadcast Fri 21st).

Edit, also:

40:45: Orbcomm secondary on Spx-1, will be fuelled with hydrazine "tomorrow" [would be 22nd - should already be done, but haven't seen it confirmed].

Dragon to be fuelled with hypergolics "next week" [ie should happen this week].

cheers, Martin

[QuantumG]

Sorry, maybe I missed it: has Dragon been delivered to the launch site yet? Was it post-WDR?

[mr. mark]

Pre WDR. It was mentioned as being there during Bolden's last press conference in hangar at pad 40.

[manboy]

Sorry, maybe I missed it: has Dragon been delivered to the launch site yet? Was it post-WDR?

Dragon arrived on August 14th. The WDR occurred on August 31st.

[mr. mark]

Is roll out for Saturday's hotfire test tomorrow, Friday?

[Chris Bergin]

Is roll out for Saturday's hotfire test tomorrow, Friday?

I believe so, but let me check. A fair amount of preps on the ISS for Dragon's arrival, so some of that will be included in Saturday's article via L2's CRS-1/Spx-1 updates.

[manboy]

Some pictures showing the GLACIER unit being prepared for SpX-1.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cbse/8030457033/

[Ben the Space Brit]

Some pictures showing the GLACIER unit being prepared for SpX-1.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cbse/8030457033/

Obviously not clean room conditions there 

[Jim]

Some pictures showing the GLACIER unit being prepared for SpX-1.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cbse/8030457033/

Obviously not clean room conditions there 

There is no requirement for stowage to be processed in a clean room.

[mr. mark]

Any visuals from the cape? If roll out happens today it should be soon.

[ugordan]

Rollout is scheduled for tomorrow morning, per a different site.

[jacqmans]

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.

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.

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 NASAS'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