SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon CRS SpX-2 PROCESSING/Pre-LAUNCH UPDATES

[mr. mark]

Thanks for the hotfire update. Looks like we will have two hotfires this month Orbital's Antares and SpaceX's Falcon 9.

[Space Pete]

From astronaut Greg "Box" Johnson (@Astro_Box) via Twitter:

"At the cape during Dragon cargo load out. Space X team poses at the base of Falcon 9 - in prep for a March 1 launch."

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams - who returned from the ISS just this past November, and who flew in the CRS-1 Dragon  - is also visible in the pic.

[mr. mark]

I must be getting old. Most of these SpaceX employees look like they are right out of high school. Well if they can get the job done, that's all that matters. When I was their age I was working at a pizza parlour.

[LegendCJS]

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams ... who flew in the CRS-1 Dragon  ...

Maybe a re-phrasing is called for?

[padrat]

Most of the young ones are from Cali, here to help process. Most of the Florida hanger techs are around my age or older (former Delta, Atlas, Shuttle techs)

[ChefPat]

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams ... who flew in the CRS-1 Dragon  ...

Maybe a re-phrasing is called for?

The entire time the Dragon is in LEO it is flying. So is the ISS.

[JBF]

NASA Astronaut Suni Williams ... who flew in the CRS-1 Dragon  ...

Maybe a re-phrasing is called for?

The entire time the Dragon is in LEO it is flying. So is the ISS.

So are you in that picture padrat?

[padrat]

Nope. I think that photo was taken around midnight. I was gone already. Most of the people working second shift are Cali's, hence why they all look young...

[Chris Bergin]

We know this, but it's still nice to see it's holding per NASA level:

MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-029

NASA TARGETS MARCH 1 LAUNCH FOR NEXT SPACEX STATION RESUPPLY MISSION; MEDIA ACCREDITATION OPEN

HOUSTON -- NASA and its international partners are targeting Friday,
March 1, as the launch date for the next cargo resupply flight to the
International Space Station by Space Exploration Technologies
(SpaceX), designated CRS-2.

Launch is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. EST (9:10 a.m. CST) from Space
Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Media accreditation to view the launch is open. International media
without U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials to cover the
prelaunch and launch activities by noon on Monday, Feb. 18. For U.S.
media, the deadline to apply is Monday, Feb. 25.

Questions about accreditation may be directed to Jennifer Horner at
NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 321-867-6598 or
321-867-2468. All media accreditation requests must be submitted
online at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

NASA also is inviting 50 social media users to apply for credentials
for the launch. Social media users selected to attend will be given
the same access as journalists. All social media accreditation
applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Registration
for social media accreditation is open online. International social
media users without U.S. citizenship must apply for credentials by 5
p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 15, to qualify. For U.S. social media, the
deadline to apply is 5 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 22. For more information
about NASA social media accreditation requirements and to register,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/social

SpaceX's Dragon capsule will be filled with about 1,200 pounds of
supplies for the space station crew and experiments being conducted
aboard the orbiting laboratory.

On March 2, Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford and Flight Engineer Tom
Marshburn of NASA will use the station's robot arm to grapple Dragon
following its rendezvous with the station. They will attach the
Dragon to the Earth-facing port of the station's Harmony module for a
few weeks while astronauts unload cargo. They then will load
experiment samples for return to Earth.

Dragon is scheduled to return to Earth on March 25 for a
parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of
Baja California. It will be bringing back more than 2,300 pounds of
experiment samples and equipment.

To follow the mission and for more information about the International
Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

[mr. mark]

Any hotfire date yet? I heard it may move to the right slightly.

[jacqmans]

Any hotfire date yet? I heard it may move to the right slightly.

As seen in L2 its Feb. 25 now.....

[StephenB]

Here's a different report claiming the 22nd for both dragon and antares: Hot-firing tests of Antares and Falcon 9 + Commercial space rescuing NASA. No idea which is correct.

[mr. mark]

Old report from yesterday. Things seem to be changing fast which is a norm for hotfires. SpaceX now on for the 25th. Orbital is a go so far for the 22nd.

[padrat]

Yeah the dates have done a lot of jumping back and forth. The original dates were the last that I'd heard..

[mr. mark]

Things seem to be getting confusing. Are you saying that the 22nd is still on? Well, it seems unless SpaceX actually posts a link we won't see their hotfire either. I know there is interest.

[Jason1701]

Things seem to be getting confusing. Are you saying that the 22nd is still on? Well, it seems unless SpaceX actually posts a link we won't see their hotfire either. I know there is interest.

L2 doesn't lie. 25th.

[Space Pete]

Don't think this pic have been posted yet. Dragon on the 19th,

Any comments from @padrat

That pic is from ages ago. It was originally posted at the KSC media gallery.

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=225

[psloss]

James Dean w/Florida Today tweeted a link to a cargo manifest:
https://mobile.twitter.com/flatoday_jdean/status/304675684251496448

Edit, also linked here:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html

[manboy]

James Dean w/Florida Today tweeted a link to a cargo manifest:
https://mobile.twitter.com/flatoday_jdean/status/304675684251496448

Edit, also linked here:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html

Thanks.

Total Up Cargo: 575 kilograms / 1268 pounds
Total Up Cargo+Packaging: 677 kilograms / 1493 pounds

Total Down Cargo: 1210 kilograms / 2668 pounds
Total Down Cargo+Packaging: 1370 kilograms / 3020 pounds

[Chris Bergin]

MEDIA ADVISORY: M13-037

NASA COVERAGE SET FOR MARCH 1 SPACEX MISSION TO SPACE STATION

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The second SpaceX mission to the International
Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract is
scheduled to launch Friday, March 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA Television coverage
begins at 8:30 a.m. EST.

The company's Falcon 9 rocket carrying its Dragon cargo capsule will
lift off at 10:10 a.m. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is
available on March 2 with launch time at 9:47 a.m. and NASA TV
coverage beginning at 8 a.m.

The mission is the second of 12 SpaceX flights contracted by NASA to
resupply the space station. It will mark the third trip by a Dragon
capsule to the orbiting laboratory, following a demonstration flight
in May 2012 and the first resupply mission in October 2012.

The capsule will be filled with more than 1,200 pounds of scientific
experiments and cargo. It will remain attached to the space station's
Harmony module for more than three weeks. The Dragon capsule will
splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California on
March 25, returning more than 2,300 pounds of experiment samples and
equipment, which will be recovered for examination by scientists and
engineers.

In advance of the launch, NASA will host a briefing on NASA's human
deep-space exploration progress at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the
agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On Thursday, Feb. 28, NASA
will host a mission science briefing at 1 p.m. and a prelaunch news
conference at 3 p.m. All three briefings will be carried live on NASA
TV and the agency's website.