LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon CRS-2 (SpX-2) LAUNCH and FD-1 UPDATES

[DMeader]

Thanks very much for excellent coverage, was able to keep up with things while away from my other sources. I hope future flights won't be nailbiters like this and the last one!

[iamlucky13]

I'd like to hear more details some day about how Yang Li pulled this off.

I will go ahead and make a prediction what the answer will be:

He had smart engineers working for him who knew their systems, and he knew they could be trusted.

Lower stakes and less time pressure, but the same sort of talent and teamwork that handled the Apollo 12 lightning strike so smoothly.

[ugordan]

CRS-2 photos are up in SpaceX Zenfolio:

http://spacexlaunch.zenfolio.com/p190296859

I thought those were quite nice images and then I found out why - most of them are credited to Ben Cooper.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Latest NORAD tracking data shows the Dragon in a 314 x 341 km x 51.67° orbit as of 22:59 UTC.

Hmm the SpaceX guys must have the confidence for bringing the Dragon (Nobert from HP? Or Smaug from da Habbit?) to the ISS on Sunday: as of 00:44 UTC its orbit was boosted again to 321 x 404 km.

[Kabloona]

I'd like to hear more details some day about how Yang Li pulled this off.

I will go ahead and make a prediction what the answer will be:

He had smart engineers working for him who knew their systems, and he knew they could be trusted.

Lower stakes and less time pressure, but the same sort of talent and teamwork that handled the Apollo 12 lightning strike so smoothly.

And maybe he was wearing a white vest and smoking a cigar...

[manboy]

Thanks Chris , any news about GNC door ?

I think it had the star-tracker in it

It does.

[rickl]

Hmm the SpaceX guys must have the confidence for bringing the Dragon (Nobert from HP? Or Smaug from da Habbit?) to the ISS on Sunday: as of 00:44 UTC its orbit was boosted again to 321 x 404 km.

It seems like they could bring Dragon to just outside the "keep-out sphere" and then let NASA decide whether they trust the thrusters enough to let it come closer.

[yg1968]

Would also like to thank @USAirForce for allowing us to use their long range comm system for Dragon in free drift.

Just want to say thanks to @NASA for being the world's coolest customer. Looking forward to delivering the goods!

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/307633403195449344
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/307627922783600640

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Latest NORAD tracking data shows the Dragon in a 314 x 341 km x 51.67° orbit as of 22:59 UTC.

Hmm the SpaceX guys must have the confidence for bringing the Dragon (Nobert from HP? Or Smaug from da Habbit?) to the ISS on Sunday: as of 00:44 UTC its orbit was boosted again to 321 x 404 km.

And now 393 x 403 km.

[Targeteer]

Latest NORAD tracking data shows the Dragon in a 314 x 341 km x 51.67° orbit as of 22:59 UTC.

Hmm the SpaceX guys must have the confidence for bringing the Dragon (Nobert from HP? Or Smaug from da Habbit?) to the ISS on Sunday: as of 00:44 UTC its orbit was boosted again to 321 x 404 km.

And now 393 x 403 km.

According to Heavens Above. com, the ISS orbit is:

Epoch (UTC):    01 March 2013 18:23:46
perigee height:    402 km
apogee height:    417 km

Is Dragon slowly closing in or pulling away?

[Targeteer]

Dragon/ISS tracking available on N2YO:

http://www.n2yo.com/?s=39115|25544

This data is no longer correct (see post above) so the prediction isn't either...

DRAGON CRS-2
LOCAL TIME: 22:08:17
UTC:   03:08:17
LATITUDE:   -7.31
LONGITUDE:67.07
ALTITUDE [km]:   402.43
ALTITUDE [mi]:   250.06
SPEED [km/s]:   7.4
SPEED [mi/s]:   4.6
AZIMUTH:   48.1NE
ELEVATION:-67.3
RA:   19h 8m 7s
DEC:   -25° 22' 23''

[IRobot]

Just got 92.5 orbit minutes for Dragon and 92.8 for ISS. As Dragon is in front and moving faster, Dragon is catching the ISS by going the long way around the pool table.
Not very good with orbital mechanics, but if Dragon is just gaining 0.3 minutes per orbit, it will take him over 15 days to catch up! Anybody?

[Orbiter]

Just got 92.5 orbit minutes for Dragon and 92.8 for ISS. As Dragon is in front and moving faster, Dragon is catching the ISS by going the long way around the pool table.
Not very good with orbital mechanics, but if Dragon is just gaining 0.3 minutes per orbit, it will take him over 15 days to catch up! Anybody?

That is assuming there won't be any further corrections.

[Targeteer]

Just got 92.5 orbit minutes for Dragon and 92.8 for ISS. As Dragon is in front and moving faster, Dragon is catching the ISS by going the long way around the pool table.
Not very good with orbital mechanics, but if Dragon is just gaining 0.3 minutes per orbit, it will take him over 15 days to catch up! Anybody?

Raise the Dragon orbit and let the ISS pass it?

[Prober]

Dragon/ISS tracking available on N2YO:

http://www.n2yo.com/?s=39115|25544

and look where the Dragon visits.

[Lars_J]

Is the post-launch press conference (that started at 3pm ET) available online in video form yet?

[ChrisC]

It was a telecon (audio) only and John44 posted it about six hours ago.

http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8106:nasa-teleconference-update-spacexdragon-2&catid=1:latest

I haven't listened all the way through yet but the audio does improve a few minutes in.

[Lar]

Those of us who have been around long enough to remember the COTS 2+ profile have little doubt what will happen next.

Some of us were there but are old and decrepit and forgetful, fill us in? Thanks!

[Lee Jay]

Those of us who have been around long enough to remember the COTS 2+ profile have little doubt what will happen next.

Some of us were there but are old and decrepit and forgetful, fill us in? Thanks!

[Alpha Control]

Thanks for the graphic, Lee Jay. And thanks Jorge for the comments about the rendezvous burns.