Author Topic: LIVE: SpaceX Dragon CRS-2 (SpX-2) FD-2, FD-3 & Berthed Operations UPDATES (Read 183862 times)

Chris Bergin · « **on:** 03/01/2013 10:01 pm »

LIVE THREAD for SpaceX Falcon 9/Dragon CRS-2/SpX-2 FD2-3.

*RNDZ and BERTHING COVERAGE BEGINS ON PAGE 4*

We don't expect too many events for FD2, but it will be highly relevant to a FD3 berthing opportunity, should that be selected.

This is a live update thread, only countdown and launch updates should be posted here.

FOR LAUNCH AND FD1 UPDATES, Click here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=31239.0

FOR BERTHING AND ON ORBIT UPDATED, Click here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=31249.0

FOR THE MISSION SPECIFIC DISCUSSION (NOT UPDATES), Click here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=30184.0

FOR THE PARTY THREAD, Click here:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=31195.0

Resources:

SpaceX GENERAL Forum Section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=45.0 - please use this for general questions NOT specific to SpX-2.

SpaceX MISSIONS Forum Section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=55.0 - this section is for everything specific to SpaceX missions.

SpaceX News Articles from 2006 (Including numerous exclusive Elon interviews):
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=21862.0

SpaceX News Articles (Recent):
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/spacex/

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Main Articles for CRS-2 During Mission:

SpaceX Dragon to make third ISS visit amid logistics schedule challenges - by Pete Harding:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/02/dragon-third-visit-logistics-schedule-challenges/

CRS-2: Dragon’s tantrum subdued following Falcon 9 launch - by William Graham (update by me):
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/03/spacex-milestone-falcon9-launch-dragon-crs2/

Resilient CRS-2 Dragon in pursuit of ISS for Sunday berthing:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/03/resilient-crs-2-dragon-pursuit-iss-sunday-berthing/

SSRMS removes payload from Dragon trunk to mark new milestone:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/03/ssrms-removes-payload-dragon-trunk-new-milestone/

CRS-2 Dragon homecoming delayed due to high seas in the splashdown zone:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/03/dragon-homecoming-delayed-high-seas-splashdown-zone/

EOM Article - in work.

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L2 SpaceX Section:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=tags&tags=SpaceX

L2 SpaceX Dragon CRS-2 Mission Special (Exclusively acquired pre-launch and Mission Coverage, Presentations, Graphics, Videos, Updates and tons of unreleased hi res photos from the mission...and also a lot less noise than the busy open forum SpaceX sections):
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=60.0

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InfraNut2 · « **Reply #1 on:** 03/02/2013 08:06 am »

Tweeted a couple of hours ago:

Quote

@Cmdr_Hadfield :

The Dragon resupply spaceship is 7 km above ISS and 2850 km in front, her problems fixed. Re-planning the rendezvous and grapple schedule.

Also heard about half an hour ago MCC-H updated the astronauts that the dragon was 30km above and 26XX km ahead of the ISS. (didn't get the 2 last digits). Berthing will be possible at a similar time sunday to what was planned saturday, if they get a timely approval. The first results of the discussions and replanning are expected around the astronauts lunch time today.

(It has moved above the ISS so that the ISS can catch up to it. It would take much much longer to catch up to the ISS from below since that would be almost a whole orbit)

Surprised noone else have made an update on this. Members in the US are probably sleeping now, but there should be others in europe like me or elsewhyere that are awake...

Tidbit: The ISS astrunauts finally found the Dragon Ventilation duct they were looking for behind a panel in (IIRC) node 2. If I understood it right, They got a tip from Suni and went to the panel with a screwdriver first thing this morning, and found it along with a missing CTB of stuff.

InfraNut2 · « **Reply #2 on:** 03/02/2013 11:54 am »

While we're waiting for the results of the evaluations and replanning -- here is the latest NASA CRS update from late last night ISS time:

Quote

Dragon Checkouts Continue; Rendezvous TBD

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:38:21 PM GMT

SpaceX has confirmed all four of Dragon’s thruster pods are up and running. The company will continue to check out Dragon, test its systems for the next several hours, and perform some orbital maneuvers. The next opportunity for Dragon to rendezvous with the space station is early Sunday, if SpaceX and NASA determine the spacecraft is in the proper configuration and ready to support an attempt.

Its from about 15 hours ago but It's not on the FD1 thread, unless my search-fu and visual scanning skills have deserted me temporarily...

samoo · « **Reply #3 on:** 03/02/2013 12:00 pm »

Looking at NASA SkyWatch it seems that Dragon's orbit has changed to 444.1x425.8 km So ISS should now start to catch up on Dragon if these informations are correct.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #4 on:** 03/02/2013 12:10 pm »

No updates on the plan at this time, after recently asking. Still NET Sunday.

JimO · « **Reply #5 on:** 03/02/2013 12:17 pm »

Quote from: InfraNut2 on 03/02/2013 08:06 am

Tweeted a couple of hours ago:

Quote
@Cmdr_Hadfield :

The Dragon resupply spaceship is 7 km above ISS and 2850 km in front, her problems fixed. Re-planning the rendezvous and grapple schedule.

Also heard about half an hour ago MCC-H updated the astronauts that the dragon was 30km above and 26XX km ahead of the ISS. (didn't get the 2 last digits).

From my old console days, the "10:1" rule is helpful: For a height difference of H miles, the two vehicles horizontal range changes by 10 x H miles per rev. Approx.

So a height difference of 30 km, means a range change of 300 per rev, and a range of 2600 km will require about 8-9 revs [12-13 hours] to reduce to zero.

It's called a 'SWAG'. A useful first guess.

JimO · « **Reply #6 on:** 03/02/2013 12:20 pm »

We observed ISS on schedule last night in Galveston but there was too much ambient twilight to see dimmer objects ahead or behind of it. And we have no idea where the second stage went to, and if it was venting on the first orbit to spark UFO panics in countries it passed over at dusk/dawn [as in Australia, 2 launches ago].

corrodedNut · « **Reply #7 on:** 03/02/2013 01:50 pm »

Quote from: marshal on 03/01/2013 10:18 pm

Thanks Chris , any news about GNC door ?

This twitter exchange seems to indicate a nominal GNC door deploy:

"Matt Sachtler ‏@mattsachtler AOS LAX. What'd I miss? ...ken naishtat ‏@kenners @mattsachtler ... oh yeah and GNC bay door."

https://twitter.com/kenners/status/307727889451864064

Space Pete · « **Reply #8 on:** 03/02/2013 02:02 pm »

Quote from: corrodedNut on 03/02/2013 01:50 pm

This twitter exchange seems to indicate a nominal GNC door deploy:

"Matt Sachtler ‏@mattsachtler AOS LAX. What'd I miss? ...ken naishtat ‏@kenners @mattsachtler ... oh yeah and GNC bay door."

https://twitter.com/kenners/status/307727889451864064

From the same Twitter account:

"Well, that was one roller coaster of a day. Ended on a high note though: some IR blue marble video as I was walking out."

IR video would only be possible if the "DragonEye" was exposed, for which the GNC bay door would have to be open.

So, I agree - looks like a nominal GNC bay door opening.

I really don't know what SpaceX's problem seems to be when it comes to releasing the status of this door - they did the same info blackout on the last flight too. Don't tell me it's proprietary or about ITAR, because I don't see how a simple Tweet saying "GNC bay door is open" could possibly give away any sensitive info.

Anyway, back to updates...

Jim · « **Reply #9 on:** 03/02/2013 02:05 pm »

Quote from: Space Pete on 03/02/2013 02:02 pm

I really don't know what SpaceX's problem seems to be when it comes to releasing info on this door -

Because they don't deem it as newsworthy. It is minutia and not worth the effort. Much like prop tank pressurization upon stage separation, there wasn't a callout for that, but we heard about it when it didn't happen. So assume everything is going well until told otherwise. Welcome to commercial space. News doesn't report everything when it comes to other satellite deployments. Only hear when something doesn't work.

Space Pete · « **Reply #10 on:** 03/02/2013 02:08 pm »

Quote from: Jim on 03/02/2013 02:05 pm

Because they don't deem it as newsworthy. It is minutia.

Ah yes, I forgot - updates on mission critical events are boring. What people really want to see is videos of SpaceX employees dancing to hip hop music, and such like.

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So does anyone know when Dragon will begin to perform Relative GPS (RGPS) navigation with the ISS?

For this, Dragon will use the two Space Integrated GPS/INS (SIGIs) on ISS - check their status (they are known to lock up from time to time) on ISSLive!:

http://spacestationlive.jsc.nasa.gov/displays/adcoDisplay4.html

(See GPS-1 and GPS-2.)

Jester · « **Reply #11 on:** 03/02/2013 02:19 pm »

@Pete

Time that they update VVO...

http://spacestationlive.jsc.nasa.gov/displays/vvoDisplay2.html

rickl · « **Reply #12 on:** 03/02/2013 02:50 pm »

Quote from: Space Pete on 03/02/2013 02:02 pm

I really don't know what SpaceX's problem seems to be when it comes to releasing the status of this door - they did the same info blackout on the last flight too. Don't tell me it's proprietary or about ITAR, because I don't see how a simple Tweet saying "GNC bay door is open" could possibly give away any sensitive info.

The last two flights. That's what I said last time. It's a mission-critical event, and just a simple tweet would suffice. The lack of timely information caused much unnecessary worry among those of us who were following the mission.

Jim · « **Reply #13 on:** 03/02/2013 02:57 pm »

Quote from: rickl on 03/02/2013 02:50 pm

It's a mission-critical event,

So is prop system pressurization, Dragon flight computer post sep initialization, etc, there are many and some don't get reported

Lee Jay · « **Reply #14 on:** 03/02/2013 02:57 pm »

Quote from: Jim on 03/02/2013 02:05 pm

So assume everything is going well until told otherwise.

I agree, no news is good news. We'll hear about bad news that's mission-critical.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #15 on:** 03/02/2013 03:54 pm »

So when would the decision need to be made for an ISS approach attempt tomorrow? Apparently the Dragon is now in a higher orbit than the ISS (332 x 507 km) to let the ISS to catch up from behind.

ap12 · « **Reply #16 on:** 03/02/2013 04:00 pm »

The tracking site n2yo.com has the Dragon at 519 km altitude and ISS at 419 km. If I understood correctly according to a poster here this would mean ISS is roughly gaining 10 x 100 or 1000 km per orbit. It looks ISS will be passing under Dragon in a few hours. What does this suggest about berthing options?

Comga · « **Reply #17 on:** 03/02/2013 04:02 pm »

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 03/02/2013 03:54 pm

So when would the decision need to be made for an ISS approach attempt tomorrow? Apparently the Dragon is now in a higher orbit than the ISS (332 x 507 km) to let the ISS to catch up from behind.

What is your source for those orbit parameters?
They are different than what has been posted earlier and don't conform to standard rendezvous maneuvers.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #18 on:** 03/02/2013 04:04 pm »

Quote from: Comga on 03/02/2013 04:02 pm

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 03/02/2013 03:54 pm
So when would the decision need to be made for an ISS approach attempt tomorrow? Apparently the Dragon is now in a higher orbit than the ISS (332 x 507 km) to let the ISS to catch up from behind.
What is your source for those orbit parameters?
They are different than what has been posted earlier and don't conform to standard rendezvous maneuvers.

NORAD tracking data (epoch 11:13 UTC).

jabe · « **Reply #19 on:** 03/02/2013 04:17 pm »

So is assuming they are in the same orbital plane correct?
jb