LIVE: SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 - CRS-3 Dragon - ATTEMPT 2 UPDATES

[chawleysnow]

Sounds like TWO F9R-Dev vehicles, -1 at McGregor and -2 at Spaceport America

[mme]

Did I hear that right? There's an F9R-Dev2 bound for New Mexico and F9R-Dev1 will continue for low altitude tests at McGregor?

That accounts for another core.

Edit: Typo, clarification.

[AJA]

High altitude (300000'+, exoatmospheric etc.) testing of F9R-Dev 2 at Spaceport America (New Mexico)
Dev 1 will do all the testing <10000' at McGregor.

2. They can still burn to depletion, while putting it in the predefined zone in the Pacific.

By definition, burning to depletion and putting the second stage into a predefined "landing zone" in the Pacific are mutually exclusive, due to uncertainty in propellant consumption.

It's kind of like saying " drive your car until it runs out of gas" and also "park the car carefully in the garage".

lol.. but the garage is a VAST swathe of the Pacific.

Except for when it is actually the Indian Ocean...

De-orbit burn over the MH-370 search area almost definitely implies splashdown in the Pacific.

[Mongo62]

Hans: next first stage landing will be water as well.

[Shanuson]

Hans confirmed after a question that first FH flight will now be from 39A not Vandenberg.

[Rocket Science]

Gerst: Data good for Mars EDL...

[AJA]

39-A to be used for first launch of Falcon Heavy in first quarter of 2015.


NASA wanted to fly a P-3 to observe supersonic RCS firings on the returning first stage, as it's applicable to Mars EDL (Those guys think of everything ) But icing conditions prevented that. SpaceX aircraft was tracking.


Also there was a pointed question on whether they have data on leg deployment. Didn't catch Hans' answer

[AncientU]

Gerst: Data good for Mars EDL...

but they didn't fly...
maybe SpaceX will share

[Prober]

Hans is kinda fun with expressions.

Good info regarding the build up of food stuffs on the ISS.

[Prober]

Good to get a thumbs up to Orion.....
 

[ArbitraryConstant]

Stage landing probably needs similar area to a launch from a safety perspective.

[Ben the Space Brit]

Gerst mentions EFT-1 Orion vibration testing for December launch. Also offers kudos to SpaceX for their good work.

[avollhar]

Also there was a pointed question on whether they have data on leg deployment. Didn't catch Hans' answer

Hans: Tracking plane might have.. still wait for data. All data up to now was directly received at the Cape until it went beyond horizon, and leg deployment was after that.

[Chris Bergin]

April 18, 2014
NASA Cargo Launches to Space Station aboard SpaceX Resupply Mission

Nearly 2.5 tons of NASA science investigations and cargo are on the way to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. The spacecraft launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 3:25 p.m. EDT Friday, April 18.

The mission is the company's third cargo delivery flight to the station through a $1.6 billion NASA Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon's cargo will support more than 150 experiments to be conducted by the crews of ISS Expeditions 39 and 40.

"SpaceX is delivering important research experiments and cargo to the space station," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations. "The diversity and number of new experiments is phenomenal. The investigations aboard Dragon will help us improve our understanding of how humans adapt to living in space for long periods of time and help us develop technologies that will enable deep space exploration."

The scientific payloads on Dragon include investigations into efficient plant growth in space, human immune system function in microgravity, Earth observation, and a demonstration of laser optics communication. Also being delivered is a set of high-tech legs for Robonaut 2, which will provide the humanoid robot torso already aboard the orbiting laboratory the mobility it needs to help with regular and repetitive tasks inside the space station.

Dragon also will deliver a second set of investigations sponsored by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the portion of the space station that is designated a U.S. National Laboratory. The investigations include research into plant biology and protein crystal growth, a field of study experts believe may lead to beneficial advancements in drug development through protein mapping.

On its way to the ISS, SpaceX's Falcon rocket jettisoned five small research satellites known as CubeSats that will perform a variety of technology demonstrations. The small satellites are part of NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellite, or ElaNa, mission, and involved more than 120 students in their design, development and construction. One of the satellites, PhoneSat 2.5, is the third in a series of CubeSat missions designed to use commercially available smartphone technology as part of a low-cost development effort to provide basic spacecraft capabilities. Another of the small satellites, SporeSat, is designed to help scientists study the mechanisms by which plant cells sense gravity -- valuable research in the larger effort to grow plants in space.

Dragon will be grappled at 7:14 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, by Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, using the space station's robotic arm to take hold of the spacecraft. NASA's Rick Mastracchio will support Wakata in a backup position. Dragon is scheduled to depart the space station May 18 for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, west of Baja California, bringing from the space station nearly 3,500 pounds of science, hardware, crew supplies and spacewalk tools.

The ISS is a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and makes research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. The space station has been continuously occupied since November 2000. In that time, it has been visited by more than 200 people and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great leap in exploration, including future missions to an asteroid and Mars.

For more information about SpaceX's third cargo resupply mission and the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

[AJA]

Also there was a pointed question on whether they have data on leg deployment. Didn't catch Hans' answer

Hans: Tracking plane might have.. still wait for data. All data up to now was directly received at the Cape until it went beyond horizon, and leg deployment was after that.

Ah thanks. I thought he was more specific than that, in mentioning an altitude/speed for when it opens, but I guess not.

[Chris Bergin]

Thanks for the help with the presser guys!

William Graham's excellent article updated post launch:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/04/spacex-crs-3-dragon-new-milestones/

I'll recharge and write an article on F-9R fun tomorrow. Then we'll have a live thread and article for RNDZ and berthing  on Sunday.

Thanks for watching with us. I've been Chris and I'm going to stick my fingers in ice water.

[Targeteer]

Exchange between CAPCOM and the ISS noted an on-board message during Beta gimbal assembly (BGA) movement.  The ground believes "the bearings bunched up" during rotation and they are currently backing up the motion to clear the issue. No indication this is a serious issue just interesting to hear ball bearings bunching up

[a_langwich]

Was kinda hoping someone would ask Gerst about when NASA would be willing to take refurb Dragons...is that in the cards for the follow-on commercial resupply contract?

[Targeteer]

Also there was a pointed question on whether they have data on leg deployment. Didn't catch Hans' answer

Hans: Tracking plane might have.. still wait for data. All data up to now was directly received at the Cape until it went beyond horizon, and leg deployment was after that.

there was also mention during the launch that an AF site in New Hampshire was receiving data...

[ugordan]

there was also mention during the launch that an AF site in New Hampshire was receiving data...

Probably was tracking the 2nd stage.