Author Topic: SpaceX Falcon 9 / Dragon 2 : SpX-DM1 : March 2, 2019 : DISCUSSION (Read 601812 times)

yg1968 · « **Reply #400 on:** 01/02/2019 07:05 pm »

Quote from: gongora on 01/01/2019 02:51 pm

No more offtopic discussion of what federal employees are allowed to do during the shutdown. Especially, no more complaints from SpaceX fans that NASA employees should just ignore the regulations and go back to work because SpaceX fans want them to.

As a side note, government shutdown discussions would be on topic in this thread (IMO):
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=47037.0

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #401 on:** 01/03/2019 12:36 pm »

L2 only saw it flash up yesterday, but they are expected to be vertical on 39A as the integrated Falcon 9/Dragon 2 stack for a Dry Dress Rehearsal by this afternoon. Rollout already happening.

If you're in the area with a camera, post photos in here.

RotoSequence · « **Reply #402 on:** 01/03/2019 12:47 pm »

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1080814148269862913

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #403 on:** 01/03/2019 01:04 pm »

Here's a clearer shot:

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1080826965093990400

RocketLover0119 · « **Reply #404 on:** 01/03/2019 02:00 pm »

They have arrived!!

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1080840601631891461

mn · « **Reply #405 on:** 01/03/2019 02:11 pm »

So the thread title just changed from Jan 17 to late January

Just posting in case nobody noticed the change without any posts telling us of the change.

(I guess we sort of knew it was going to change, so is it official now?)

Brovane · « **Reply #406 on:** 01/03/2019 02:24 pm »

Quote from: mn on 01/03/2019 02:11 pm

So the thread title just changed from Jan 17 to late January

Just posting in case nobody noticed the change without any posts telling us of the change.

(I guess we sort of knew it was going to change, so is it official now?)

I think it is official as it is going to get until the government shutdown is over.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #407 on:** 01/03/2019 04:27 pm »

Emre has a big lens!

https://twitter.com/EmreKelly/status/1080871439362863104

ejb749 · « **Reply #408 on:** 01/03/2019 05:00 pm »

(Same picture, just cropped from the full size Twitter version)

rpapo · « **Reply #409 on:** 01/03/2019 05:24 pm »

Quote from: ejb749 on 01/03/2019 05:00 pm

(Same picture, just cropped from the full size Twitter version)

And for those who didn't quite see how one side of the trunk was photocells, and the other side white, now we have a picture showing half-and-half.

soltasto · « **Reply #410 on:** 01/03/2019 07:03 pm »

Quote from: ejb749 on 01/03/2019 05:00 pm

(Same picture, just cropped from the full size Twitter version)

It also looks like all the hold down clamps are attached, while for past F9 launches post FH some of them were removed. Can't discern the TSMs tho.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #411 on:** 01/03/2019 07:19 pm »

To preserve it here, too...

https://twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF/status/1080920902232039424

jpo234 · « **Reply #412 on:** 01/03/2019 07:53 pm »

Quote from: ejb749 on 01/03/2019 05:00 pm

(Same picture, just cropped from the full size Twitter version)

Will they demate the Dragon from the booster or will they do the static fire with Dragon on top? This is supposed to be a human rated booster after all, so not doing the static fire with Dragon sends an ominous signal...

kevinof · « **Reply #413 on:** 01/03/2019 08:06 pm »

..but their usual procedure these days is to do the static fire without the payload. Why change?

Ciro1983811 · « **Reply #414 on:** 01/03/2019 08:12 pm »

Quote from: rpapo on 01/03/2019 05:24 pm

Quote from: ejb749 on 01/03/2019 05:00 pm
(Same picture, just cropped from the full size Twitter version)
And for those who didn't quite see how one side of the trunk was photocells, and the other side white, now we have a picture showing half-and-half.

And actually, the white side is heat radiators! clever solution! you point the solar panel side toward the sun, and the radiator side is automatically pointed away from sun ...! optimize energy production and heat management!

jpo234 · « **Reply #415 on:** 01/03/2019 08:17 pm »

Quote from: kevinof on 01/03/2019 08:06 pm

..but their usual procedure these days is to do the static fire without the payload. Why change?

But usually they don't mate the payload with the booster before the static fire, do they?

kevinof · « **Reply #416 on:** 01/03/2019 08:20 pm »

True but this is the first time the D2 has been rolled out. Need to check everything lines up.

Quote from: jpo234 on 01/03/2019 08:17 pm

Quote from: kevinof on 01/03/2019 08:06 pm
..but their usual procedure these days is to do the static fire without the payload. Why change?

But usually they don't mate the payload with the booster before the static fire, do they?

Coastal Ron · « **Reply #417 on:** 01/03/2019 08:22 pm »

Quote from: jpo234 on 01/03/2019 07:53 pm

Quote from: ejb749 on 01/03/2019 05:00 pm
(Same picture, just cropped from the full size Twitter version)

Will they demate the Dragon from the booster or will they do the static fire with Dragon on top? This is supposed to be a human rated booster after all, so not doing the static fire with Dragon sends an ominous signal...

They are only doing fit checks on this rollout. No propellant will be loaded.

And I would assume they will use their standard process of doing static fire when they actually do it, which will not have the payload mounted.

whitelancer64 · « **Reply #418 on:** 01/03/2019 08:37 pm »

Quote from: jpo234 on 01/03/2019 07:53 pm

Quote from: ejb749 on 01/03/2019 05:00 pm
(Same picture, just cropped from the full size Twitter version)

Will they demate the Dragon from the booster or will they do the static fire with Dragon on top? This is supposed to be a human rated booster after all, so not doing the static fire with Dragon sends an ominous signal...

The current plan is:
1. fit checks (what they're starting to do now),
2. a dry launch rehearsal (all steps of the launch process except for loading fuel),
3. a wet dress rehearsal (all steps of launch process, including loading fuel, but excluding engine ignition),
4. static fire (all steps of launch process except releasing the launch clamps), and
5. launch.

Presumably they will remove the Crew Dragon for the static fire, I would. Assuming that a Crew-Dragon-less static fire will be the standard procedure, it would also make sense to do it that way for the first run as well.

Comga · « **Reply #419 on:** 01/03/2019 08:56 pm »

Quote from: whitelancer64 on 01/03/2019 08:37 pm

Quote from: jpo234 on 01/03/2019 07:53 pm
Quote from: ejb749 on 01/03/2019 05:00 pm
(Same picture, just cropped from the full size Twitter version)

Will they demate the Dragon from the booster or will they do the static fire with Dragon on top? This is supposed to be a human rated booster after all, so not doing the static fire with Dragon sends an ominous signal...

The current plan is:
1. fit checks (what they're starting to do now),
2. a dry launch rehearsal (all steps of the launch process except for loading fuel),
3. a wet dress rehearsal (all steps of launch process, including loading fuel, but excluding engine ignition),
4. static fire (all steps of launch process except releasing the launch clamps), and
5. launch.

Presumably they will remove the Crew Dragon for the static fire, I would. Assuming that a Crew-Dragon-less static fire will be the standard procedure, it would also make sense to do it that way for the first run as well.

Is that authoritative?
Has NASA ever done a static fire on a crew vehicle? (Launch aborts don't count.)
Do we know if NASA allowing SpaceX to do static fires with the Crew Dragon Falcon 9s, with or without the capsule present?
If they do, my impression would be ASAP among others would argue for SpaceX to leave the capsule on, increasing realism at the cost of increased risk, because they like burning down all risks before the astronauts arrive.