SpaceX Falcon 9 : CRS-11 : June 3, 2017 : DISCUSSION

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Joel Montalbano, NASA: next SpaceX Dragon cargo mission, SpX-11, now planned for May 31 launch, berthing June 3.

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/853991474253484032

[sevenperforce]

Speaking of reusing the pressure vessel...

...is there ANY good estimate for how much the individual components of the Dragon actually mass? Dry mass is the sum of aeroshell, pressure vessel, trunk body, solar panels, Dracos, tanks, and miscellania. I just have no idea what that breakdown looks like.

[old_sellsword]

The booster (1035.1) is at Pad 39A.

I spy with my @SpaceX eye ...

[FutureSpaceTourist]

A video has now been posted (attached):

A gift-wrapped present from @SpaceX arrived today at @NASAKennedy.

https://twitter.com/spacekscblog/status/855872415620050945

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Hearing SpaceX's next ISS resupply mission will be delayed until at least June 1, so no luck on a record three launches in the month of May.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/859785485207687170

[ZachS09]

Any reason why SpX-11 is delayed to June 1?

[M.E.T.]

Hearing SpaceX's next ISS resupply mission will be delayed until at least June 1, so no luck on a record three launches in the month of May.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/859785485207687170

I don't mind missing 3 launches in a calendar month - which is an artificial achievement in any case since it would have been a result of the delay of NROL. I'm interested in the launch number at the half-year mark. Will it be 8 launches or 9? Or will the Vandenberg launch sneak in too to make it 10?

That will be impressive.

[ChrisGebhardt]

Any reason why SpX-11 is delayed to June 1?

It likely has to do with Soyuz MS-03 undocking currently scheduled for 2 June.  Instead of launching Dragon on 31 May and having it loiter for a day before a 3 June berthing, launch it on 1 June and allow it to do a standard two-day rendezvous.

[mn]

And on the subject of launch to berthing time: Do we know anything about dragon using a 6 hour fast rendezvous? is this something that dragon cannot do for some reason? or it's in the works just didn't happen yet because there was no urgent need and they have other things on their plate?

Edit: I see this was already asked and answered back here: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=40310.msg1560447#msg1560447

[ChrisGebhardt]

May 4, 2017

MEDIA ADVISORY M17-048

NASA Opens Media Accreditation for Next SpaceX Space Station Cargo Launch

Media accreditation now is open for launch of the next SpaceX commercial cargo resupply services mission to the International Space Station, currently targeted for Thursday, June 1.

Media accreditation now is open for launch of the next SpaceX commercial cargo resupply services mission to the International Space Station, currently targeted for Thursday, June 1.

The uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Media prelaunch and launch activities will take place at Kennedy. Credentialing deadlines are as follows:

International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 4:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 16.
U.S. media must apply by 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 21.

All media accreditation requests should be submitted online.

International media are required to upload a scanned copy of their media visa and passport or green card with their accreditation requests. Media must present two forms of unexpired, government identification to enter Kennedy. One form must include a photo, such as a passport or driver’s license.

Questions about accreditation may be addressed to Jennifer Horner at 321-867-6598 or [email protected]. For other questions, or additional information, contact Kennedy’s newsroom at 321-867-2468.

This is the eleventh mission by SpaceX under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract. In addition to supplies and equipment, Dragon will deliver several science investigations to the space station, including:

the Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) instrument will measure neutron stars and test, for the first time in space, technology that uses pulsars as navigation beacons;
the Roll-Out Solar Array, or ROSA, will test deployment and retraction of a new type of solar panel that rolls open in space like a party favor and is more compact than current rigid panel designs; and
an Earth-viewing imaging platform created by Teledyne Brown called MUSES, which stands for Multiple User System for Earth Sensing, that will house high-resolution digital cameras and hyperspectral imagers.
The International Space Station 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 occupied continuously since November 2000. In that time, more than 200 people and a variety of international and commercial spacecraft have visited the orbiting laboratory. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great leap in exploration, including future missions to Mars.

[ChrisGebhardt]

NASA PAO's official comment to me regarding the one day adjustment to CRS-11.

Q: Was CRS-11 moved to 1 June to streamline Dragon having to dodge around Soyuz MS-03 undock?

A: It’s always a combination (other planned vehicle traffic, range availability, payload timing.) June 1 is the target date set taking all of these factors into account.

[abaddon]

In other words, "no comment".  LOL.

[BruceM]

NASA PAO's official comment to me regarding the one day adjustment to CRS-11.

Q: Was CRS-11 moved to 1 June to streamline Dragon having to dodge around Soyuz MS-03 undock?

A: It’s always a combination (other planned vehicle traffic, range availability, payload timing.) June 1 is the target date set taking all of these factors into account.

Great question, Chris!

NASA responded by identifying three examples of things that might contribute to a delay:  other vehicle traffic, range availability and payload timing.  Based on NASA's response we may never know but it seems most people (me included) would tend to list the most likely items when composing a hypothetical list and of these, Chris' suggestion seems THE most likely.  Don't really know but ISTM Chris is on to something.  Would be interested in other's thoughts on what is most likely.

[Jcc]

If they launch just 2 weeks after Inmarsat, that is a good sign since it seems like it usually took a bit of extra time to prepare for a CRS launch. Maybe CRS processing is becoming more streamlined, or they have been working it in parallel with other launches more effectively.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

The Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) is will test physical changes to the array in space during the CRS-11 mission.

https://twitter.com/nasakennedy/status/860548149043245056

[FutureSpaceTourist]

The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) will see into neutron stars -the most powerful cosmic particle accelerators known.

https://twitter.com/nasakennedy/status/860610559905075204

[jacqmans]

AS seen on CollectSpace:

NASA's insignia for SpaceX's eleventh Commercial Resupply Services flight to the International Space Station.

[llanitedave]

The Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) is will test physical changes to the array in space during the CRS-11 mission.

https://twitter.com/nasakennedy/status/860548149043245056

I have that shirt!

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Students get once-in-a-lifetime space research opportunity with SpaceX

By: Sandy Mazza ([email protected])
POSTED: Saturday, May 13, 2017 - 7:53 p.m.

Four Lennox Middle School science students won an honor that some of the world's best researchers can only dream of realizing.

Their science experiment will be tested in orbit next month, aboard the International Space Station's National Laboratory. It will arrive on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, in a launch schedule for June 1.

The students' research prevailed in a schoolwide competition among hundreds of their peers, with one simple poignant idea: Grow a mint plant in microgravity to provide astronauts an herbal remedy.
[...]

http://www.dailybreeze.com/social-affairs/20170513/students-get-once-in-a-lifetime-space-research-opportunity-with-spacex

[BitHeroBD]

This mission will also carry this nano-satellite

http://www.thedailystar.net/video-stories/bangladesh-first-nano-satellite-brac-university-onnesha-hit-orbit-may-1396240