SpaceX F9 : Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test : Jan. 19, 2020 : Discussion

[Eagandale4114]

Per Chris B's pre launch article for CRS-15, looks like this will end up being a block v booster-

"Although SpaceX does have one remaining Block 4 first stage – Core 1042 which was used last October to deploy Koreasat 5A – this is not expected to fly again making the CRS-15 launch the last to use a Block 4 vehicle, or any version of Falcon 9 other than the Block 5."

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/06/final-block-4-falcon-9-crs-15-dragon-launch/

From today's article:

A final Block 4 (B1042.2) is currently understood to be preparing to loft the In-Flight Abort test as one of SpaceX’s Commercial Crew Program milestones later this year.

[Johnnyhinbos]

“Orbital” is the key word missing here...

[cd-slam]

I am also confused. In today's article it says that B1042 "is not expected to fly again". Does it mean "is not expected to fly an orbital mission again"?

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[russianhalo117]

I am also confused. In today's article it says that B1042 "is not expected to fly again". Does it mean "is not expected to fly an orbital mission again"?

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AFAIU, Yes.

[ChrisGebhardt]

I am also confused. In today's article it says that B1042 "is not expected to fly again". Does it mean "is not expected to fly an orbital mission again"?

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AFAIU, Yes.

Jessica Jensen said pointedly in the CRS-15 pre-launch news conference that CRS-15 would be the last Block 4 to fly.  Period.  She gave no equivocation to that.  This means, per SpaceX's public statements, the In-Flight Abort test will use a Block 5 booster.

[ZachS09]

I am also confused. In today's article it says that B1042 "is not expected to fly again". Does it mean "is not expected to fly an orbital mission again"?

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

AFAIU, Yes.

Jessica Jensen said pointedly in the CRS-15 pre-launch news conference that CRS-15 would be the last Block 4 to fly.  Period.  She gave no equivocation to that.  This means, per SpaceX's public statements, the In-Flight Abort test will use a Block 5 booster.

If this is the case, then is there a possibility that B1042 will be put on display or be scrapped?

[scr00chy]

I am also confused. In today's article it says that B1042 "is not expected to fly again". Does it mean "is not expected to fly an orbital mission again"?

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

AFAIU, Yes.

Jessica Jensen said pointedly in the CRS-15 pre-launch news conference that CRS-15 would be the last Block 4 to fly.  Period.  She gave no equivocation to that.  This means, per SpaceX's public statements, the In-Flight Abort test will use a Block 5 booster.

If this is the case, then is there a possibility that B1042 will be put on display or be scrapped?

It's possible, but SpaceX has like 7 cores they can potentially display or scrap. And this one isn't particularly special compared to others that flew twice (including first and second reuse ever).

[Johnnyhinbos]

It is possible, you know, that Jessica was wrong or misspoke...

1042’s future disposition isn’t exactly directly in her wheelhouse.

My personal guess is that 1042 will indeed be used for the abort test. But it’s now July - we won’t have long to wait until we know...

[russianhalo117]

Cross-Post: the capsule for DM-1 and the IFA has reportedly shipped with the DM-1 integrated stack to CCAFS for DM-1 Pre-launch Processing. The Trunk and Payload Adaptor for the IFA will arrive after the DM-1 launch date.

Dragon-2 Space Vehicle-1 Integrated Stack (Capsule/Trunk/Payload Adaptor) has wrapped up at NASA PBS and is reportedly either on its way to CCAFS for pre-launch processing or about to be (Same Capsule will be used for the In-flight Abort test):

Kavandi: SpaceX just wrapped up thermal vacuum testing [of Crew Dragon] at Plum Brook. #AIAAPropEnergy

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1016302142062321665

Edit to add context:

The AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum is starting at 8 am EDT with a keynote by NASA Glenn director Janet Kavandi. That’ll be webcast along with some other sessions, such as one later this morning on SLS and Orion:

https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1016288877034790912

And now... to the Cape!!

Back in June SpaceX said:
"Crew Dragon is at @NASA’s Plum Brook Station testing facility in Ohio, home to the largest thermal vacuum chamber in the world, to demonstrate its capability to withstand the extreme temperatures and vacuum of space. Once complete, Crew Dragon will travel to Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of its first flight."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkQ8w0mFoxa/

Looks like their hardware at least is on track for a September launch.
Note that Elon has been guiding for Crew Dragon's shipment to the cape in late July since May 2nd, so they may even be slightly ahead of schedule 

[RocketLover0119]

So this is interesting, block IV/Block V S1 hybrid of the koreasat and a new booster for the in-flight abort it would appear.

https://mobile.twitter.com/thejackbeyer/status/1041847919182106624

[crandles57]

Lueders said Friday that the Demo-2 crew test flight will be preceded by about a month by an in-flight abort demonstration,

https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/08/09/nasa-signs-off-on-spacexs-load-and-go-procedure-for-crew-launches/

So that puts abort test NET ~March 2019 if DM2 is Q2 2019 per Lunar BFR mission Q&A session.

[gongora]

FAA.GOV
Draft Environmental Assessment for Issuing SpaceX a Launch License for an In-flight Dragon Abort Test, Kennedy Space Center, Brevard County, Florida

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/nepa_docs/review/launch/media/Draft_EA_for_SpaceX_In-flight_Dragon_Abort_508.pdf

[gongora]

Full expendable, second stage won't have an engine.

The abort test would start with a nominal launch countdown and release at T-0. The Falcon 9 with the Dragon attached would follow a standard ISS trajectory with the exception of launch azimuth to approximately Mach 1. The Falcon 9 would be configured to shut down and terminate thrust, targeting the abort test shutdown condition (simulating a loss of thrust scenario). Dragon would then autonomously detect and issue an abort command, which would initiate the nominal startup sequence of Dragon’s SuperDraco engine system. Concurrently, Falcon 9 would receive a command from Dragon to terminate thrust on the nine first stage Merlin 1D (M1D) engines. Dragon would then separate from Falcon 9 at the interface between the trunk and the second stage, with a frangible nut system. Under these conditions, the Falcon 9 vehicle would become uncontrollable and would break apart. SpaceX would not attempt first stage booster flyback to KSC, CCAFS, or a droneship, nor would they attempt to fly the booster to orbit.
...
Dragon would fly until SuperDraco burnout and then coast until reaching apogee, at which point the trunk would be jettisoned. Draco thrusters would be used to reorient Dragon to entry attitude. Dragon would descend back toward Earth and initiate the drogue parachute deployment sequence at approximately 6 miles altitude and main parachute deployment at approximately 1 mile altitude. Dragon recovery operations would be very similar to actions for normal Dragon reentry and recovery (USAF 2013), although Dragon recovery during the abort test would occur approximately 9–42 miles from shore
...
Dragon weighs approximately 17,000 pounds without cargo
...
The Dragon test vehicle is intended to represent the final flight configuration of Dragon-2. Systems, subsystems, and components critical to the success of in-flight abort would be in the final configuration. Non-critical systems would either be eliminated or simplified to reduce the complexity
of the ground refurbishment process to conduct the abort test. Dragon would contain approximately 5,650 pounds of hypergolic propellant, including approximately 3,500 pounds of dinitrogen tetroxide (NTO) and 2,150 pounds of monomethylhydrazine (MMH). Dragon would contain approximately 2,400 pounds of residual propellant after the abort test.
...
A Falcon 9 (Block 5) first stage booster would be used for the abort test (Figure 2-2). The booster would be a standard Falcon 9 first stage and configured in an expendable configuration for the abort test. Landing legs and grid fins would be removed. No booster recovery burns would be attempted. As such, a full triethylaluminum-triethylborane (TEA-TEB) mixture used as a first and second stage ignitor would not be used. The booster would be capable of flying a mission profile that allows for the target abort velocity to be achieved.
...
The second stage would be a standard Falcon 9 second stage, with the exception of the M1D vacuum engine. The components essential to propellant loading operations would be carried, but the thrust chamber, turbopump, thrust vector control actuators, and other components required for performing second stage burns, would be omitted, as the mission concludes part-way through the first stage ascent burn. Propellant loading would follow standard loading operations for the second stage.

[AbuSimbel]

The document also mentions this deviation from the Crew Rated Abort Systems

2.1.4 FLIGHT TERMINATION
The baseline Autonomous Flight Safety System would be used, with destructors on both stages. Deviations from the crew configuration include no pyrovalve for thrust termination on the second stage. The qualified version of the safety system at the time of the abort test would be used.

Not being an expert I can make an uneducated guess that the pyrovalve is already present on current Block 5 Second stages, but will be lacking from the IFA one as the engine will be absent too.
Is this the case? Or is it something new that will be required for crewed flights only?

[gongora]

The baseline Autonomous Flight Safety System would be used, with destructors on both stages. Deviations from the crew configuration include no pyrovalve for thrust termination on the second stage. The qualified version of the safety system at the time of the abort test would be used.
...
During the initial flight of the Falcon 9 with the Dragon attached, the flight track would be normal. The separation of Dragon from Falcon 9 would occur approximately between 83 and 100 seconds after launch. Dragon and the trunk would separate from the second stage and continue to coast to its apogee, eventually dropping the trunk and deploying the drogue parachutes. At the point where Dragon and the trunk separate, the first and second stage would become unstable and break up approximately 2–4 miles down range from the shore. After the main chutes deploy, Dragon would drift approximately 3 miles and land approximately 9–42 miles from shore. Table 2-1 presents time and distance for each of the abort test events.
...
The initiation of the Dragon abort sequence also shuts down the Falcon 9 engines. The first and second stages would briefly continue on a ballistic path and then break-up immediately after Dragon separation, approximately 2–4 miles downrange. The abort test trajectory would follow a standard ISS trajectory with the exception of launch azimuth to reduce the likelihood of booster debris landing on-shore. Figure 2-3 illustrates the undispersed abort test trajectory. At the point of breaking up, the stages would be carrying the following approximate fuel loads of LOX and RP-1:
   Stage 1 LOX: 631,300 pounds
   Stage 1 RP-1: 257,500 pounds
   Stage 2 LOX: 168,100 pounds
   Stage 2 RP-1: 65,000 pounds
The extra LOX carried as ballast for the abort test would provide an environment that is oxidizer rich and would promote combustion of the remaining RP-1.
...
This operational planning builds off of SpaceX’s experience collecting telemetry at sea and recovering Dragon1 capsules, which have much more hypergolic propellants on board than what would occur during the abort test. Additional vessels would be used to initially approach Dragon and prepare it for recovery. The capsule and propellant tanks are expected to be fully sealed; however, the recovery team would approach the capsule while wearing self-contained breathing apparatus and perform a “sniff check” to confirm there are no hypergol leaks and perform a visual inspection for unfired ordnance. Once the capsule is recovered, the helium and propellant systems would be depressurized before returning directly to Port Canaveral, Florida or a CCAFS wharf.
...
There would be two recovery methods, a primary and a backup. The primary method is similar to Dragon1 recoveries, using an A-frame crane to pick Dragon out of the water and place it on the back of the recovery vessel (Figure 2-5). The backup method involves towing Dragon back to port using a raft or towing Dragon directly in the water (Figure 2-6). The jettisoned trunk would sink upon landing in the ocean and would not be recovered.
...
Mobile assets would survey the applicable debris once the Eastern Range (Risk Assessment Center) confirms debris fall time and no longer poses a safety hazard. Upon receiving survey debris observations, the debris recovery team would first recover any items deemed a public safety or maritime traffic hazard and then recover miscellaneous floating items, including items that are projected to float towards the shoreline based on observations and expected weather conditions. If it’s necessary to access the beach to recover debris, SpaceX would coordinate with the applicable property owner. SpaceX debris recovery would be a collaborative effort with the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure maritime safety based on the projected debris field of 2–20 miles offshore.

[gongora]

SpaceX considered conducting the abort test from VAFB (Space Launch Complex 4W). However, because of potentially greater technical difficulties at VAFB, and a greater amount of federally protected aspects of the environment (e.g., Channel Islands) which could create additional environmental concerns, this site was not selected.

SpaceX originally considered recovering the Falcon 9 first stage booster during the abort test by conducting a boost-back and landing at LZ-1. However, due to the abort test mission parameters requiring Dragon separation at max Q, SpaceX was unable to create a trajectory that would allow boostback and landing. Similarly, SpaceX evaluated having the first stage re-light after Dragon separation and fly further out in the Atlantic Ocean, either for a droneship landing or impact with the ocean 124–186 miles offshore. Issues with achieving approval for flight termination qualification after the Dragon separation event proved impossible for these options

[gongora]

At the point of breakup, the first stage would be carrying less than 10,000 pounds of RP-1. The extra LOX carried as ballast for this test would provide an environment that is oxidizer rich, and would promote complete combustion of RP-1.

Around page 185 in the pdf document there is a study of the sound levels from a Falcon 9 Block 5 launch from LC39-A and SLC-40.

[gongora]

The environmental assessment for Dragon landing that is embedded in the in-flight abort document seems to be a different version than we've seen before 

[ugordan]

At the point of breakup, the first stage would be carrying less than 10,000 pounds of RP-1. The extra LOX carried as ballast for this test would provide an environment that is oxidizer rich, and would promote complete combustion of RP-1.

That statement from the document made me do a double take as it didn't pass the sniff test so I skimmed the document myself. Page 17 has a different, more reasonable statement:

At the point of breaking up, the stages would be carrying the following approximate fuel loads of LOX and RP-1:
Stage 1 LOX: 631,300 pounds
Stage 1 RP-1: 257,500 pounds

Stage 2 LOX: 168,100 pounds
Stage 2 RP-1: 65,000 pounds

Actually, scratch that. Those first stage propellant mass numbers seem closer to a full load on the first stage than what you'd expect from 80 seconds of burn time. 

[deruch]

Dragon would fly until SuperDraco burnout and then coast until reaching apogee, at which point the trunk would be jettisoned. Draco thrusters would be used to reorient Dragon to entry attitude. Dragon would descend back toward Earth and initiate the drogue parachute deployment sequence at approximately 6 miles altitude and main parachute deployment at approximately 1 mile altitude. Dragon recovery operations would be very similar to actions for normal Dragon reentry and recovery (USAF 2013), although Dragon recovery during the abort test would occur approximately 9–42 miles from shore

I think this highlighted bit is slightly different from what most have been assuming/picturing, i.e. that aerodynamics would entirely control the flip.  But given the reduced atmosphere at the apogee of the abort trajectory, it's not that surprising that they'll use the small thrusters.  I am surprised that Dragon ends up with so much unused propellant left in her tanks (mentioned elsewhere).