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

[litton4]

Also, (correct me if I'm wrong) the disintegration of a rocket is usually a deflagration, not an explosion.

So, no supersonic shock wave, and in this test, Dragon will be travelling at or near supersonic speed at the start of the abort, and will then be boosted further by the abort engines.

[mn]

They could put a bomb in S2 and leave the S1 engines running.
That would simulate the worst case abort condition, with S1 chasing the Dragon for a short time and a blast to outrun.

Originally I thought something like that would be necessary, to demonstrate that a shock wave from an explosion could be outrun.  But the CRS-7 failure actually lessoned that concern.  The 2nd stage disintegrated in flight, but it did not explode.  The cargo Dragon had no abort motor and (to my knowledge), did not suffer damage from the 2nd stage.  The 1st stage did not plow into it.

So I'm good with just shutting down the 1st stage and triggering the abort off that.

And to add to this: with CRS-7 S1 continued running. With updates for crew S1 will shutdown automatically as part of an abort sequence - as soon as a problem is detected.

[Rondaz]

#SpaceX #Falcon9 with Crew Dragon rolled out to the top of LC-39A this morning in preparation for Saturday’s #InFlightAbort. 

The @NASASpaceflight team is in full force and is excited to bring you amazing coverage, updates, photos, videos and probably some bloopers too.

https://twitter.com/NASA_Nerd/status/1217867240453832704

[theonlyspace]

Is there any press kit yet on the IFA? Does SpaceX have a flight patch yet for this? Does NASA have a flight patch yet for this?

[Alexphysics]

Is there any press kit yet on the IFA? Does SpaceX have a flight patch yet for this? Does NASA have a flight patch yet for this?

Press kit will be released tomorrow as usual

[Rondaz]

SpaceX In-Flight Abort: Launch Readiness Review Complete, Weather 90% ‘Go’ for Test

James Cawley Posted on January 16, 2020

Teams from NASA and SpaceX are “go” for launch following today’s launch readiness review ahead the company’s in-flight abort test as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Launch is scheduled for 8 a.m. EST Saturday, Jan. 18, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The flight test is planned to demonstrate Crew Dragon’s ability to safely escape the Falcon 9 rocket in the event of a failure during launch.

Watch the pre-test news conference at 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17, on NASA TV and the agency’s website. The participants include:

Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
Benji Reed, director, Crew Mission Management, SpaceX
Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron
Meteorologists with the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing predict a 90% chance of favorable weather, with the primary concerns for launch day being the flight through precipitation rule during the four-hour launch window.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/kennedy/2020/01/16/spacex-in-flight-abort-launch-readiness-review-complete-weather-90-go-for-test/

[Rondaz]

The in-flight abort test for #CrewDragon is happening this Saturday. Weather is currently 90% GO!

7:45am ET - Live @NASA TV coverage starts

8:00am ET - Liftoff (beginning of 4-hour window)

9:30am ET - Post-test news conference live on NASA TV

https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/1217853901334032385

[JAFO]

Also, (correct me if I'm wrong) the disintegration of a rocket is usually a deflagration, not an explosion.

Like Challenger's ET.

[edkyle99]

Also, (correct me if I'm wrong) the disintegration of a rocket is usually a deflagration, not an explosion.

So, no supersonic shock wave, and in this test, Dragon will be travelling at or near supersonic speed at the start of the abort, and will then be boosted further by the abort engines.

Definitions from NFPA 921, the Guide for Fire and Explosion Investigations:

Deflagration:  Propagation of a combustion zone at a velocity that is less than the speed of sound in the unreacted medium.

Detonation:  Propagation of a combustion zone at a velocity that is greater than the speed of sound in the unreacted medium.

Explosion: The sudden conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy with the production and release of gases under pressure, or the release of gas under pressure.  These high pressure gases then do mechanical work such as moving, changing, or shattering nearby materials.

So, it will likely be a deflagration, not a detonation, that can also be described as an explosion.

 - Ed Kyle

[Rondaz]

In-Flight Abort Test Press Kit

https://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/in-flight_abort_test_press_kit.pdf

[Rondaz]

Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon went vertical and the crew access arm was extended last night ahead of tomorrow’s in-flight demonstration of the spacecraft’s launch escape system. The four-hour launch window opens at 8:00 a.m. EST, 13:00 UTC

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1218153687429705730

[Yellowstone10]

Does anyone know how long it's likely to take for SpaceX teams to return the Dragon capsule to (I assume) Port Canaveral after splashdown?

[woods170]

Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon went vertical and the crew access arm was extended last night ahead of tomorrow’s in-flight demonstration of the spacecraft’s launch escape system. The four-hour launch window opens at 8:00 a.m. EST, 13:00 UTC

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1218153687429705730

Heck, the trunk even sports the full array of solar panels.

[joseph.a.navin]

Why would they waste money putting solar arrays on the trunk if it is going to be destroyed in flight without use. Maybe it's because of the aerodynamics that they wish to test?

[joncz]

Why would they waste money putting solar arrays on the trunk if it is going to be destroyed in flight without use. Maybe it's because of the aerodynamics that they wish to test?

Could very well have been more expensive to build to an exception as opposed to building to their standard.

[StuffOfInterest]

Why would they waste money putting solar arrays on the trunk if it is going to be destroyed in flight without use. Maybe it's because of the aerodynamics that they wish to test?

Test as you fly.  Trying to make a weight and aerodynamic equivalent to the solar panels would likely cost more than just putting on the solar panels.

[The_Ronin]

Why would they waste money putting solar arrays on the trunk if it is going to be destroyed in flight without use. Maybe it's because of the aerodynamics that they wish to test?

High fidelity testing.  Also, wasn't this originally set to be the first crewed Dragon 2 before the test anomaly?  I imagine shifting the construction flow to make a one off didn't make much sense.

[daveglo]

Hey, just a heads-up for those in the area for the test flight: GPS services are being affected by military exercises in progress off the coast.  Not during launch time, but tomorrow, starting at 1200 EST local through 1900 EST.  Full details from the FAA located here: https://www.faasafety.gov/files/notices/2020/Jan/CSG4_20-01_GPS_Flight_Advisory.pdf

[SWGlassPit]

Why would they waste money putting solar arrays on the trunk if it is going to be destroyed in flight without use. Maybe it's because of the aerodynamics that they wish to test?

Test as you fly.  Trying to make a weight and aerodynamic equivalent to the solar panels would likely cost more than just putting on the solar panels.

Not just test as you fly -- even though glass mass simulators may cost less than solar cells, if your tooling, production, and supply chain is already spun up to give you a steady supply of solar cells, it's probably cheaper than the startup costs of trying to replace it with "cheaper" analog hardware.

[baldusi]

You can also put all your "failed" cells in there. In fact, I'm pretty sure the manufacturer would be happy to supply you with non space rated cell. Same manufacturing line, none of the acceptance tests and documentation.