SpaceX Falcon 9 / Dragon 2 : SpX-DM2 : May 27, 2020 : DISCUSSION

[Nomadd]

I love that everything is held together with zip ties

That is the way cable management is done (reference mainframe, racks and cable trays) with the rest being done wire, brackets and bolts.

About the only reason we'd ever need steel ties or brackets would be for heavy loads, like heliax going up a tower, or in manned passages that they didn't want getting blocked by cables in a fire or collision. Just don't use crappy plastic ties that break in cold temps.

[gongora]

[Mankato Free Press] Mankato native designed patch for upcoming NASA mission to the International Space Station

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/StephenClark1/status/1203128237364105217

"Hello from Hawthorne. Got to see the Dragon for the Demo-2 crewed mission. SpaceX aims to ship it out of factory by the end of year for thermal vacuum testing. Gwynne Shotwell says the target date for the in-flight abort test is Jan. 4. She says Demo-2 as soon as February."

Maybe this is the misspeak during the CRS-19 webcast (saying IFA instead of DM2?)

[TJL]

With the possibility of launch in a couple of months, why is SpaceX so reluctant to identify crew designations (ie: commander, pilot, co-pilot?) for their announced missions?
NASA always indicated what each crew members title was and this seems so odd...thank you.

[kevinof]

It's up to NASA not SpaceX to announce it. It's a NASA flight and NASA crew.

[TJL]

...any reason why NASA hasn't done so with launch coming up?

[ThatOldJanxSpirit]

...any reason why NASA hasn't done so with launch coming up?

I’ve just been reading a similar conversation on a Starliner thread so it doesn’t look like it a Spx DM-2 issue.

[king1999]

Now what are the chances of DM2 becoming long duration due to Starliner OFT problem.

[woods170]

Now what are the chances of DM2 becoming long duration due to Starliner OFT problem.

Same as before. Baseline is short duration mission.

It is simply too early into the Starliner trouble-shooting efforts to start looking at other CCP options.

[ThomasGadd]

Now what are the chances of DM2 becoming long duration due to Starliner OFT problem.

Same as before. Baseline is short duration mission.

It is simply too early into the Starliner trouble-shooting efforts to start looking at other CCP options.

Regardless what happens with this Starliner mission, I'm pretty sure I read that NASA and SpaceX talking about qualifying for an extended mission.

[Draggendrop]

I am more on the cautious side now. The IFA needs to go well, have the IFA data analysed and then ensure DM-2 is ready and safe. A shift to March or April will not bother me if it results in mission success.

[woods170]

Now what are the chances of DM2 becoming long duration due to Starliner OFT problem.

Same as before. Baseline is short duration mission.

It is simply too early into the Starliner trouble-shooting efforts to start looking at other CCP options.

Regardless what happens with this Starliner mission, I'm pretty sure I read that NASA and SpaceX talking about qualifying for an extended mission.

That was happening even before Starliner had its WHOOPS moment, and so far has not resulted in any changes to the DM-2 baseline.

[woods170]

I am more on the cautious side now. The IFA needs to go well, have the IFA data analysed and then ensure DM-2 is ready and safe. A shift to March or April will not bother me if it results in mission success.

Don't worry. CCP is not going to hasten DM-2. NASA has several options of purchasing more Soyuz seats, regardless of the "worriesome" news you read on some sites. There is more going on in the background than is currently publically known.

[soltasto]

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken, left, and Doug Hurley, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, walk through the Crew Access Arm connecting the launch tower to the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft during a dress rehearsal at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 17, 2020. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft stand on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A ahead of the company’s uncrewed In-Flight Abort Test. The flight test will demonstrate the spacecraft’s escape capabilities in preparation for crewed flights to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Behnken and Hurley are slated to fly on the company’s first crewed mission, Demo-2.

Photo credit: SpaceX

Photo taken at 03:57:07 local, in case anyone wanted to know when that happened, per the exif data:

Date and Time (Original) - 2020:01:17 03:57:07
Date and Time (Digitized) - 2020:01:17 03:57:07
Offset Time - -05:00

[Rondaz]

Pending test outcomes, NASA says SpaceX could launch astronauts in early March..

January 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/01/17/pending-test-outcomes-nasa-says-spacex-could-launch-astronauts-in-early-march/

[garcianc]

Pending test outcomes, NASA says SpaceX could launch astronauts in early March..

January 17, 2020 Stephen Clark

https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/01/17/pending-test-outcomes-nasa-says-spacex-could-launch-astronauts-in-early-march/

During the post-IFA press conference, I believe in response to a question by Chris Gebhardt, Jim Bridenstine stated that NASA was going to consider whether the next Dragon 2 flight would be a long duration mission.

IF NASA changes it to a long-duration mission, that has me wondering a few things:
1. Would that still be considered DM2?
2. Would NASA send astronauts Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins instead of Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley? Bridenstine hinted that a change in mission would necessitate additional crew training, but I would guess that Glover and Hopkins might be getting some of that extra training already.

I suppose the answer is that we don't know yet, but the experts here in this forum are much better at reading tea leaves than me and am curious if Bridenstine's statement was just talk in the afterglow of a success or if it was something that could be seriously considered. I also think these could be good follow-up questions if someone gets a chance.

P.S. I am surprised this had not been brought up before. If it has, my apologies, but I could not find a post referencing the topic.

[ajmarco]

1. Would that still be considered DM2?

Yes it would still be Demo Mission 2 (DM2) it would just be of a longer duration than originally planned.

2. Would NASA send astronauts Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins instead of Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley? Bridenstine hinted that a change in mission would necessitate additional crew training, but I would guess that Glover and Hopkins might be getting some of that extra training already.

My understanding is that the crews would not be changing. I do not remember if it has been stated anywhere that if DM2 was to become a longer duration mission, how long it would be? But, I believe that it would still be less than the usual length that Glover and Hopkins are training for.

[Alexphysics]

P.S. I am surprised this had not been brought up before. If it has, my apologies, but I could not find a post referencing the topic.

What Bridenstine said is not new and I think it was already discussed here months ago. Kathy mentioned the crew and the teams at SpaceX have been preparing for months to make that shift to a long duration mission in case it is ever needed so they're prepared on that front, it would just need some extra training for ISS ops.

[crandles57]

1. Would that still be considered DM2?

Boe-CFT kept that name when it was extended, why would DM2 be different?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Crewed_Flight_Test

[Bennett]

1. Same name

2. Same crew....just additional training if extended stay. They had another presser after our 1st trip to the pad to pick a remote cameras. It was with the DM2 crew  and they are a go for launch and are ready for additional training if the mission is extended.