Problem is there's not another computer laying around..... I *hope* that these two corner tests aren't required for DM-2. Not saying they don't need to be done in a timely manner, just that it's not on the critical path. Latest NASA blog tends that way.
Not exactly. There was at least a mockup used to present D2 to journalists and another used in rescue operations training. I guess one of those could be adapted to carry on the task of chute testing.
The Parabolic article article says that they have an extra test article.
Quote from: ValmirGP on 03/28/2020 10:36 amNot exactly. There was at least a mockup used to present D2 to journalists and another used in rescue operations training. I guess one of those could be adapted to carry on the task of chute testing. The Parabolic article article says that they have an extra test article.
Quote from: yg1968 on 03/28/2020 06:45 pmQuote from: ValmirGP on 03/28/2020 10:36 amNot exactly. There was at least a mockup used to present D2 to journalists and another used in rescue operations training. I guess one of those could be adapted to carry on the task of chute testing. The Parabolic article article says that they have an extra test article.Are you sure it said that? I didn't see it, the article claims that SpaceX needs to build a new test article, or they may choose to conduct a "bench test" of the parachute, not sure what the latter means.
I think that means hooking the parachutes to a bench and throwing it out of the helicopter. Ingenious!
March 31, 2020NASA, SpaceX Simulate Upcoming Crew Mission with AstronautsJoint teams from NASA and SpaceX continue making progress on the first flight test with astronauts to the International Space Station by completing a series of mission simulations from launch to landing. The mission, known as Demo-2, is a close mirror of the company’s uncrewed flight test to station in March 2019, but this time with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP).Over the last several months, key members of flight control teams working from NASA’s Johnson and Kennedy Space Centers and SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, simulated different phases of the upcoming mission while the Demo-2 astronaut crew practiced procedures from inside a realistic simulator of Crew Dragon.“The simulations were a great opportunity to practice procedures and to coordinate decision-making for the mission management team, especially with respect to weather,” said Michael Hess, manager of Operations Integration for CCP. “Simulation supervisors do a great job at picking cases that really make the team think and discuss.”Recent simulations saw teams execute timelines from hatch closure to undocking with the space station — as well as a free flight in preparation for re-entry and splashdown. In March, the control teams and crew ran through a simulated mission starting at prelaunch and continuing through ascent and eventual rendezvous with the station.This recent sim makes the excitement all the more tangible, especially for the greater NASA team.“What’s happening in commercial crew is a big deal,” Hess said. “It will be the first time to launch astronauts from U.S. soil since the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, and it will be the first time since STS-1 that we will launch astronauts in a new spacecraft. This new spacecraft, Crew Dragon, was designed and built by SpaceX, not by NASA and traditional contractor partnerships — another first. Bob (Behnken) and Doug (Hurley) will definitely be earning their spacecraft test pilot wings with this mission. Also, the Space Station Program is really looking forward to another way to rotate crews to station to perform science and experiments to benefit all.”As the countdown clock winds down, Crew Dragon is undergoing final testing and prelaunch processing in a SpaceX facility on nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. All the activity is also kicking off “more simulations, final crew training and flight readiness reviews to ensure all of the mission systems and subsystems are ready for a crewed test flight,” Hess noted.When Crew Dragon launches atop a Falcon 9 rocket with Behnken and Hurley strapped inside as early as mid-to-late May, it will herald a new era for human spaceflight, enabling greater access to low-Earth orbit and destinations beyond with the help of commercial partners.The Demo-2 crew is proceeding with its scheduled training activities. Astronaut trainers, along with all NASA employees, are closely adhering to CDC recommendations on infection control for the coronavirus. As all NASA centers are currently operating in a mode that requires any non-mission-essential work to be done remotely, the number of employees in contact with the crew is limited.Last Updated: March 31, 2020Editor: Danielle Sempsrott
On Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, SpaceX teams in Firing Room 4 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the company's Mission Control in Hawthorne, California, along with NASA flight controllers in Mission Control Houston, executed a full simulation of launch and docking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley (front) participating in SpaceX's flight simulator.Credits: SpaceX
The mission, known as Demo-2, is a close mirror of the company’s uncrewed flight test to station in March 2019, but this time with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft..
NASA and SpaceX did a full Demo-2 launch dress rehearsal with astronauts on Jan. 17 that gives an amazing inside look at Kennedy Space Center.Credit: @NASA
Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley walking down the crew access arm to Crew Dragon, which was positioned on top of a Falcon 9 rocket before the inflight abort test.
After the checkup, Behnken and Hurley went back to their Tesla Model X rides and headed out.
Either I had a completely different understanding of a "dry dress rehearsal", or there was some serious editing going on; they didn't even get into the capsule?
Any word if Dragon 2 will be used for ISS flights originally planned for Starliner, now that Staliner is long delayed? Can Space X accommodate additional flights in the next year or two? Thx
Quote from: AS_501 on 04/12/2020 03:07 amAny word if Dragon 2 will be used for ISS flights originally planned for Starliner, now that Staliner is long delayed? Can Space X accommodate additional flights in the next year or two? ThxIf only one of the companies is ready to fly then their capsules will be used exclusively until the other company is ready to fly. Either company is supposed to be able to support more than one flight per year when they're in operation. There should be two operational (six-month mission) flights per year.
Which brings to mind another question: For D2 missions with 4+ crew, can any of them sleep in the spacecraft? There are only so many sleep stations in the ISS.
