SpaceX F9 : CRS SpX-17 : May 4, 2019 - DISCUSSION

[kevinof]

It was the weekend. Maybe they haven't got around to the cleanup yet.

With respect to the cable still attached to Dragon ...no one noticed it missing post launch pad cleanup ?

[eeergo]

With respect to the cable still attached to Dragon ...no one noticed it missing post launch pad cleanup ?

Probably quite difficult to find a cable that's probably routinely shredded, and its remains thrown out fair distances away if not completely obliterated, during every launch, being just below the F9's exhaust.

[Herb Schaltegger]

And even if “they” (SpaceX’s padrats) had noticed something amiss, it’s not like they routinely provide post-launch pad damage reports or grief lists to the public. Back in Shuttle days, a few folks would periodically share such NASA reports with me privately but I don’t have those kind of contacts at SpaceX. And even if I did, the sharing to anyone else would be through L2, so ...

[litton4]

Could the cable interfere with the GNC door closure, post departure?

If it's waving around in zero G, it could easily foul the opening.

Is it likely they will consider some corrective action?

Does the GNC closure happen pre or post the deorbit burn?

I can see a case where if the door doesn't close on the first attempt, they might perform a thruster firing to try and move it out the way, and then try again?

[flyright]

Could the cable interfere with the GNC door closure, post departure?

If it's waving around in zero G, it could easily foul the opening.

Is it likely they will consider some corrective action?

Does the GNC closure happen pre or post the deorbit burn?

I can see a case where if the door doesn't close on the first attempt, they might perform a thruster firing to try and move it out the way, and then try again?

Fortunately, they have plenty of time to think about it before Dragon departs the ISS. If necessary, they might be able to robotically detach or cut the cable prior to unberthing.

[joseph.a.navin]

I completed a quick article on CRS-17 for my HS newspaper! here is the link for those interested. https://pfhstheroar.com/7345/news/other-news/spacexs-crs-17-completes-its-two-day-journey-to-the-iss/#
If you have any comments for improvement I would love some feedback. 

[Joffan]

Could the cable interfere with the GNC door closure, post departure?

If it's waving around in zero G, it could easily foul the opening.

Is it likely they will consider some corrective action?

Does the GNC closure happen pre or post the deorbit burn?

I can see a case where if the door doesn't close on the first attempt, they might perform a thruster firing to try and move it out the way, and then try again?

Fortunately, they have plenty of time to think about it before Dragon departs the ISS. If necessary, they might be able to robotically detach or cut the cable prior to unberthing.

Yeah, maybe Dextre can pull the lead off.

[zubenelgenubi]

Could the cable interfere with the GNC door closure, post departure?

If it's waving around in zero G, it could easily foul the opening.

Is it likely they will consider some corrective action?

Does the GNC closure happen pre or post the deorbit burn?

I can see a case where if the door doesn't close on the first attempt, they might perform a thruster firing to try and move it out the way, and then try again?

Fortunately, they have plenty of time to think about it before Dragon departs the ISS. If necessary, they might be able to robotically detach or cut the cable prior to unberthing.

Yeah, maybe Dextre can pull the lead off.

Are there any suitable tools in the RRM-3 toolkit?

[eeergo]

In this image tweeted out by astronaut Anne McClain I found something eye-catching: https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1125761906269147137


If you zoom into the Dragon, you see a weird feature next to its CBM, which appears to be at short distance to it. At first I thought it was a ground feature, although its contours didn't seem to match very well the terrain below, even if it was an open mine or dump ground. Seemed too crisp though.

I traced back the terrain to be the Inhanbane province in Southern Mozambique, with Southern Madagascar visible in the distance, and the Europa isle and Bassas da India atoll gleaming in the strait (see attached synthetic view from Google Earth). This also passes the sanity check of noticing that NASA TV coverage started over the Indian Ocean, with MCC holding off approach because of the loose cable over the Australian outback (Chris' comment about being similar to Cydonia), so a few minutes earlier ISS would have been on its descending node across Africa before swinging back up in the Southern Indian Ocean towards Australia.


No ground feature stands out in Google Earth images, and in fact the terrain over there seems to be wild savanna with no large human settlements or infrastructure. The strange feature is too well-defined and isolated from its surroundings to be seasonal flooding or other natural effect, I think.

So it seems like there's something next to the Dragon? Or am I seeing things?

[YesRushGen]

Could it perhaps be the circled feature? It doesn't appear to line up exactly, but this could be a trick of perspective. The feature appears to contrast with the surrounding landscape.

[eeergo]

Could it perhaps be the circled feature? It doesn't appear to line up exactly, but this could be a trick of perspective. The feature appears to contrast with the surrounding landscape.

I noticed that too, but I don't think so: that area is bright in Google Earth because of the sun glinting on a marsh (if you zoom in the feature you'll see what I mean - the effect is visible on less expansive water panes such as nearby rivers). The Sun isn't glinting in the Dragon image. Also, the whitish "edge" is straight, in contrast to the shape of the marsh.


Perspective shouldn't be difficult to judge if the feature were on the ground: it is found about three lengths of the straight stretch of river, between the "E-bend" and the "S-bend", to the right of said straight stretch (with the river mouth to the bottom of the image), slightly to the left of the more inland area of the gulf. See attached sketch for what I mean (EDIT: I actually rotated, scaled and superimposed both images forcing the river outlines to match, in order to get a more precise location, I've substituted the indicative sketches with that). The glinting marsh is some ways away, approximately under Dragon's starboard SAW.

EDIT-bis: Of course, another possibility is that it's something stuck to the window, or floating close-by. Kind of doesn't look like it, but there's not enough resolution to tell.

[Herb Schaltegger]

Could also be a chip in the external scratch pane of that particular cupola window.

[whitelancer64]

Terrain can look VERY different at different times of day - if there is a hill or a valley that is illuminated so that it reflects light more directly at the camera, or is casting a shadow.

That said, this discussion really isn't an update.

[eeergo]

That terrain would be pulling quite a metamorphosis If you zoom in the area in 3D maps, you'll see why I've convinced myself that's unlikely. You're right about this not being an update, moved it to the right thread.

Regarding the chip in the window, I've also checked tweets by the other astros, and the attached 360º view from Koch shows the window without any similar feature. The underside of the Station is in darkness too, as you can see from the arm and forward modules (and the Cupola structure itself) so I don't see how it could be illuminated like that. Perhaps a smaller insulation piece coming off the Station or VVs and happening to pass in front of the frame?

It's also unlikely Dragon would be shedding such a piece during final approach without the maneuver being aborted though, or so I'd like to think.

[billh]

Looks to me like the shadow of the terrain feature eeergo pointed out.

[Lars-J]

Could also be a chip in the external scratch pane of that particular cupola window.

This seems to be the most probable explanation by far.

[Comga]

In this image tweeted out by astronaut Anne McClain I found something eye-catching: https://twitter.com/AstroAnnimal/status/1125761906269147137


If you zoom into the Dragon, you see a weird feature next to its CBM, which appears to be at short distance to it. At first I thought it was a ground feature, although its contours didn't seem to match very well the terrain below, even if it was an open mine or dump ground. Seemed too crisp though.
(snip)
So it seems like there's something next to the Dragon? Or am I seeing things?

The best evidence for this NOT being something shed by the Dragon, even more than the approach not being aborted, is that McClain took this photo, and while watching the co-orbiting capsule, but didn't say anything.
Watching Dragon move, any debris would be moving with it against the background, against which it would stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. 
People are aware of the torn-off GSE cable, which is much smaller than this apparent object.
The conclusion is that the item in the still image that appears along side the Dragon is not something physically near it. 
Clouds above a big shadow, chip on the window, external Station debris, something.  Just not from the Dragon.

[eeergo]

True, although it is also slightly unconventional that she would select such a photo, with such an eye-catching blemish/debris right next to the Dragon, as her single tweet to illustrate the arrival. Probably she didn't even notice, or it's one of those things that appear obvious once you know what they really are, but puzzle you in the meantime.

I agree Dragon is most probably not the source, and possibly the feature is not as big as it seems. I still don't think it's something on the ground, but could be a small piece of insulation from another Station area (interesting) or something stuck or blemished on the window (boring). Hopefully we'll hear about it if it's something worthwhile.

[Rondaz]

With SpaceX scrub, NASA again demonstrates commitment to innovation..

"The agency is investing in keeping the United States on the leading edge."

ERIC BERGER - 5/7/2019, 6:54 AM

https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/05/with-spacex-scrub-nasa-again-demonstrates-commitment-to-innovation/?comments=1

[Lar]

With SpaceX scrub, NASA again demonstrates commitment to innovation..

"The agency is investing in keeping the United States on the leading edge."

ERIC BERGER - 5/7/2019, 6:54 AM

https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/05/with-spacex-scrub-nasa-again-demonstrates-commitment-to-innovation/?comments=1

YMMV but this seems hugely significant to me.