The NASA insignia for SpaceX's CRS-20 (SpX 20) Dragon cargo flight (plus mice) to the International Space Station, currently scheduled for March 2020:
So the two is a checkered flag?The finish?
Quote from: intelati on 12/26/2019 12:14 pmSo the two is a checkered flag?The finish?Yes, final mission for SpaceX under CRS 1. Also final mission for CRS 1 overall.
Perhaps they built a total of 11 Capsules.
Quote from: woods170 on 12/26/2019 05:19 pmQuote from: intelati on 12/26/2019 12:14 pmSo the two is a checkered flag?The finish?Yes, final mission for SpaceX under CRS 1. Also final mission for CRS 1 overall.I thought that. ThanksQuote from: rcoppola on 12/26/2019 07:10 pmPerhaps they built a total of 11 Capsules.Looks like it. C100-101 were development capsules. C102-113 were used on CRS missions
Quote from: intelati on 12/26/2019 07:13 pmQuote from: woods170 on 12/26/2019 05:19 pmQuote from: intelati on 12/26/2019 12:14 pmSo the two is a checkered flag?The finish?Yes, final mission for SpaceX under CRS 1. Also final mission for CRS 1 overall.I thought that. ThanksQuote from: rcoppola on 12/26/2019 07:10 pmPerhaps they built a total of 11 Capsules.Looks like it. C100-101 were development capsules. C102-113 were used on CRS missionsSo to spell it out:2 development capsules built for crs112 capsules built for crs111 of the development capsules made it to the ISS due to the loss of one.Carl
CRS-20 will be the last use of Dragon with a Common Berthing Mechanism--the "0" of the "20."The Cargo Dragons will dock as do the Crew Dragons.
Quote from: MattMason on 12/27/2019 12:24 pmCRS-20 will be the last use of Dragon with a Common Berthing Mechanism--the "0" of the "20."The Cargo Dragons will dock as do the Crew Dragons.Do we know that for certain? I thought the CRS2 contract for SpaceX allowed NASA to choose between a Dragon 1 or Dragon 2 for each mission based on payload needs?
Bartolomeo will now be subject to further inspections and final functional tests with NASA at the Kennedy Space Center before being integrated into a Dragon space transporter. The launch is currently scheduled for 2 March 2020.
NASA Kennedy FollowKSC-20200130-PH-JBS01_0046Airbus workers unpack the Bartolomeo platform in the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 30, 2020. Bartolomeo was manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. The platform will be delivered to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 20th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-20) mission for the agency. The platform will attach to the exterior of the space station’s European Columbus Module. Named for the younger brother of Christopher Columbus, the platform has the capability to host external payloads in low-Earth orbit on the station. CRS-20 is scheduled to launch aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket in March 2020. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky
QuoteNASA Kennedy FollowKSC-20200130-PH-JBS01_0046Airbus workers unpack the Bartolomeo platform in the Space Station Processing Facility high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 30, 2020. Bartolomeo was manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space. The platform will be delivered to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 20th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-20) mission for the agency. The platform will attach to the exterior of the space station’s European Columbus Module. Named for the younger brother of Christopher Columbus, the platform has the capability to host external payloads in low-Earth orbit on the station. CRS-20 is scheduled to launch aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket in March 2020. Photo credit: NASA/Ben SmegelskySome extra photos.https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/49497254482/
How many times has SpX 20 Dragon flown before? What were the flights? Also what is the Capsule number for this Capsule?
The next @SpaceX cargo mission to @Space_Station is prepping for launch. What's on board? Research includes high-tech materials, conserving water, 3D printing and @ESA's Bartolomeo platform for science: go.nasa.gov/3bPWa6VMore in a telecon at 1pm ET: go.nasa.gov/2SZKq9c
SpaceX proposed both Dragon 1 and Dragon 2. NASA chose Dragon 2. The choice was made when the contracts were signed.
Quote from: soltasto on 12/27/2019 01:34 pmSpaceX proposed both Dragon 1 and Dragon 2. NASA chose Dragon 2. The choice was made when the contracts were signed.Am I assuming correctly, that in order for the first flight of CRS-2 to take place with a Dragon 2, the crewed DM-2 needs to be completed first? Or will new dedicated Dragon 2's be built with no Super Dracos?
Per L2, launch date now 3/6 @ 23:50 local.
Also from NASA, SpaceX CRS-20 launch now scheduled for March 6 at 11:50 pm ET bc needed to swap out second stage.
SpaceX is now targeting March 6 at 11:50 p.m. EST for launch of its 20th commercial resupply services mission (CRS-20) to the International Space Station. During standard preflight inspections, SpaceX identified a valve motor on the second stage engine behaving not as expected and determined the safest and most expedient path to launch is to utilize the next second stage in line that was already at the Cape and ready for flight. The new second stage has already completed the same preflight inspections with all hardware behaving as expected. The updated target launch date provides the time required to complete preflight integration and final checkouts.The cargo Dragon will lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida carrying more than 5,600 pounds of science investigations and cargo to the station, including research on particle foam manufacturing, water droplet formation, the human intestine and other cutting-edge investigations.
SpaceX identified a valve motor on the second stage engine behaving not as expected and determined the safest and most expedient path to launch is to utilize the next second stage in line that was already at the Cape and ready for flight.
QuoteSpaceX identified a valve motor on the second stage engine behaving not as expected and determined the safest and most expedient path to launch is to utilize the next second stage in line that was already at the Cape and ready for flight.It's nice to have a spare just lying around (I know it was probably for the next Starlink launch, but still...).
It's nice to have a spare just lying around (I know it was probably for the next Starlink launch, but still...).
Of course we don't really know what the issue with the original stage is, and what it would have taken to resolve if they didn't have another stage available.
Quote from: mn on 02/27/2020 02:08 pmOf course we don't really know what the issue with the original stage is, and what it would have taken to resolve if they didn't have another stage available.A valve motor on the 2nd stage engine wasn't behaving as expected. https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2020/02/25/spacex-crs-20-launch-targeted-for-march-6/
My point was that we have no idea what it would have taken to resolve had they not had a spare stage handy. We can't really say that having a stage handy 'saved' CRS20 from 'much longer delays' without this info.
SpaceX's Starlink launch ambitions may have saved a space station resupply mission from big delays
edit/gongora: link on NASA site https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/2020/02/25/spacex-crs-20-launch-targeted-for-march-6/QuoteSpaceX is now targeting March 6 at 11:50 p.m. EST for launch of its 20th commercial resupply services mission (CRS-20) to the International Space Station. During standard preflight inspections, SpaceX identified a valve motor on the second stage engine behaving not as expected and determined the safest and most expedient path to launch is to utilize the next second stage in line that was already at the Cape and ready for flight. The new second stage has already completed the same preflight inspections with all hardware behaving as expected. The updated target launch date provides the time required to complete preflight integration and final checkouts.
SpaceX is now targeting March 6 at 11:50 p.m. EST for launch of its 20th commercial resupply services mission (CRS-20) to the International Space Station. During standard preflight inspections, SpaceX identified a valve motor on the second stage engine behaving not as expected and determined the safest and most expedient path to launch is to utilize the next second stage in line that was already at the Cape and ready for flight. The new second stage has already completed the same preflight inspections with all hardware behaving as expected. The updated target launch date provides the time required to complete preflight integration and final checkouts.
This is epic. I can't get over the fact that SpaceX spaceflight technology is becoming off the shelf.
Quote from the Teslarati tweet:QuoteSpaceX's Starlink launch ambitions may have saved a space station resupply mission from big delaysI call "shenanigans" on the Teslarati use of the phrase "big delays."
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 02/27/2020 04:40 pmQuote from the Teslarati tweet:QuoteSpaceX's Starlink launch ambitions may have saved a space station resupply mission from big delaysI call "shenanigans" on the Teslarati use of the phrase "big delays."That's fair, I think it was changed from "bigger" (my intention). We don't know if Starlink L7 is actually targeted for March and three missions are already scheduled, including two for paying customers (CRS-20, SAOCOM 1B), so it seems safe to assume that if Starlink L6 hadn't been planned in early March, CRS-20's delays would have been more like 2-3 weeks, maybe longer.
SpaceX has to believe that the second stage issue should be fixed by that date and this is what the delay would probably be for the CRS-20 mission, more or less.
Or, alternatively, SpaceX is more willing to accept a possible delay on a Starlink flight, which has no external customer and no external dependencies (ISS scheduling is complicated), than a CRS flight.
Drop shadow fanatics rejoice – launch hazard area issued for next #SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral. Targeting 2350 ET Friday (3/6 despite what document says) liftoff from LC 40. Last Dragon 1 flight before Dragon 2 takes over.
With that NOTAMS, what's the best estimate of time and location of the stage2 deorbit burn -- just to determine potential ground viewing opportunity?
The SpaceX webcast for the mission is up and shows a launch time of 2:50 AM on March 7. I have not seen this update anywhere else. Is this a mistake?
http://tropic.ssec.wisc.edu/real-time/atlantic/movies/wg8midshr/wg8midshr_loop.htmlMid level shear looks bad for tomorrow!
Quote from: marsbase on 03/06/2020 02:46 amThe SpaceX webcast for the mission is up and shows a launch time of 2:50 AM on March 7. I have not seen this update anywhere else. Is this a mistake?I imagine they put 2:50am thinking that 11:50pm is the time in PST (Hawthorne) when it is actually 11:50pm EST so in PST it would be 8:50pm PST. Messing with timezones on the webcast time is not really new
And to add even more confusion, the SpaceX Webcast page now says that the backup date is Saturday, March 8 (Saturday is March 7) or in UTC time Sunday, March 9 (Sunday is March 8 ). Is nobody in that office paying any attention at all? https://www.spacex.com/webcast
From musk, they are going to push the envelope with landing tonight in high winds:https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1236116600245256192
I don't see a mission control audio feed for this launch, I suppose there isn't one unless I'm not looking in the right place?
MISSION CONTROL AUDIOApproximately 45 minutes before liftoff, audio from mission control will be available at youtube.com/spacex.
Quote from: DigitalMan on 03/07/2020 02:58 amI don't see a mission control audio feed for this launch, I suppose there isn't one unless I'm not looking in the right place?Good question. It was promised by the press kit https://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/crs-20_mission_press_kit.pdfQuoteMISSION CONTROL AUDIOApproximately 45 minutes before liftoff, audio from mission control will be available at youtube.com/spacex.
It's here:
ANY information on time of stage-2 deorbit burn?
Bob Christy @Zarya_Info has done a very nice analysis of the expected stage 2 deorbit burn at https://zarya.info/Diaries/US/SpaceXCRS-20Launch.php
Beautiful, clear views of the launch from Hilton Head Island! Had a wonderful interaction with some random bystanders enjoying a toke and stroll as well as a man and his father who were also out on the beach for the launch.Was stage separation up high enough to be in sunlight or was it too late for that, because we had clear views of the second stage and first stage plumes interacting as well as the second stage jellyfish.
When I saw that boostback burn phenomenon from the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach campus, I was like, "Holy s***!"It was only the second time I ever saw that in person.
Quote from: ZachS09 on 03/07/2020 03:18 pmWhen I saw that boostback burn phenomenon from the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach campus, I was like, "Holy s***!"It was only the second time I ever saw that in person.I share your enthusiasm, if not your generation’s way of expressing being overwhelmed by the beauty of the fluid and radiant plume impingement. 😉I am a little jealous that you got to see it in person. The photos and videos are marvelous, but we know launches are better observed by eye.
Is there no post launch press conference this time? Did I miss it?
Quote from: Comga on 03/07/2020 08:59 pmQuote from: ZachS09 on 03/07/2020 03:18 pmWhen I saw that boostback burn phenomenon from the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach campus, I was like, "Holy s***!"It was only the second time I ever saw that in person.I share your enthusiasm, if not your generation’s way of expressing being overwhelmed by the beauty of the fluid and radiant plume impingement. 😉I am a little jealous that you got to see it in person. The photos and videos are marvelous, but we know launches are better observed by eye. I used to film launches and/or Falcon booster landings for fun, but I stopped doing it because of the slightly low-res quality on my camera. I think it’s better to see it with my own eyes.
Serious layman's question. Using the Canadarm to grasp Dragon has been working well for years. Dragon 2 will direct dock. But what are the trade-off between the two methods? Seems obvious that they wouldn't switch to direct docking unless that is considered an improvement. Is it safety? Time? Wear and tear on the grasping arm? Genuinely curious.
Quote from: mmonce on 03/09/2020 01:58 pmSerious layman's question. Using the Canadarm to grasp Dragon has been working well for years. Dragon 2 will direct dock. But what are the trade-off between the two methods? Seems obvious that they wouldn't switch to direct docking unless that is considered an improvement. Is it safety? Time? Wear and tear on the grasping arm? Genuinely curious.Capture with the arm is work intensive and imposes quite a number of additional constraints.1. You need crew on the station. The crew needs to be available (time, sleep-schedule)2. That means you also lose valuable science time for berthing maneuvers3. You need favorable visual conditions to capture for astronauts to see.4. The robotic arm needs to be working and operational. There is only one arm, if its offline, no vehicle can visit. (Which prevents supplying spare parts for said arm)5. The procedure takes longer than docking.6. The process is more error prone (Getting the capsule safely and drifting with zero vector in the capture position is actually slightly harder than an automated docking approach from a guidance and control point of view. As the capsule ends up in free drift in very close proximity to the station, velocity vector needs to match with extreme precision to not drift too far during capture operation)In contrast, the biggest advantage of berthing is the wider hatch, allowing easy transfer of bulky items. The IDA - especially being at the end of the former shuttle adapters - is pretty narrow and everything has to be transported through an oddly-shaped access tunnel. Bringing entire science racks through there to be installed on the station isn't possible. (But if needed, they can be brought up on Cygnus and brought and returned on Dreamchaser)
A bigger factor than not being able to get on would be not being able to get off, if the arm wasn't an option for any reason.
In contrast, the biggest advantage of berthing is the wider hatch, allowing easy transfer of bulky items. The IDA - especially being at the end of the former shuttle adapters - is pretty narrow and everything has to be transported through an oddly-shaped access tunnel. Bringing entire science racks through there to be installed on the station isn't possible. (But if needed, they can be brought up on Cygnus and brought and returned on Dreamchaser)
Is there anything preventing a visiting spacecraft from performing a docking operation to the berthing position on ISS without using the Canadarm?
Also I believe a VV in that close using rcs would have some impingement on the ISS itself which I think is a rule violation no?
Isn't the picture upside-down?
Quote from: Vettedrmr on 03/11/2020 05:48 pmIsn't the picture upside-down?I don't think the ISS has any enemy gates, so there's no way of knowing which way is down.
Quote from: pb2000 on 03/11/2020 06:17 pmQuote from: Vettedrmr on 03/11/2020 05:48 pmIsn't the picture upside-down?I don't think the ISS has any enemy gates, so there's no way of knowing which way is down.Actually, the person taking the picture IS looking down and the folks in the Dragon are looking up (as referenced from the center of the big blue marble anyway), since the Dragon is docked to the Nadir port of Harmony, right??
The caption says Morgan is at the top and Meir is at the bottom, but in the picture, Meir is at the top. So picture is upside-down.
Ear...place on nadir windowduring a day pass andswitch off all lightsThen look up
Quote from: Vettedrmr on 03/11/2020 05:48 pmIsn't the picture upside-down?I think it’s sideways, per station LVLH coordinates given the way the hatch is stowed (which is usually “up” toward the nadir per the original designs), but don’t recall for sure. In microgravity, it doesn’t really matter though does it?More amusing to me, a former Space Station Freedom/ISS design engineer, are the legacy decals on the Station side of the CBM hatch that that say “TO MPLM —>” .
https://twitter.com/spacebd_inc/status/1206857372964016129
