SpaceX F9 / Dragon 2 : CRS2 SpX-21 - Mission Updates : Dec - Jan (2020/21)

• #180 by Ken the Bin on 05 Dec, 2020 20:07
• New notices from the NGA.
  
  Backup Day = Tuesday, December 8 at ~15:28 UTC.
  
  New:
  

  Quote from: NGA

  051456Z DEC 20
  NAVAREA IV 1176/20(11,26).
  WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
  FLORIDA.
  1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
     061607Z TO 061653Z DEC, ALTERNATE
     081518Z TO 081603Z DEC
     IN AREAS BOUND BY:
     A. 28-39-01N 080-37-42W, 29-02-00N 080-09-00W,
        28-59-00N 080-05-00W, 28-38-00N 080-24-00W,
        28-33-02N 080-33-55W.
     B. 32-12-00N 076-43-00W, 32-55-00N 075-49-00W,
        32-41-00N 075-36-00W, 31-57-00N 076-27-00W.
  2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 1163/20.
  3. CANCEL THIS MSG 081703Z DEC 20.

  Quote from: NGA

  051513Z DEC 20
  HYDROPAC 3601/20(61,74,75).
  INDIAN OCEAN.
  SOUTHEASTERN INDIAN OCEAN.
  DNC 03, DNC 04.
  1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
     061646Z TO 061727Z DEC, ALTERNATE
     081557Z TO 081637Z DEC
     IN AREA BOUND BY
     20-47S 079-46E, 20-12S 081-13E,
     25-34S 088-19E, 36-18S 101-47E,
     47-20S 119-50E, 48-34S 119-08E,
     48-10S 115-48E, 43-51S 104-04E,
     37-44S 093-56E, 28-42S 084-39E,
     24-10S 081-13E.
  2. CANCEL HYDROPAC 3535/20.
  3. CANCEL THIS MSG 081737Z DEC 20.

  
  Canceled:
  

  Quote from: NGA

  300911Z NOV 20
  NAVAREA IV 1163/20(11,26).
  WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
  FLORIDA.
  1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
     051629Z TO 051715Z DEC, ALTERNATE
     061607Z TO 061653Z DEC
     IN AREAS BOUND BY:
     A. 28-39-01N 080-37-42W, 29-02-00N 080-09-00W,
        28-59-00N 080-05-00W, 28-38-00N 080-24-00W,
        28-33-02N 080-33-55W.
     B. 32-12-00N 076-43-00W, 32-55-00N 075-49-00W,
        32-41-00N 075-36-00W, 31-57-00N 076-27-00W.
  2. CANCEL THIS MSG 061753Z DEC 20.

  Quote from: NGA

  300925Z NOV 20
  HYDROPAC 3535/20(61,74,75).
  INDIAN OCEAN.
  SOUTHEASTERN INDIAN OCEAN.
  DNC 03, DNC 04.
  1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
     051708Z TO 051749Z DEC, ALTERNATE
     061646Z TO 061727Z DEC
     IN AREA BOUND BY
     20-47S 079-46E, 20-12S 081-13E,
     25-34S 088-19E, 36-18S 101-47E,
     47-20S 119-50E, 48-34S 119-08E,
     48-10S 115-48E, 43-51S 104-04E,
     37-44S 093-56E, 28-42S 084-39E,
     24-10S 081-13E.
  2. CANCEL THIS MSG 061827Z DEC 20.
• #181 by Danderman on 06 Dec, 2020 07:28
• Quote from: Jansen on 01 Dec, 2020 04:59

  Well that seems pretty official
  
  Bishop airlock 1090 kg
  

  
  If total cargo is 3000 kg, why does the launch of a 22,000 kg capability Falcon 5 require a downrange recovery of the first stage? Unless the Cargo Dragon dry mass is well over 10,000 kg, there should be plenty of mass available for a RTLS recovery of the first stage.
  
• #182 by hopalong on 06 Dec, 2020 07:44
• Quote from: Danderman on 06 Dec, 2020 07:28

  Quote from: Jansen on 01 Dec, 2020 04:59

  Well that seems pretty official
  
  Bishop airlock 1090 kg
  

  
  If total cargo is 3000 kg, why does the launch of a 22,000 kg capability Falcon 5 require a downrange recovery of the first stage? Unless the Cargo Dragon dry mass is well over 10,000 kg, there should be plenty of mass available for a RTLS recovery of the first stage.
  

  
  The payload to the ISS orbit with RTLS is 10,860Kg, ASDS is 14,460Kg. - NASA's performance website.
• #183 by Jansen on 06 Dec, 2020 12:15
• https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/12/03/falcon-9-crs-21-mission-status-center/

  Quote from: Spaceflight Now

  As the countdown clocks tick down, the crew access arm at pad 39A has retracted from the Cargo Dragon capsule. For this cargo-only mission it was used to stow last-minute cargo aboard the spacecraft. For crew missions the arm remains partially extended in case it needs to be quickly moved into position for an evacuation of the astronauts, but for Cargo Dragon it has been tucked away against the side of the launch pad gantry.
• #184 by Jansen on 06 Dec, 2020 12:23
• Quote from: Danderman on 06 Dec, 2020 07:28

  Quote from: Jansen on 01 Dec, 2020 04:59

  Well that seems pretty official
  
  Bishop airlock 1090 kg
  

  
  If total cargo is 3000 kg, why does the launch of a 22,000 kg capability Falcon 5 require a downrange recovery of the first stage? Unless the Cargo Dragon dry mass is well over 10,000 kg, there should be plenty of mass available for a RTLS recovery of the first stage.
  

  
  Cargo Dragon dry mass - 9,525 kg
  Cargo mass - 2,973 kg
  Total mass = 12,498 kg
  
  Max mass to ISS with RTLS - 10,860 kg
  Source: NASA Launch Services Program
• #185 by FutureSpaceTourist on 06 Dec, 2020 12:26
• https://twitter.com/astronaut_87/status/1335564165180698628
  
  

  Quote

  Let's try this again. Beautiful weather is now is 50° degrees. Let's launch this bad boy CRS-21 which is taking cargo and science experiments to the @Space_Station
• #186 by Jansen on 06 Dec, 2020 12:59
• Official SpaceX CRS-21 patch - Hi Res

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• #187 by Jansen on 06 Dec, 2020 13:09
• 
  
  NSF livestream coverage starts at 1010 ET (1510 GMT)
• #188 by kdhilliard on 06 Dec, 2020 13:19
• Quote from: Jansen on 06 Dec, 2020 12:23

  ...
  Cargo Dragon dry mass - 9,525 kg
  Cargo mass - 2,973 kg
  Total mass = 12,498 kg
  
  Max mass to ISS with RTLS - 10,860 kg
  Source: NASA Launch Services Program
  

  
  That "9,525 kg" comes from a statement prior to the 2015 Pad Abort Test that the stack (Prototype Crew Dragon and Trunk) was in excess of 21,000 pounds dry, plus around 3,500 pounds of propellant.  I don't believe we know what the dry mass of an operational Cargo Dragon 2 is, nor how much propellant is onboard.  That 9,525 kg might be the best we have, but it's unlikely to be accurate.
• #189 by otter on 06 Dec, 2020 13:34
• https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1335592227251212292
  
  

  Quote

  All systems are go for the updated cargo version of Dragon’s first flight to the @space_station. Weather is 60% favorable for launch, and the webcast will begin ~15 minutes ahead of liftoff → http://spacex.com/launches
• #190 by Jansen on 06 Dec, 2020 13:41
• NASA TV coverage of the Falcon 9 launch begins at 10:45 a.m. EST (1545 GMT)
  
  
• #191 by Jansen on 06 Dec, 2020 13:43
• https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/12/03/falcon-9-crs-21-mission-status-center/
  

  Quote

  The countdown clock at NASA's Kennedy Space Center is timed for liftoff of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Cargo Dragon spaceship at 11:17:08 a.m. EST (1617:08 GMT).
• #192 by Rondaz on 06 Dec, 2020 13:58
• SpaceX Falcon 9 and Cargo Dragon Stand Ready for CRS-21 Launch
  
  Danielle Sempsrott Posted on December 6, 2020
  
  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and cargo Dragon spacecraft stand ready for liftoff at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida for the company’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-21) mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for today, Dec. 6, at 11:17 a.m. EST.
  
  Meteorologists with the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing are predicting a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for today’s launch, with the primary concern revolving around the thick cloud layer rule.
  
  Some of the science that will be delivered on this mission includes 3D engineered heart tissues for a study that will examine how prolonged exposure to microgravity affects the human heart, meteorite samples and microbes to research the formation and biomining of asteroid material in space, and a study that will observe how brain organoids respond to microgravity. More information on these and additional payloads can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/spacex-21-research-highlights..
  
  https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacexcrs21/2020/12/06/spacex-falcon-9-and-cargo-dragon-stand-ready-for-crs-21-launch/
• #193 by FutureSpaceTourist on 06 Dec, 2020 14:19
• NSF live has started
  
  

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• #194 by FutureSpaceTourist on 06 Dec, 2020 14:20
• https://twitter.com/superclusterhq/status/1335604754442039296
  
  

  Quote

  The #SpaceX Dragon 2
  
  Crew variant (Crew-1) // Cargo variant (CRS-21)
  
  Captured by @johnkrausphotos for Supercluster
• #195 by FutureSpaceTourist on 06 Dec, 2020 14:21
• #196 by Steven Pietrobon on 06 Dec, 2020 14:30
• NSF coverage has started.

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• #197 by Steven Pietrobon on 06 Dec, 2020 14:39
• T-38 minutes. The SpaceX Launch Director should be verifying go for propellant load about now.

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• #198 by Steven Pietrobon on 06 Dec, 2020 14:42
• T-35 minutes. First and second stage RP-1 and first stage LOX loading should be starting about now.

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• #199 by Steven Pietrobon on 06 Dec, 2020 14:43
• NASA coverage starting in two minutes.

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