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

[mheney]

Some curious discrepancies from what we've seen in the past:

1)  Hosted Webcast didn't have pre-launch and some post-launch audio callouts as usual.  Hope that is just a one-off.
2)  The OCISLY Camera angle doesn't seem to match the normal one where you can get a decent sense of the landing against the "landing circle"
3)  The Stage 1 seems to have landing very far toward the near end of the droneship pretty.  Will be interesting to see if that's right and how close to bad it might have been.

I noticed that as well - the view looks like it landed a lot closer to the camera position than usual. 

Still "On the ship and upright" is a good landing. That's why they made the ship bigger than just the target circle ...

[edkyle99]

Right before the downlink cut out, Stage 2 was pitching up over Eastern Europe, probably preparing for its deorbit maneuvers, etc.  Dragon 2 was still in view from the front end of the stage until the pitch up.

 - Ed Kyle

[yg1968]

Some pretty decent roll on the droneship!

Has any footage (or photos) been released of the internals of Cargo Dragon?

Yes, see the image in this tweet:

https://twitter.com/genejm29/status/1334973148723376128

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/WordsmithFL/status/1335629303443288064

[Welsh Dragon]

Some curious discrepancies from what we've seen in the past:

1)  Hosted Webcast didn't have pre-launch and some post-launch audio callouts as usual.  Hope that is just a one-off.
2)  The OCISLY Camera angle doesn't seem to match the normal one where you can get a decent sense of the landing against the "landing circle"
3)  The Stage 1 seems to have landing very far toward the near end of the droneship pretty.  Will be interesting to see if that's right and how close to bad it might have been.

The mission control audio stream was silent too. I suspect technical issues.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1335634333806292993

Liftoff! The #CRS21 mission is underway with the new Cargo Dragon carrying science and supplies for the astronauts living aboard the ISS.

Article by @tobycorbett01 for @NASASpaceflight:
nasaspaceflight.com/2020/12/spacex…

https://twitter.com/spacecoast_stve/status/1335634342060634113

#Falcon9 booster B1058 getting the work done during the first few minutes of flight. This is the 4th flight for this booster, the first of which launch Bob and Doug on #DM2 back in May. She’s a busy booster!

[SciNews]

main events of the launch

[Herb Schaltegger]

Some curious discrepancies from what we've seen in the past:

1)  Hosted Webcast didn't have pre-launch and some post-launch audio callouts as usual.  Hope that is just a one-off.
2)  The OCISLY Camera angle doesn't seem to match the normal one where you can get a decent sense of the landing against the "landing circle"
3)  The Stage 1 seems to have landing very far toward the near end of the droneship pretty.  Will be interesting to see if that's right and how close to bad it might have been.

I noticed that as well - the view looks like it landed a lot closer to the camera position than usual. 

It's really hard to tell much from that droneship cam except that "Landed intact" seems to be accurate. If you go back and re-watch, that was a REALLY strong fisheye lens. Notice the artificial curvature of the sea level in the background. So with that kind of distortion, it's just really difficult to tell how accurate the landing was as measured from the X in the target ring.

That said, another discrepancy compared to prior missions was that they switched to the interstage view for MECO and stage separation sooner than usual - I don't know if there was some kind of delay in the video feed, but combined with the near-silent and rather more awkward than usual launch commentary, I was beginning to fear some kind of failure of the stages to separate there. I wonder if there was some kind of first stage over-performance that led to MECO a couple seconds early and consequently delayed stage sep until a specified altitude or downrange point?

[FutureSpaceTourist]

SpaceX (Ben Cooper) launch image attached.

Also:

https://twitter.com/johnkrausphotos/status/1335648086719401984

From the pad: Falcon 9 B1058 lifts off on its fourth mission, launching SpaceX’s Dragon resupply spacecraft en route to the International Space Station with thousands of pounds of cargo and science for the station’s seven-person crew.

📷: Me for @SuperclusterHQ

[Joffan]

Some curious discrepancies from what we've seen in the past:

1)  Hosted Webcast didn't have pre-launch and some post-launch audio callouts as usual.  Hope that is just a one-off.
2)  The OCISLY Camera angle doesn't seem to match the normal one where you can get a decent sense of the landing against the "landing circle"
3)  The Stage 1 seems to have landing very far toward the near end of the droneship pretty.  Will be interesting to see if that's right and how close to bad it might have been.

The mission control audio stream was silent too. I suspect technical issues.

Yeah the webcast eventually reconnected with the mission callouts at about T+5:50

[SMS]

https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1335657185909432321

[freda]

And... it was interesting to see only two fins on the trunk rather than the four that I expected.

[ZachS09]

And... it was interesting to see only two fins on the trunk rather than the four that I expected.

They didn’t need two extra for Cargo Dragon mainly because it doesn’t have abort capability.

[TrevorMonty]

And... it was interesting to see only two fins on the trunk rather than the four that I expected.

Four fins help stablise it during launch abort on crew version. Cargo version doesn't support LAS, mass savings can be used to carry more cargo.

[Rondaz]

SpaceX’s CRS-21 Underway; Upgraded Cargo Dragon En Route to Space Station

Danielle Sempsrott Posted on December 6, 2020

SpaceX’s upgraded cargo Dragon spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station after launching atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff occurred at 11:17 a.m. EST.

The first launch for SpaceX under NASA’s second Commercial Resupply Services contract, CRS-21 will deliver supplies, equipment, and materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur aboard the orbiting laboratory during Expeditions 64 and 65.

Included in this delivery is the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock, the first commercially owned and operated airlock that, once installed, will provide a variety of capabilities to the space station, such as payload hosting, robotics testing, and satellite deployment. It also will serve as an outside toolbox for crew members conducting spacewalks.

Dragon is scheduled to arrive at the space station tomorrow, Dec. 7. At approximately 1:30 p.m. EST, the spacecraft will autonomously dock to the station’s Harmony module – the first automated docking for a SpaceX cargo resupply mission. Live coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. EST on NASA TV and the agency’s website. NASA astronauts and Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover will monitor docking operations.

Cargo Dragon’s arrival at the space station will mark the first time two Dragon spacecraft will be docked to the orbiting laboratory at the same time. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Resilience, that brought the Crew-1 astronauts has been docked since its arrival on Nov. 16.

The cargo Dragon spacecraft will remain attached to the space station for about one month, after which it will return to Earth with 5,200 pounds of research and return cargo, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacexcrs21/2020/12/06/spacexs-crs-21-underway-upgraded-cargo-dragon-en-route-to-space-station/

[Thorny]

Four fins help stablise it during launch abort on crew version. Cargo version doesn't support LAS, mass savings can be used to carry more cargo.

So why does it still have two?

[AC in NC]

Four fins help stablise it during launch abort on crew version. Cargo version doesn't support LAS, mass savings can be used to carry more cargo.

So why does it still have two?

Solar cells are mounted on the other two and the benefits outweighed taking them off.

[Rocketdog2116]

Interestingly Crew dragon rolls solar array down during launch but cargo dragon rolls solar array up during launch.

[Danderman]

And... it was interesting to see only two fins on the trunk rather than the four that I expected.

They didn’t need two extra for Cargo Dragon mainly because it doesn’t have abort capability.

I think you mean boosted abort. If the rocket has a bad day at altitude, the Dragon can still pop out parachutes and land in the water.

[Orbiter]

My shots today from Playalinda Beach with a 6" F/5 Reflector telescope.