posted 02-13-2014 03:39 PM               

Please use this topic to discuss the third of SpaceX's 12 contracted Dragon cargo flights to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) Program.

posted 02-13-2014 03:42 PM               

Cover the next SpaceX launch in-person at Kennedy Space Center

NASA is inviting social media users to apply for credentials to attend the March 16, 2014 launch for the next cargo resupply flight to the International Space Station (ISS) by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX).

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is targeted to liftoff at 4:41 a.m. EST March 16 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

A maximum of 50 social media users will be selected to attend the two-day event on Mar. 15 and 16 and will be given the same access as news media in an effort to align the experience of social media representatives with those of traditional media. NASA Social media accreditation for the SpaceX launch opens at 3 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 7. For U.S. social media, the deadline to apply is 3:00 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 19. All social media accreditation applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

NASA Social participants will have the opportunity to:

• view a launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket
  
• tour NASA facilities at Kennedy Space Center
  
• speak with representatives from both NASA and SpaceX
  
• view and take photographs of the SpaceX launch pad
  
• meet fellow space enthusiasts who are active on social media
  
• meet members of SpaceX and NASA's social media teams

posted 02-23-2014 07:53 PM               

Mounting landing legs (~60 ft span) to Falcon 9 for next month's Space Station servicing flight.

On Friday (Feb. 21), I had a chance to talk with Garrett Reisman (who is SpaceX's commercial crew project manager) after a commercial spaceflight panel discussion here in Houston. He confirmed that they will attempt to deploy the legs as part of a Falcon 9 first stage "soft landing" in the ocean.

posted 03-13-2014 04:21 PM               

SpaceX's CRS-3 Dragon launch delayed

To ensure the highest possible level of mission assurance and to allow additional time to resolve remaining open items, SpaceX is now targeting March 30 for the CRS-3 launch, with April 2 as a back-up. These [dates] represent the earliest available launch opportunities given existing schedules, and are currently pending approval with the range.

Both the Falcon 9 and Dragon are in good health; given the critical payloads on board and significant upgrades to Dragon, the additional time will ensure SpaceX does everything possible on the ground to prepare for a successful launch.

Additional details on exact liftoff time, etc. will be available as we get closer to launch.

posted 03-25-2014 12:57 PM               

SpaceX launch to space station reset for March 30

SpaceX has confirmed that it will target its next cargo mission launch to the International Space Station from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, for March 30 at 10:49 p.m. EDT (0249 GMT March 31). An on-time launch would result in the Dragon spacecraft arriving at the station on April 2 at approximately 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT).

posted 03-26-2014 11:59 PM               

SpaceX has confirmed that Sunday's (March 30) launch of its third contracted resupply mission to the International Space Station has been postponed due to a range asset issue. More information including a new target launch date will be posted as it becomes available.

posted 03-28-2014 11:31 AM               

Range officials determine cause of instrumentation outage

A mandatory range asset supporting the NROL-67 [and CRS-3] launch went offline, March 24, 2014. An investigation revealed a tracking radar experienced an electrical short, overheating the unit and rendering it inoperable. The outage resulted in an inability to meet minimum public safety requirements needed for flight, so the launch was postponed.

Initial assessment indicates repair of the tracking radar will take approximately three weeks. The Air Force is evaluating the feasibility of returning an inactive radar to full mission capability to resume operations sooner. The launch schedule impact is to be determined, pending resolution of the anomaly. Early indications are all launches scheduled for FY14 will be supported. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

posted 04-04-2014 03:51 PM               

SpaceX CRS-3 launch reset for April 14

The next SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch Monday, April 14, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The company's Falcon 9 rocket, carrying its Dragon cargo spacecraft, will lift off at approximately 4:58 p.m. EDT. NASA TV coverage of the launch begins at 3:45 p.m. If for any reason the launch is postponed, the next launch opportunity is Friday, April 18 at approximately 3:25 p.m.

The mission, designated SpaceX-3, is the third of 12 SpaceX flights contracted by NASA to resupply the space station. It will be the fourth trip by a Dragon spacecraft to the orbiting laboratory.

The spacecraft will be filled with almost 5,000 pounds of scientific experiments and supplies. The Dragon will remain attached to the space station's Harmony module until mid-May and splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California with more than 3,000 pounds of experiment samples and equipment returning from the station.

If launch occurs April 14, NASA TV will provide live coverage Wednesday, April 16, of the arrival of the Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station. Grapple and berthing coverage will begin at 5:45 a.m. with grapple at approximately 7 a.m. Berthing coverage begins at 9:30 a.m.

posted 04-14-2014 09:16 AM               

SpaceX to launch CRS-3 mission to ISS today

Today, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are set to launch the CRS-3 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA. Liftoff is targeted for 4:58 p.m. EDT from SpaceX's Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Dragon is loaded with nearly 5,000 pounds of supplies and science experiments bound for the ISS, and if all goes according to plan, the spacecraft will berth with the space station around 7:00 a.m. EDT on Wednesday (April 16).

posted 04-14-2014 02:50 PM               

Helium leak scrubs SpaceX launch attempt

SpaceX scrubbed today's launch of the CRS-3 mission at 3:39 p.m. EDT (1939 GMT) due to a helium leak from the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage.

A SpaceX representatives said that the company expects to be able to resolve the issue in time for their next launch opportunity on Friday (April 18) at 3:25 p.m. EDT (1925 GMT).

The weather forecast for Friday however, calls for only a 40 percent chance of favorable conditions.

posted 04-16-2014 09:20 AM               

Here are a few photos of the Falcon 9 and Dragon on the pad at Launch Complex 40, taken before Monday's scrub.

posted 04-18-2014 07:10 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by dabolton:
Any chance it could float like shuttle SRB's?

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On edit: Or maybe not... from @elonmusk:

Data upload from tracking plane shows landing in Atlantic was good! Several boats enroute through heavy seas.

Flight computers continued transmitting for 8 seconds after reaching the water. Stopped when booster went horizontal.

posted 04-20-2014 11:20 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Aeropix:
I know that CRS-1 was beset with this difficulty also.

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posted 04-20-2014 02:30 PM               

1. Operational results... did SpaceX have any telemetry or video feed on the landing legs deployment? Has there been any updates on the results of this experiment?

2. What is NASA's stance on the use of the operational CRS flights for conduct of such experiments? As the "customer" does NASA have any objection, or contractual limitations on the conduct of such experiments while fulfilling the obligations of the resupply contract?

I'm guessing that since additional non-ISS cargo and experimental items have been carried on the Dragon flights to date that NASA doesn't care so long as the contracted cargo is delivered to the ISS, but what are the limitations of such indulgence? Could NASA, as the customer, insist that such items not be carried if additional upmass were required on future flights?

Seems like the Falcon/Dragon system must have a lot of untapped lifting potential if these items can be routinely carried while fulfilling the contract. I wonder then, if the system is being under-utilized, since there seems to be plenty of performance available to fulfill the primary mission while carrying these extra items.

posted 04-20-2014 03:00 PM               

1. SpaceX has not made any public statements about the landing legs. As noted upthread, they received telemetry about the status of the first stage through its splashdown, so the presumption is that the legs deployed as planned. There have been no statements about imagery of the first stage.

2. NASA, as the customer, signed off on the flight of the legs with regards to their impact on the ascent (which was nil), but as the recovery test occurred after stage separation, it had no other bearing on the flight.

   SpaceX was aware of the ocean conditions but as they only affected the first stage's recovery and not its customer's (NASA) mission, it did not factor into the launch commit criteria.

posted 04-29-2014 07:06 PM               

Partly cleaned up frame from rocket landing.

Falcon 9 onboard camera shot right before splashdown.

posted 04-30-2014 09:47 AM               

First stage landing video

Below is a look at the original video data from the first stage landing, recovered from the Falcon 9 onboard camera and shot right before splashdown:

Our software team has spent the last week trying to repair this footage — below is our best effort so far:

In an effort to see if the video can be improved further, below are links to both the original data file as well as the repaired source file. The raw.ts file is an extraction of the raw MPEG bitstream from the rocket. Our software team attempted to repair the data, resulting in the repair1.ts file, and the partial video above.

We welcome anyone to download the raw file to make improvements directly — if you are successful, please contact us.

posted 05-21-2014 12:54 PM               

A NASA official confirmed the anomaly, and said SpaceX shifted the payload-unloading operation it usually conducts at its MacGregor, Texas, facility to the dock at Long Beach, Calif., where the capsule reached land after its recovery at sea. An investigation into the cause of the problem is underway, according to the official.

Witnesses at the port observed significant water as the cold storage containers brought back from the ISS were removed, and there was a report the capsule’s internal humidity sensors tripped, according to an industry source.

The Dragon carried back water samples for analysis to check the performance of the station’s recycling system, but the amount of water in the capsule appeared to be more than could be accounted for by a burst water-transport bag, according to multiple sources.

Recovery of the capsule after it splashed down May 18 took 11 hr., apparently longer than usual, and may have been associated with the problem. This Dragon is an upgraded version, with more carrying capacity and new freezers for samples.