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  [Discuss] NASA's Orion Exploration Flight Test (Page 3)

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Author Topic:   [Discuss] NASA's Orion Exploration Flight Test
Tykeanaut
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posted 12-03-2014 02:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Watching the animation took me back a few years when I saw the 'chutes open!

Will there be a images of the ISS taken I wonder?

p51
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posted 12-03-2014 02:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by alanh_7:
Usually if I cannot watch on NASA TV I stream online.
I live way out in the sticks and can't count on a good signal at any given moment and our cable internet goes out every now and then.

I was badly hoping to know if any mainstream TV network was going to show this.

Robert Pearlman
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posted 12-03-2014 02:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I know this doesn't help, but on the East Coast the launch will aired live as part of ABC's Good Morning America. (NBC's Today Show and CBS's This Morning may be doing so as well, but I only spoke to ABC's producer.)
quote:
Originally posted by Tykeanaut:
Will there be a images of the ISS taken I wonder?
Orion's two cameras will be focused on the Earth below, and the space station won't be within line of sight of either launch or reentry, so the Expedition 42 crew won't be able to photograph either.

Chariot412
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posted 12-03-2014 05:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Chariot412   Click Here to Email Chariot412     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'll be at the Saturn V Center, should we meet somewhere at around 6 a.m.? Maybe near the Snoopy astronaut?

GACspaceguy
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From: Guyton, GA
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posted 12-03-2014 07:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for GACspaceguy   Click Here to Email GACspaceguy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
We can be there at 6AM as well.

bunnkwio
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From: Naperville, IL USA
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posted 12-04-2014 01:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for bunnkwio   Click Here to Email bunnkwio     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I can be there! Right now I'm clueless as to when to head over to KSC, but better to be (super) early, right?

SpaceyInMN
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From: Andover, MN
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posted 12-04-2014 05:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceyInMN   Click Here to Email SpaceyInMN     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm excitedly watching live coverage from Minnesota and can't wait to read the first-hand reports of you lucky cSers fortunate enough to be at this historic launch in person!

Robonaut
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From: Solihull, West Mids, England
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posted 12-04-2014 08:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robonaut   Click Here to Email Robonaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Launch is scrubbed for today. They will try again tomorrow.

Blackarrow
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posted 12-04-2014 08:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's a scrub. No candle-lighting today...

alanh_7
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posted 12-04-2014 08:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for alanh_7   Click Here to Email alanh_7     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Any word on the window for tomorrow?

Robonaut
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posted 12-04-2014 08:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robonaut   Click Here to Email Robonaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Window opens 07:05 EST Friday (1205 GMT).

moorouge
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posted 12-04-2014 08:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
And how many launch scrubs were there in Apollo for encroaching boats, gusting winds and sticking valves?

Technology marches on.

Jim Behling
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posted 12-04-2014 09:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
And how many launch scrubs were there in Apollo for encroaching boats, gusting winds and sticking valves?
There was a scrub due to a blind flange installed.

Headshot
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posted 12-04-2014 10:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The hydrogen fill and drain valves in the Delta 4's left and center common core boosters did not close when commanded.
Haven't these valves given ULA problems on previous Delta 4 Heavy launches?

garymilgrom
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posted 12-04-2014 10:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Anyone have an image of these valves? About what size (diameter) are they?

Robert Pearlman
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posted 12-04-2014 11:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
No photo, but as described during the post-scrub press briefing, they are relatively large ball valves, somewhere in the 8 to 10 inch range.

David C
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From: Lausanne
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posted 12-04-2014 11:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Headshot:
Haven't these valves given ULA problems on previous Delta 4 Heavy launches?
Yes, but my understanding is that the actions that worked last time didn't do it this morning.

Headshot
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posted 12-04-2014 11:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So this type of problem occurred on some previous Delta 4 Heavy rockets, ULA developed this cycling procedure to make things work and this time the procedure failed. That means the ULA engineers really did not understand the nature of the problem in the first place.

Similar scenarios occurred during the shuttle program and I thought we had learned valuable lessons, yet they keep on happening, albeit on an unmanned booster this time. Am I the only one who finds this disturbing?

Robert Pearlman
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posted 12-04-2014 12:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Dan Collins, ULA's chief operating officer, had this to say today about the past and current issues with the valves:
This is something we've seen on one previous heavy launch where we have a long window and gone quite a ways into the window. We're off today, going to execute the same procedures that we did after that last attempt. We're very confident that we're going to be able to exonerate the hardware and then make an attempt.
In other words, ULA believes the issue to be related to how long the valves remain open and are subjected to cryogenic propellant, such that they get stuck open.

Jim Behling
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posted 12-04-2014 02:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Headshot:
Similar scenarios occurred during the shuttle program and I thought we had learned valuable lessons, yet they keep on happening, albeit on an unmanned booster this time. Am I the only one who finds this disturbing?
No, because they are completely unrelated and completely different designs.

This is a "reoccurring" issue that has affected many vehicles over the years. It happened on one of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) launches.

p51
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posted 12-04-2014 02:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I went to Kennedy Space Center five times in the 90s to try to catch a space shuttle going up from the general TICO area, all of them were scrubbed and I never saw one go up from less than 100 miles away. So, from that I can feel for all those who went down there. I just hope most booked for an extra day and get to see it in person. There's nothing worse than going all that way and having to leave after a scrub.

Oddly, I woke up on my own at 4:01 a.m. Pacific time this morning. Of course I went to the living room and caught mention on CNN. When the delays started rolling in, I recognized what was likely going to happen and decided to risk going back to bed. Glad I did, now.

Not sure if I'm going to repeat this tomorrow morning...

Blackarrow
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From: Belfast, United Kingdom
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posted 12-04-2014 04:34 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by p51:
Oddly, I woke up on my own at 4:01 a.m. Pacific time this morning. Of course I went to the living room and caught mention on CNN...
You contribute to collectSPACE but you hadn't arranged to see this launch live on TV??

p51
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posted 12-04-2014 05:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
For me, it was the idea that any alarm I set would wake up my wife as well as she's a very light sleeper.

Trust me, folks, NOTHING is worth that.

moorouge
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posted 12-05-2014 04:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It would seem that valves and weather aren't the only constraints on the launch of Orion as indicated by this extract from a BBC report -
Lockheed Martin, the company developing Orion and running this test flight for Nasa, has another two days to get the mission off the ground before negotiations must take place for an extension.

Other space missions have bookings on the launch complex and they would have to agree to step back, potentially delaying their operations as well. And ULA has a lift-off to manage on the West Coast of the US next week, and this could be impacted if the company's staff are detained in Florida.

Unfortunately, the weather in some respects looks to be less favourable for a Friday attempt.

If it deteriorates further, a decision could be made simply to jump to Saturday. This would save on supplies of liquid hydrogen, some of which is lost every time the rocket is tanked up, while also giving launch crews a bit of rest.

moorouge
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posted 12-05-2014 06:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Up, up and away. Wonderful launch coverage on NASA TV.

But why four years before the next Orion launch?

Lunar rock nut
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posted 12-05-2014 06:30 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lunar rock nut   Click Here to Email Lunar rock nut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, why four years?

bunnkwio
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posted 12-05-2014 06:30 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for bunnkwio   Click Here to Email bunnkwio     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Day two, we decided just to stick in the KSC visitor complex, but damn if it still wasn't impressive!! So happy I can take "view a launch" off of my bucket list!! The next ones I decide to see will be gravy!

Bob M
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posted 12-05-2014 06:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Bob M   Click Here to Email Bob M     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Those of us "home-bound" for the Delta IV Heavy/Orion launch are envious of those that were there, but happy for you. It looked good on TV, though.

How far were the viewing sites from the pad, especially the Apollo-Saturn V Center?

Robert Pearlman
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posted 12-05-2014 07:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lunar rock nut:
Yes, why four years?
A couple of reasons:
  • The next launch will be atop the Space Launch System, which based on NASA's budget, will be ready to fly by no later than November 2018, and...

  • The next Orion will be outfitted with more of its crew support systems and an active launch abort motor, the latter of which requires a launch abort test first (the test will use the same capsule flying on EFT-1)

garymilgrom
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posted 12-05-2014 07:33 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
During this morning's flight, I thought the NASA announcer said the abort motor fired and carried the LES away from the capsule. Or did I hear it wrong?

dabolton
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posted 12-05-2014 07:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dabolton     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
How many Orion capsules are currently in production?

Jim Behling
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posted 12-05-2014 07:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by garymilgrom:
I thought the NASA announcer said the abort motor fired and carried the LES away from the capsule.
There are three motors on the Orion LAS (not to be cocky, but notice the "A" and not an "E"). There is an abort motor, a jettison motor and a divert motor. The abort and divert motor are inert for this mission.
quote:
Originally posted by dabolton:
How many Orion capsules are currently in production?
One.

Robert Pearlman
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posted 12-05-2014 07:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Bob M:
How far were the viewing sites from the pad, especially the Apollo-Saturn V Center?
The Apollo-Saturn V Center is 8 miles from Complex 37. Port Canaveral is 8.6 miles. The NASA Causeway is about 3 miles.

(I was at a camera tracking station next to the astronaut beach house, which is about the same distance as the Causeway.)

Paul78zephyr
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posted 12-05-2014 07:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Paul78zephyr     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
What is the bright flash at approximately 0:30?

(Is that RP falling asleep at approximately 15:33 here?)

Blackarrow
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posted 12-05-2014 07:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
The next launch will be atop the Space Launch System, which based on NASA's budget, will be ready to fly by no later than November 2018...
Did Congress not mandate NASA to launch SLS not later than 2017? If the delay of a year is for purely financial reasons, is Congress not breaking its own law by failing to give NASA enough money to launch in 2017? Have the police been informed?

I remember hearing John Young arguing that the 1958 NASA Act required NASA - by law - to explore space, with the result that NASA leaders should now be locked up for breaking the law. (It sounded better coming from him...)

Robert Pearlman
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posted 12-05-2014 07:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It is not a yearlong delay; SLS had been targeted for a December 2017 launch. The latest SLS will fly is November 2018, but it could be before then.
quote:
Originally posted by Paul78zephyr:
What is the bright flash at approximately 0:30?
I believe I know what that is, but I've asked ULA to confirm. I will share what they reply. (And yes, at the time of yesterday's post-scrub press conference, I had been awake for more than 36 hours without sleep.)

Jim Behling
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posted 12-05-2014 07:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Paul78zephyr:
What is the bright flash at approximately 0:30?
Camera or weather artifact. Nothing related to the vehicle's operation.

Robert Pearlman
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posted 12-05-2014 08:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
I believe I know what that is, but I've asked ULA to confirm.
I haven't heard back from ULA yet, but according to a colleague familiar with the Delta 4, the flashes and variations in the exhaust is the result of the RS-68 engines' ablative-lined nozzles. The material falls into the exhaust and burns (by design).

Mike_The_First
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posted 12-05-2014 08:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mike_The_First   Click Here to Email Mike_The_First     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Anyone know what cameras NASA TV will be carrying for reentry/splashdown?

I'd assume that, as they said earlier in the broadcast, they won't have live views from the capsule itself at that time.

Is that UAV they showed yesterday out again?

Robert Pearlman
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posted 12-05-2014 09:06 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, as shown on NASA TV today, the Ikhana drone is now in the air and will be attempting to share the descent and splashdown of Orion.
While Ikhana loiters at 27,000 feet altitude, the infrared camera will detect the capsule. Once the camera has located and acquired the Orion module, the camera operator will switch to an optical camera that will observe Orion's descent through parachute deployment and splashdown.


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