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#101
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NASA, SpaceX Set First Dragon Launch To ISS
On Friday, January 20, 2012 1:54:56 PM UTC-5, Robert Clark wrote:
On Dec 10 2011, 8:24 pm, wrote: "SpaceX will attempt the first commercial link-up with the International Space Station (ISS) on Feb. 7, which could be a major milestone on the way to the low-Earth-orbit economy NASA is trying to create." See: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...s/awx/2011/12/... The Feb. 7th flight has been postponed: 1st Private Rocket Launch to Space Station Delayed. by Denise Chow, SPACE.com Staff Writer Date: 16 January 2012 Time: 01:51 PM ET http://www.space.com/14251-launch-de...aceflight.html The Russians and some members of NASA were uncertain about SpaceX's ability to perform the linkup with the ISS successfully. For a $100 billion asset, that is an understandable concern. A couple of suggestions. First hire away from the Russians some top guys involved with the Progress cargo vehicle to the ISS and from the Europeans some top guys involved with the ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle(ATV). For the billion dollar cargo supply contract SpaceX has with NASA, it can afford to do that. Secondly, prior to the ISS docking mission do some rendezvous missions in space with the Dragon spacecraft. Ideally it would be with a vehicle that it could actually dock with. The Progress M-13M cargo vehicle for instance is scheduled to undock from the ISS in a few days. According to the Wikipedia page the undocking is scheduled for the 25th: Progress M-13M. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_M-13M while on this NASA release it's listed as on the 23rd: NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 19 January 2012. Source: NASA HQ Posted Thursday, January 19, 2012 http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=39635 The release of a small Russian satellite from the Progress and the de- orbit burn for the Progress is scheduled to occur a day later. Could the undocking or least the de-orbit burn be postponed for enough time for SpaceX to launch the Dragon to be able link up with the Progress vehicle? In any case, the current plan is not for Dragon to perform the final link-up with ISS under its own power and navigation capabilities but just to get close enough for the robot arm to grapple it and pull it to the station to dock with it. So for this, all the Dragon has to do is demonstrate the ability to get close enough to some orbiting satellite without colliding with it to within a similar distance is it would be to the ISS. It might be able to do this several times with different satellites to further demonstrate this capability. SpaceX launch to station faces delay. 05/01/2012 11:18 PM Filed in: Space News | Commercial Space | International Space Station By WILLIAM HARWOOD CBS News "KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL--The long-awaited launch of a commercial cargo ship bound for the International Space Station almost certainly will be delayed from May 7 to at least May 10 and possibly longer, sources said late Tuesday, to give company engineers additional time to complete pre-flight tests and checkout..." http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/...76eeb-403.html I really, really wish SpaceX had considered doing a "rendezvous" with, for example, a Progress cargo vehicle before going directly to the ISS. This would have allowed them to work out the kinks out of any software and hardware beforehand, before risking, in some peoples minds, a $100 billion asset in the ISS. I'm aware that the docking mechanisms of the Dragon and Progress are not compatible, but it wouldn't actually have to dock with Progress to prove its capability. This is because the Dragon will not dock on its own to the ISS but only come to within close proximity to the station where it will be grappled by the robot arm to link with the station. So it would suffice to just prove it could come within the specified distance to the Progress, or other orbiting vehicle, and stay within that specified distance without colliding with it. In fact it could do this multiple times with different orbiting craft to give further confidence in its capabilities. Bob Clark |
#102
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Yeah, Rob, it's gonna be insane to allow those guys to kick around ISS with no solid confidence what they can at Real World. so far, we only know anime stuff XDDDDD
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#103
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NASA, SpaceX Set First Dragon Launch To ISS
Robert Clark explained on 5/4/2012 :
On Friday, January 20, 2012 1:54:56 PM UTC-5, Robert Clark wrote: On Dec 10 2011, 8:24 pm, wrote: "SpaceX will attempt the first commercial link-up with the International Space Station (ISS) on Feb. 7, which could be a major milestone on the way to the low-Earth-orbit economy NASA is trying to create." See: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...s/awx/2011/12/... The Feb. 7th flight has been postponed: 1st Private Rocket Launch to Space Station Delayed. by Denise Chow, SPACE.com Staff Writer Date: 16 January 2012 Time: 01:51 PM ET http://www.space.com/14251-launch-de...aceflight.html The Russians and some members of NASA were uncertain about SpaceX's ability to perform the linkup with the ISS successfully. For a $100 billion asset, that is an understandable concern. A couple of suggestions. First hire away from the Russians some top guys involved with the Progress cargo vehicle to the ISS and from the Europeans some top guys involved with the ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle(ATV). For the billion dollar cargo supply contract SpaceX has with NASA, it can afford to do that. Secondly, prior to the ISS docking mission do some rendezvous missions in space with the Dragon spacecraft. Ideally it would be with a vehicle that it could actually dock with. The Progress M-13M cargo vehicle for instance is scheduled to undock from the ISS in a few days. According to the Wikipedia page the undocking is scheduled for the 25th: Progress M-13M. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_M-13M while on this NASA release it's listed as on the 23rd: NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 19 January 2012. Source: NASA HQ Posted Thursday, January 19, 2012 http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=39635 The release of a small Russian satellite from the Progress and the de- orbit burn for the Progress is scheduled to occur a day later. Could the undocking or least the de-orbit burn be postponed for enough time for SpaceX to launch the Dragon to be able link up with the Progress vehicle? In any case, the current plan is not for Dragon to perform the final link-up with ISS under its own power and navigation capabilities but just to get close enough for the robot arm to grapple it and pull it to the station to dock with it. So for this, all the Dragon has to do is demonstrate the ability to get close enough to some orbiting satellite without colliding with it to within a similar distance is it would be to the ISS. It might be able to do this several times with different satellites to further demonstrate this capability. SpaceX launch to station faces delay. 05/01/2012 11:18 PM Filed in: Space News | Commercial Space | International Space Station By WILLIAM HARWOOD CBS News "KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL--The long-awaited launch of a commercial cargo ship bound for the International Space Station almost certainly will be delayed from May 7 to at least May 10 and possibly longer, sources said late Tuesday, to give company engineers additional time to complete pre-flight tests and checkout..." http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/...76eeb-403.html I really, really wish SpaceX had considered doing a "rendezvous" with, for example, a Progress cargo vehicle before going directly to the ISS. This would have allowed them to work out the kinks out of any software and hardware beforehand, before risking, in some peoples minds, a $100 billion asset in the ISS. I thought they weren't going to ISS until they had complete Milestone 2, where they demonstrate that command & control are working reasonably well. They did combine flights, so that Milestone 3 (prox ops, etc) can occur soon after Milestone 2, but it I'm remembering the plan correctly, there is plenty of check-out before the opportunity to be piped aboard. /dps -- Who, me? And what lacuna? |
#104
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NASA, SpaceX Set First Dragon Launch To ISS
On 2012-05-05 03:28:06 +0000, Snidely said:
before the opportunity to be piped aboard. I should know but what, if any, real ceremony takes place when new visitors arrive at ISS. I know there is a greeting and photofest but is there a an actual ceremony, a tradition? |
#105
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NASA, SpaceX Set First Dragon Launch To ISS
"Robert Love" wrote in message
news:2012050520125880627-rblove@airmailnet... On 2012-05-05 03:28:06 +0000, Snidely said: before the opportunity to be piped aboard. I should know but what, if any, real ceremony takes place when new visitors arrive at ISS. I know there is a greeting and photofest but is there a an actual ceremony, a tradition? I believe there is a ship's bell that is rung. In the days of Mir, salt and bread were given, a traditional Russian greeting. I wouldn't be surprised if this tradition continued. -- Greg D. Moore http://greenmountainsoftware.wordpress.com/ CEO QuiCR: Quick, Crowdsourced Responses. http://www.quicr.net |
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