SpaceX?s CRS-3 Dragon recruited for ISS spacesuit relay

SpaceX?s CRS-3 Dragon recruited for ISS spacesuit relay
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/...gon-spacesuit-
relay/

From above:

SpaceX?s next Dragon mission to the International Space Station
(ISS) will involve the delivery of a replacement Extravehicular
Mobility Unit (EMU), allowing for the return of a faulty suit
on the same vehicle when it returns to Earth. Notably, the
returning suit won't be Luca Parmitano?s EMU, after its water
leak issues were resolved via successful troubleshooting
efforts.

Trusting Dragon with an EMU seems like a step down the path of actually
trusting it with expensive, somewhat hard to replace, cargo.

Jeff
--
"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would
magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper
than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in
and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer

Jeff Findley wrote:
SpaceX?s CRS-3 Dragon recruited for ISS spacesuit relay
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/...gon-spacesuit-
relay/

From above:

SpaceX?s next Dragon mission to the International Space Station
(ISS) will involve the delivery of a replacement Extravehicular
Mobility Unit (EMU), allowing for the return of a faulty suit
on the same vehicle when it returns to Earth. Notably, the
returning suit won't be Luca Parmitano?s EMU, after its water
leak issues were resolved via successful troubleshooting
efforts.

Trusting Dragon with an EMU seems like a step down the path of
actually trusting it with expensive, somewhat hard to replace,
cargo.

Probably, but can anything else carry-up an EMU? It sounds like they
need a replacement on the station, and of course the station doesn't
have unlimited storage space, which means the faulty one has to go one
way or the other...

Given SpaceX’s next Dragon mission to the ISS – CRS-3 (SpX-3) -
was already on standby to bring EMU 3011 back to Earth, the plan
is still on to utilize a specially made rack on the spacecraft,
allowing for EMU hardware to be launched and returned to and from
the ISS.

The realigned plan – per L2 information – is to launch a
replacement suit, known as EMU 3003, to the ISS on the Dragon,
before returning EMU 3015 – which also has a faulty sublimator –
to Earth via Dragon’s splashdown homecoming in the Pacific Ocean.

rick jones
--
web2.0 n, the dot.com reunion tour...
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway...
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...

In article ,
says...

Jeff Findley wrote:
SpaceX?s CRS-3 Dragon recruited for ISS spacesuit relay
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/...gon-spacesuit-
relay/

From above:

SpaceX?s next Dragon mission to the International Space Station
(ISS) will involve the delivery of a replacement Extravehicular
Mobility Unit (EMU), allowing for the return of a faulty suit
on the same vehicle when it returns to Earth. Notably, the
returning suit won't be Luca Parmitano?s EMU, after its water
leak issues were resolved via successful troubleshooting
efforts.

Trusting Dragon with an EMU seems like a step down the path of
actually trusting it with expensive, somewhat hard to replace,
cargo.

Probably, but can anything else carry-up an EMU?

Yes, the Russian Progress, the European ATV, and the Japanese HTV could
all carry an EMU up to ISS. Carrying cargo up to ISS isn't especially
unique. What is unique about dragon is its ability to return cargo to
the earth intact (down mass). All other unmanned cargo carrying vessels
which service ISS perform destructive reentries upon completion of their
mission.

It sounds like they
need a replacement on the station, and of course the station doesn't
have unlimited storage space, which means the faulty one has to go one
way or the other...

Given SpaceX?s next Dragon mission to the ISS ? CRS-3 (SpX-3) -
was already on standby to bring EMU 3011 back to Earth, the plan
is still on to utilize a specially made rack on the spacecraft,
allowing for EMU hardware to be launched and returned to and from
the ISS.

The realigned plan ? per L2 information ? is to launch a
replacement suit, known as EMU 3003, to the ISS on the Dragon,
before returning EMU 3015 ? which also has a faulty sublimator ?
to Earth via Dragon?s splashdown homecoming in the Pacific Ocean.

I found it interesting that they're trusting Dragon to launch EMU 3003.

There are only two alternatives to returning EMU 3015 on Dragon:
1. Store it on ISS indefinitely, even if will never be used again.
2. Dispose of it on an outbound Soyuz, ATV, or HTV.

Given the alternatives, I'm not surprised Dragon would be used to return
EMU 3015 to earth.

Jeff
--
"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would
magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper
than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in
and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer

Probably, but can anything else carry-up an EMU?

Yes, the Russian Progress, the European ATV, and the Japanese HTV could
all carry an EMU up to ISS.

If I presume the "special rack" had a version for those vehicles made yes?

Given SpaceX?s next Dragon mission to the ISS ? CRS-3 (SpX-3)
- was already on standby to bring EMU 3011 back to Earth, the
plan is still on to utilize a specially made rack on the
spacecraft, allowing for EMU hardware to be launched and
returned to and from the ISS.

The realigned plan ? per L2 information ? is to launch a
replacement suit, known as EMU 3003, to the ISS on the Dragon,
before returning EMU 3015 ? which also has a faulty sublimator ?
to Earth via Dragon?s splashdown homecoming in the Pacific Ocean.

I found it interesting that they're trusting Dragon to launch EMU 3003.

I wonder how much the Russians would want for a Progress version of
the special rack?

The fifth and final ESA ATV mission is probably already fully booked?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_Transfer_Vehicle

There might have been better luck getting a special rack into one of
the upcoming HTVs? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-II_Transfer_Vehicle

So I'm not really all that sure that there was/is an uphill option for
an EMU besides Dragon.

rick
--
Don't anthropomorphize computers. They hate that. - Anonymous
these opinions are mine, all mine; HP might not want them anyway...
feel free to post, OR email to rick.jones2 in hp.com but NOT BOTH...

In article ,
says...

I wonder how much the Russians would want for a Progress version of
the special rack?

The fifth and final ESA ATV mission is probably already fully booked?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_Transfer_Vehicle

There might have been better luck getting a special rack into one of
the upcoming HTVs? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-II_Transfer_Vehicle

So I'm not really all that sure that there was/is an uphill option for
an EMU besides Dragon.

Yes, there are certain logistics issues which would need to be solved in
order to launch an EMU on any cargo vessel. But, there is nothing
fundamental which would prevent it from happening. I know Progress has
been used in the past to deliver EMU parts to ISS, but I'm not certain
it ever delivered an entire EMU.

I tried a few quick web searches looking for any evidence that this has
ever happened and did not find an answer. So far, nothing "pops up"
which would be a document detailing the history of EMU hardware used on
ISS. But these two gems popped up.

I've already read "Walking to Olympus: An EVA Chronology", but it
unfortunately ends with shuttle/Mir. But for those who have not read it
yet, it's a good read with lots of details.

Walking to Olympus: An EVA Chronology
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenew...fs/EVACron.pdf

The other document I found I had not seen before. It is a spreadsheet
of space shuttle EVA's. It includes details like which EMU part numbers
were used on which space shuttle EVA's. Unfortunately, I could find
nothing similar for ISS.

EMU numbers used for shuttle EVA's
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6q0dg875at...Activities.pdf

Jeff
--
"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would
magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper
than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in
and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer