Updates SpaceX Falcon 9 F5 CRS SpX-2 through CRS SpX-12 Updates

[Alfastar]

Well, its still confusing my of there got successful started the third thruster or not.

And still no information about the software error....I hope we got a good update soon.

 

[Kyle]

Not sure why people are confused over the thruster situation as it stands.

These two tweets:
Thruster pod 3 tank pressure trending positive. Preparing to deploy solar arrays.

Attempting bring up of thruster pods 2 and 4

Are indicative that Thruster pod 3 is working and 2 and 4 are on their way.

EDIT -- now I see why:
SpaceX has confirmed its Falcon 9 rocket lifted off as planned and experienced a nominal flight. After Dragon achieved orbit, the spacecraft experienced an issue with a propellant valve. One thruster pod is running. The company is trying to bring up the remaining three. Dragon's solar arrays deployed. Once SpaceX gets at least two pods running, it will begin a series of burns to get to the space station.

---------- Post added at 06:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:05 PM ----------

Press conference scheduled at 3pm.

 

[Ark]

Is it capable of making the necessary burns with one pod?

 

[Donamy]

I guess we'll find out.

 

[DaveS]

Is it capable of making the necessary burns with one pod?

Don't think so. According to NASA 3 pods are required by flight rules to approach ISS.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

I heard on the ISS update feed that SpaceX is making progress in recovering the propellant system, but will not make it in time for making burns for rendezvous tomorrow.

 

[Kyle]

Heard it as well, no rendezvous tomorrow.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

WOW!

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk
Pods 1 and 4 now online and thrusters engaged. Dragon transitioned from free drift to active control. Yes!!

 

[N_Molson]

Spaceflight Now :

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1850 GMT (1:50 p.m. EST)
Dragon's rendezvous with the space station will not be tomorrow, mission control just told the lab's commander.

"They are making progress recovering their prop system, but it's not going to be in time to support the rendezvous and capture for tomorrow," NASA's spacecraft communicator told the crew. "So that is not going to happen tomorrow."

"OK, copy, sounds like another off-duty day for us," replied space station commander Kevin Ford. "We don't wish that. We wish it gets fixed and gets up here to us. That's really awesome they're working their way through the problems. That's what it's all about."

SpaceX hopes they can recover the faulty thruster system in time to support another rendezvous attempt in the next few days.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1850 GMT (1:50 p.m. EST)
Mission control just radioed the space station crew an update on the Dragon status.

NASA's spacecraft communicator in Houston said SpaceX is still working through issues in the Dragon's propulsion system, and the mission's first rendezvous burn was delayed at least one orbit to about 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT).

"If completed and if the propulsion system can be confirmed operationally functional, the grapple time tomorrow will not be affected," mission control told the crew.

Space station commander Kevin Ford responded: "That's space exploration for you. We sometimes have problems and work through them, and that's how you learn."

"If not tomorrow, maybe a couple of days down the road we'll get it licked."

 

[Kyle]

All four of the thrusters are now online and engaged per NASA/SpaceX, news came in just as the presser was beginning.

Dragon is in orbit with no issues.

 

[garyw]

Don't think so. According to NASA 3 pods are required by flight rules to approach ISS.

Thats going to be more for a safety issue though, if they approach on one pod and that pod fails there is a risk of collision.

 

[jb860]

Looks like Sunday will be the likely day they try to hook up to the iss. According to Spacenow the goal at this time is to have the capsule raise its orbital perigee along with having engineers examine what went wrong on with the pods.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Remember that on the Dragon the RCS thrusters, orbit change thrusters and de-orbit thrusters are one and the same.

And aren't these the same thrusters they want to use to achieve soft landing of the Dragon for the Grasshopper concept? :stirpot:

 

[T.Neo]

And aren't these the same thrusters they want to use to achieve soft landing of the Dragon for the Grasshopper concept?

No, those are the superdraco thrusters, which have a considerably higher thrust and intended specifically for launch abort and vertical landing. They are still in development and not part of any operational spacecraft.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Well looks like my long night is finally over..... :zzz:

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk
Orbit raising burn successful. Dragon back on track.

 

[N_Molson]

Dragon is in orbit with no issues.

Well, while I'm happy that the ending seems to be happy, I'm sorry, but there was a serious issue on that flight that proves that more R&D is required and that 3 flight tests were not too much... :2cents:

Still work to do on that capsule to make it manned.

Here's the Spaceflight Now last updates anyway :

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
2132 GMT (4:32 p.m. EST)
NASA doesn't expect a decision on a possible Dragon berthing date with the space station until tomorrow, but Sunday is a viable option.

Engineers will spend the evening evaluating data from Dragon's propulsion system.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
2107 GMT (4:07 p.m. EST)
"Thruster pods one through four are now operating nominally. Preparing to raise orbit. All systems green," Elon Musk just tweeted.

Dragon's four pods of Draco thrusters include sets of four and five jets. Three of the pods are required to approach the space station.

Controllers want to raise the craft's orbital perigee, or low point, as soon as possible because atmospheric drag could prompt a re-entry within a day or two at such low altitudes, according to Musk.

Dragon was deployed in an orbit stretching from a low point of 123 miles to a high point of 199 miles.

 

[Cairan]

I beg to differ... Those "bugs" are quite usual on relatively new spaceships... At least no-one got killed like the issues with Soyuz-1 or Soyuz-11 for that matter... It's the forth flight and the first to have issues so far on the Dragon side... and it's a cargo flight! Not bad at all.

 

[BruceJohnJennerLawso]

I beg to differ... Those "bugs" are quite usual on relatively new spaceships... At least no-one got killed like the issues with Soyuz-1 or Soyuz-11 for that matter... It's the forth flight and the first to have issues so far on the Dragon side... and it's a cargo flight! Not bad at all.

I agree. SpaceX shouldn't get sloppy, but their record so far has been at or above the normal for developing new spaceflight systems. Good to hear things are back on track :thumbup:

 

[Thunder Chicken]

This was one of the big reasons for COTS/CRS - opportunity for many "all up" flights to test the whole system soup-to-nuts and stomp out the issues inherent with the development of a new complex system before manned flights, with some cargo getting to the station for the money. They're doing it right

Fly and learn, fly and learn...that's what we need to do.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Well looks like my long night is finally over..... :zzz:

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk
Orbit raising burn successful. Dragon back on track.

For the details, Dragon was boosted to a 314 x 341 km (was 205 x 320 km) orbit around 2 hours ago.