Launch News SpaceX Dragon V2 Pad Abort Test, May 6, 2015

[Thunder Chicken]

It's unusual that Dragon will carry the trunk when it aborts, why is this? The trunk is useless mass and will be disposed of in an abort scenario regardless of whether it's attached to the Falcon 9.

The fins on the trunk are used for aerodynamic stabilization. The Soyuz system does something similar except that the fins fold downward on separation.

 

[IronRain]

Feed is live @ Spaceflight Now: http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/05/05/spacex-dragon-set-for-pad-abort-test/

 

[Urwumpe]

Looks like a more or less successful abort, but the tumbling during parachute deployment is extreme, I doubt that this would not kill astronauts by breaking their neck.

Acceleration is, BTW, more than enough for an abort, I would say. Slower than Soyuz, but still pretty fast.

 

[RisingFury]

Looks like a more or less successful abort, but the tumbling during parachute deployment is extreme, I doubt that this would not kill astronauts by breaking their neck.

Acceleration is, BTW, more than enough for an abort, I would say. Slower than Soyuz, but still pretty fast.

Maybe you should wait for actual data

 

[Urwumpe]

Maybe you should wait for actual data

Who needs actual data, if he could be the creator of his own data.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Wonder how "Buster" fared during the ride? Even more so I wonder how sophisticated their Buster is. Those things can run in the millions and can relay copious amounts of data.

Now they've got to do the same trick at Max-Q. Maybe that's why it appears to be a bit over powered?

 

[mahdavi3d]

New SpaceX Crew Vehicle Launched and Abort-Tested

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4l-QAcJZmU"]New SpaceX Crew Vehicle Launched and Abort-Tested | Video - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

 

[IronRain]

A bit closer to the beach then expected:

According to various twitter accounts, early reports indicate that the performance was slightly lesser then normal.

 

[IronRain]

Article by Spaceflight Now: SpaceX crew capsule completes dramatic abort test

 

[Frilock]

A bit closer to the beach then expected:



According to various twitter accounts, early reports indicate that the performance was slightly lesser then normal.

Awesome, don't even need the rescue boats, the crew can just swim back to shore!

 

[Kyle]

Here's the abort in GIF format!

 

[Unstung]

Dragon looks like it's operating in a vacuum until the deployment of its chutes.

 

[N_Molson]

That's a quick but severe way to go to the beach ! :hmm:

Good point is that the winds and waves probably did the towing job for free.

...but the tumbling during parachute deployment is extreme, I doubt that this would not kill astronauts by breaking their neck.

Maybe straps that attach the helmets to the seats, like Formula 1 drivers now have ? I can't help seeing 3 Kerbals spawing out of the capsule and walking away dizzy with moving stars over the head :lol:

 

[Frilock]

Anyone have a clue where the trunk ended up?

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Anyone have a clue where the trunk ended up?

In the drink, probably.

 

[N_Molson]

Anyone have a clue where the trunk ended up?

 

[Hlynkacg]

...the tumbling during parachute deployment is extreme, I doubt that this would not kill astronauts by breaking their neck.

The angular acceleration doesn't look that extreme, no worse than you would get from some amusement park rides, and the astronauts are going to be strapped in I'd hope.

 

[Urwumpe]

The angular acceleration doesn't look that extreme, no worse than you would get from some amusement park rides, and the astronauts are going to be strapped in I'd hope.

Well, there I disagree - its much faster than what you (should) get in amusement park rides. It reverses the angular motion very fast and the capsule nearly oscillates by 340° around the deployment sequence after each strong impulse. Thats quite a strong snap - the formula one solution could protect there, but usually, you want your astronauts to also move their heads to see displays.

Its not terribly bad from an engineering POV - the timing has just to be a bit better and the separation from the trunk could maybe be done with less rotation.

But I would say that either the accelerations had been beyond what is considered tolerable for humans, or at least so far in the deep yellow region, that action is required to make sure it never gets into the red region in real emergencies.

 

[Donamy]

What would happen if the trunk were released after chute deploy ?