Updates SpaceX Falcon 9 F2 updates

[Urwumpe]

I don't get it... A huge quantity of propellant would be required to brake the capsule in a controlled fashion (allowing to aim an helipad). :idk:

Not really... you start slowing down already at subsonic speed, about 300 m/s. Even if you include gravity and slow down most of the time at 2.5 g, you would land after about 25 seconds and need a total DV of 545 m/s.

Would mean 20% of the spacecraft mass after reentry has to be fuel if you use solid propellants, if you use storable propellants or kerosene/LOX, you need 15% fuel mass, with hydrogen/LOX, you would need just 12%.

Full parachutes for landing take 4%, if you do just ocean landing.

 

[jinglesassy]

Thats for the fuel what about the tank and engine and piping for it?

 

[Jarvitä]

You'll also need some propellant to aim the capsule at the helipad, a lifting-body reentry isn't anywhere near that accurate. Unless they mean "helipad" as in "look, we painted an H over the Nevada desert".

 

[Urwumpe]

Thats for the fuel what about the tank and engine and piping for it?

Since it is integrated into the capsule structure, not that much, about 2%-5% of the propellant mass.

---------- Post added at 11:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:52 PM ----------

You'll also need some propellant to aim the capsule at the helipad, a lifting-body reentry isn't anywhere near that accurate. Unless they mean "helipad" as in "look, we painted an H over the Nevada desert".

Much better than the parachute landing. With GPS or pretty good IMUs, you can get at a point with about 50m accuracy, but parachutes then inflate this to about 1.5 kilometers.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Here's the NASA/SpaceX post-landing press conference (in 4 parts).

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOfj-k_Irpc"]YouTube - NASA and SpaceX Press Conference After Falcon 9 Launch with Dragon Aboard Part 4[/ame]

 

[silent_protagonist]

You forget Shenzou

The Chinese don't count? Also, the ATV counts as "potentially manned", I believe.

Oops, I did forget Shenzou. Historical hyperbole retracted (ATV is also a good point, although I'm not as hopeful about a manned ATV ever becoming reality, sadly)

 

[orb]

A couple of photo galleries from Spaceflight Now:

• Falcon 9 rocket blasts off with Dragon - photos from the press site
• Falcon 9 rocket blasts off with Dragon - photos from the launch pad
• Dragon parachutes into the Pacific Ocean

 

[anemazoso]

After watching the video and seeing the pictures posted on spaceflightnow I would really like to know more about the fireball that was right in the middle of the tower just after the F9 started to rise from the ground. :hmm:

 

[tblaxland]

After watching the video and seeing the pictures posted on spaceflightnow I would really like to know more about the fireball that was right in the middle of the tower just after the F9 started to rise from the ground. :hmm:

It was there on Flight 1 also. Looks like ignition of residual propellant from the second stage T-0 umbilical. EDIT: See at 0:19

 

[Urwumpe]

One more first of the mission:

Wheel of Cheese Launched Into Space On Private Spacecraft

 

[Sky Captain]

Now it is going to be the most expensive cheese in the world

 

[RisingFury]

Congrats to SpaceX on an excellent mission! :thumbup:

 

[Mantis]

Well done SpaceX. I haven't read through all the posts so can someone tell me how "complete" the Dragon spacecraft was? Was it basically boilerplate or was it close to being complete (i.e. ready to carry astronauts)?

 

[Urwumpe]

Well done SpaceX. I haven't read through all the posts so can someone tell me how "complete" the Dragon spacecraft was? Was it basically boilerplate or was it close to being complete (i.e. ready to carry astronauts)?

A complete Dragon, but no crew capability, the Dragon is currently designed as cargo transport to and from the ISS, and will be modified for astronauts in a second generation.

 

[Fabri91]

Well done SpaceX. I haven't read through all the posts so can someone tell me how "complete" the Dragon spacecraft was? Was it basically boilerplate or was it close to being complete (i.e. ready to carry astronauts)?

It should be quite similar to the final cargo configuration. Human rated version is still a couple of years off.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Space News: "Musk Confident Dragon Will Visit Station on Next Mission".

Cool! :woohoo:

 

[Urwumpe]

Space News: "Musk Confident Dragon Will Visit Station on Next Mission".

Depends on what visit means. NASA always said that it should only get as close as 100m on the next mission, but it is sure not impossible to extend the mission to move closer if station keeping and backing up from this position works.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Depends on what visit means. NASA always said that it should only get as close as 100m on the next mission, but it is sure not impossible to extend the mission to move closer if station keeping and backing up from this position works.

To me, it seems silly to go all that way, and not go the last mile. Are SpaceX really going to launch another flight, just to test moving from 100m to 30m? As Elon Musk pointed out yesterday, both ATV and HTV docked on their first flights.

If Dragon does get permission to come close enough to be grappled by the SSRMS, then they might as well put some non-critical cargo in there - it's pointless to berth an empty spacecraft. It could dispose of some trash from the PMM, too.

 

[orb]

Meanwhile, the company confirms a cache of secondary U.S. government CubeSat payloads have separated from the rocket.

Along with Dragon, there were 6 nanosatellites launched on Falcon 9. From zarya.info:

The Dragon's unpressurised Trunk Section remained attached to the Falcon upper stage. It held P-POD CubeSat dispensers with six satellites that were released soon after the Dragon spacecraft separated:

1. SMDC-ONE (stands for Operational Nanosatellite Effect) - a store and forward communications satellite for the US Army Space and Missile Command, part of an ongoing experiment to evaluate the use of nanosats in tactical communications (CubeSat size 3U),
    
2. CubeSat for the Los Alamos National Laboratory with classified payload, probably for energetic charged particle measurements (size 1U?),
    
3. CubeSat for the Los Alamos National Laboratory with classified payload, probably for energetic charged particle measurements (size 1U?),
    
4. Colony 1 (#1) CubeSat for the National Reconnaissance Office with classified payload (size 3U),
    
5. Colony 1 (#2) CubeSat for the National Reconnaissance Office with classified payload (size 3U),
    
6. CAERUS - an amateur radio CubeSat built by the University of Southern California (size 1U).

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Spaceflight Now: "Musk 'optimistic' next Dragon flight will visit space station".

SPACE.com: "Private Dragon Spacecraft's Next Mission Could Visit Space Station, SpaceX Says".