Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 F3 COTS2+ Updates

[N_Molson]

Nice view of the strobe beacon. *white* *black* *white* *black* *white* *black* :lol:

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0911 GMT (5:11 a.m. EDT)

NASA astronaut Don Pettit will man the station's robot arm during this morning's capture of the Dragon spacecraft. European Space Agency flight engineer Andre Kuipers will assist Pettit at the controls of the arm in the station's windowed cupola.

"We've been doing quite a bit of training, particularly oriented towards the crew role, which is flying the robotic arm and capturing the SpaceX vehicle when it gets in a holding pattern near space station," Pettit said. "Then the arm will maneuver the Dragon vehicle to one of our docking ports, then we'll fasten it to station, and then we can go about outfitting the vestibule and opening the hatch."

Hatch opening is scheduled for Saturday morning, following Dragon's capture at 7:59 a.m. EDT (1159 GMT) and berthing about four hours later.

"That whole process is going to be a long day for us," Pettit said. "It's going to be 10 hours plus to get all of that done. If we have a few hitches on the way, we may have to put it all on hold and pick it up the next day."

Dragon will become the only operational cargo vehicle with the ability to return equipment from the space station to Earth.

"If all of that happens according to plan, it will be great to have significant payload down capability once again," Pettit said. "Everybody talks about getting payload up to station, but one of thing that's sorely missing in the wake of the shuttle retirement is getting payload back down. We have all kinds of useful things that we want to get back down to Earth but currently don't really have a way to get them back down."

"Currently, we have no way to get our frozen samples back. Crucial to the life science experiments that we are doing on space station, particularly the human physiology experiments," Pettit said. "We have blood, urine, and spit samples, we have all these things frozen in our freezers ... and there down at minus-95 to minus-98 Centigrade. these samples have to remain frozen all the way to the laboratory to where they're going to be analyzed. Currently, Dragon will be the only way to get these samples back to Earth, and that will allow the science behind all our human physiology [experiments] to continue."

 

[mojoey]

they're gonna pass right over me!

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: SpaceX’s Dragon making historic attempt to berth with the ISS

 

[N_Molson]

Closing in.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0924 GMT (5:24 a.m. EDT)

Range between Dragon and the space station is now about 315 meters, or about 1,033 feet.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0920 GMT (5:20 a.m. EDT)

Dragon has completed a 180-degree yaw maneuver to align itself for final approach to the space station, and the craft is moving to a hold point at a range of 250 meters.

---------- Post added at 09:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:27 AM ----------

Nice, the "brakes" worked !

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0929 GMT (5:29 a.m. EDT)

Dragon is holding 250 meters, or 820 feet, beneath the space station.

Very interesting ISS MFD view, by the way.

---------- Post added at 09:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 AM ----------

But a little in late :

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0931 GMT (5:31 a.m. EDT)

Andre Kuipers aboard the space station reports the Dragon spacecraft is slightly forward of where on-board trackers expected it to to be.

---------- Post added at 09:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:33 AM ----------

Still OK.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0933 GMT (5:33 a.m. EDT)

Mission control in Houston reports Dragon's position is acceptable.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I got to see the ISS (but couldn't make out the Dragon) as it passed overhead (ish) at 0407 Eastern time. Too much light pollution here at work I think to see Dragon, but still...

 

[N_Molson]

Ah, the Dragon is now illuminated by the ISS spotlights.

I can clearly see the RCS jets.

---------- Post added at 09:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:40 AM ----------

Sunrise !

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0940 GMT (5:40 a.m. EDT)

Dragon and the space station just passed into sunlight over the western United States.

 

[mojoey]

didn't see it due to clouds...

 

[N_Molson]

First demo approach sequence is about to begin.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0944 GMT (5:44 a.m. EDT)

Dragon will soon depart the 250-meter hold point and fly to a point 220 meters below the space station, at which time astronauts will command Dragon to retreat back to the 250-meter position, where it will automatically pause and restart its approach.

A second approach will be held at 220 meters by the crew, then Dragon will resume its flight up the R-bar, the imaginary line drawn between the space station and the center of the Earth.

Meanwhile, Dragon's laser guidance sensors will be thoroughly checked a final time to verify it is ready for precise navigation requirements necessary close to the station. The laser sensor provides range, closing rate and attitude information on the station as Dragon autonomously approaches.

These are the final demonstrations required before mission control gives a "go" for Dragon to move inside the 200-meter keep-out sphere and proceed to a hold point 30 meters below the station, then ultimately to a capture position at a range of 10 meters.

 

[Gerdih]

from where are you seeing it guys? me nasa tv.

 

[N_Molson]

(Spaceflight Now)

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0955 GMT (5:55 a.m. EDT)

Dragon will momentarily resume moving closer to the space station, and Andre Kuipers will issue a retreat command when the craft reaches a range of 235 meters.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
0956 GMT (5:56 a.m. EDT)

Dragon has resumed its approach.

 

[orb]

A view at the ISS from Dragon:

SPACE.com: Private Cargo Ship Closing in on Space Station

Aviation Week: Space Station Astronauts Prepare For Dragon's Arrival

 

[N_Molson]

240 meters. Retreat command is armed.

---------- Post added at 10:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:00 AM ----------

Retreat command sent.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1000 GMT (6:00 a.m. EDT)


Andre Kuipers has sent the retreat command to Dragon via a UHF communications link between the capsule and the space station.

---------- Post added at 10:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:01 AM ----------

Range increasing. It works.

---------- Post added at 10:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 AM ----------

Dragon reached the 250 meters hold position, and is holding. Now step 4 : the approach will be resumed, and the ISS will send a "hold" command at 235 meters.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1006 GMT (6:06 a.m. EDT)


The Dragon spacecraft has returned to the 250-meter hold position. The next move will be for Dragon to move back to the 235-meter point, where Kuipers will send a hold command by pushing a button on a panel inside the space station.

If all goes well with the next test, Dragon will continue approaching the space station, passing inside of the safety keep-out sphere to a 30-meter hold point.

---------- Post added at 10:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 AM ----------

Small delay.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1016 GMT (6:16 a.m. EDT)

Mission control just informed the space station crew that engineers are spending some extra time analyzing data from Dragon's thermal imager, so it will continue flying in formation at the 250-meter hold point for a bit longer than planned.

 

[orb]

Resuming approach.

 

[N_Molson]

Approach command sent. Hold planned at 235 meters.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1019 GMT (6:19 a.m. EDT)

Dragon is again flying toward the space station. Andre Kuipers will push the button to send a hold command to Dragon at the 235-meter point.

 

[Codz]

By the way, what's the official time of the berthing?

 

[N_Molson]

Holding command sent. Spacecraft is slowing down.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1022 GMT (6:22 a.m. EDT)

Andre Kuipers just issued the hold command after mission control in Houston told him to send the signal a bit earlier than planned.

237.4 meters

 

[Ripley]

By the way, what's the official time of the berthing?

http://www.orbiter-forum.com/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=470

 

[N_Molson]

Additional checks. The spare time is used to check the ISS cameras.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1029 GMT (6:29 a.m. EDT)

Astronaut Megan Behnken in mission control says Dragon will remain in this holding pattern for a few more minutes. Andre Kuipers aboard the space station is checking Dragon's position relative to camera trackers showing where the craft should be located.

 

[orb]

http://www.orbiter-forum.com/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=470

That's the time for the capture. Berthing will be some time later.

 

[N_Molson]

Sunset.

Berthing will be some time later.

I heard "4 hours later".

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1035 GMT (6:35 a.m. EDT)

Engineers are evaluating sensor data before approving Dragon's continued approach to the space station.