Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 F3 COTS2+ Updates

[Jarvitä]

I've just discovered NASA TV has an HD stream.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ustream.html

 

[Eccentrus]

Nasa Mobile Version

For those with a suboptimal connection or planning to watch via mobile or tablet

 

[N_Molson]

Slight plan change : the Dragon will fly to the 200 meters mark, then the ISS will send a hold to it. Thermal imagers of the Dragon seem to have small resolution issues.

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.

---------- Post added at 11:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:03 AM ----------

Sunrise !

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1103 GMT (7:03 a.m. EDT)

Dragon is now moving to an unplanned hold point 200 meters, or 656 feet, from the space station in hopes of improving data from the ship's two thermal sensors. SpaceX reports Dragon's LIDAR laser ranging instruments are working fine.

The thermal and laser sensors independently measure the distance between Dragon and the space station to feed into the craft's guidance system.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1057 GMT (6:57 a.m. EDT)

SpaceX and NASA controllers are analyzing data from the laser and thermal sensors aboard Dragon to ensure they have good agreement on the position of Dragon and the space station.

 

[Gerdih]

The first time I see RCS in action in space!!:woohoo:

 

[N_Molson]

Holding at 200 meters, just at the border of the safety sphere.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1114 GMT (7:14 a.m. EDT)

Responding to a command from the station crew, the Dragon spacecraft has paused 200 meters, or 656 feet, from the International Space Station to give the thermal tracking camera a chance to obtain better data on the positions of the two vehicles in orbit.

The first time I see RCS in action in space!!

Notice how far and fast the jets spread ! We definitively have to improve that in Orbiter.

---------- Post added at 11:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 AM ----------

Final approach sequence initiated.

---------- Post added at 11:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 AM ----------

Its getting bigger. Now I can distinguish the sub-sections of the solar panels.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1120 GMT (7:20 a.m. EDT)

And the spacecraft has restarted its movement toward the space station, flying closer to the complex at a deliberate pace of about one-tenth of a mile per hour.

---------- Post added at 11:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:26 AM ----------

The Dragon is now quickly "de-pixelizing" :lol:

---------- Post added at 11:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 AM ----------

Hold command executed at 150 meters.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1132 GMT (7:32 a.m. EDT)


Kuipers has issued the hold command for Dragon to halt its approach and hover 150 meters, or 492 feet, at a position between Earth and the space station.

 

[Jarvitä]

Holding at 150m.

 

[FADEC]

This is one of the most awesome live coverages for over a year now. Dragon looks beautiful in orbit.

 

[N_Molson]

The ISS docking radar returns a value fluctuating between 149.60 and 149.65 meters.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1134 GMT (7:34 a.m. EDT)

Dragon responded and is holding at 150 meters.

This is one of the most awesome live coverages for over a year now. Dragon looks beautiful in orbit.

The Earth views below are absolutely awesome.

This hold will give engineers additional time to analyze the performance of Dragon's rendezvous systems, particularly thermal cameras designed to help locate and track the space station.

 

[Codz]

Amazing views of the African landscape.

 

[N_Molson]

The final approach is going to resume. ETA to the 30 meters hold : 30 minutes.

Amazing views of the African landscape.

Yep, that orange background is something. But we're over the indian Ocean already !

 

[Jarvitä]

Interesting choice of decoration at MCC Houston.

 

[Gerdih]

we're over the indian Ocean already !

The ISS is in the Atlantic near Angola and goes to Namibia

http://www.isstracker.com/

 

[N_Molson]

The ISS is in the Atlantic near Angola and goes to Namibia

Ooops !


129 meters and closing.

 

[Jarvitä]

Yep, that orange background is something. But we're over the indian Ocean already !

No, it's over the south atlantic actually. It's about to pass over Namibia and South Africa.

Loving the view of the Dragon, it's really clearing up.

 

[Codz]

Over Namibia.

 

[ADSWNJ]

Wonder if anyone in mission control is thinking of hitting T and R. That's our technical advice to them, isn't it?

 

[N_Molson]

103 meters and closing.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1144 GMT (7:44 a.m. EDT)

Mission control has cleared Dragon to fly to the next planned hold point 30 meters, or 98 feet, beneath the space station. But engineers are still closely watching the craft's thermal sensor data to see if it agrees with information generated from Dragon's laser sensors.

It will take 30 minutes for Dragon to move to the next hold point. NASA is working out a new estimate of when Dragon will be grappled this morning.

 

[Gerdih]

Nice, Dragon and ISS over South Africa in one of the most important days for SpaceX.

 

[N_Molson]

ETA - 15 minutes. Once at the 30 meters hold point, a 27 minutes hold is planned.

 

[orb]

New capture time: 13:10 UTC.