Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 F3 COTS2+ Updates

Holding command sent from the ISS at 72 meters.

More time is required to examine the sensors data.
FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1225 GMT (8:25 a.m. EDT)


SpaceX just commanded a retreat of the Dragon spacecraft away from the International Space Station. Awaiting word on the reason for this maneuver.

Dragon was at a range of 59 meters, or 193 feet, from the station at the time of the retreat command.
 
I see Z axis coordinate increasing in streaming. Are these the coordinates of Dragon from ISS?
 
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LIDAR sensor issue again.

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1228 GMT (8:28 a.m. EDT)


Dragon is now holding about 72 meters, or 236 feet, from the space station after SpaceX told the spacecraft to stop its retreat. NASA says SpaceX is looking at data from Dragon's LIDAR sensor.

I see Z axis coordinate increasing in streaming. Are these the coordinates of Dragon from ISS?

No, the distance is holding. Small fluctuations are normal. Its not a DG with Killrot (or rather AttitudeMFD) ;-)

Watch the first number of the 3rd block.
 
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Gerdih, you now have a serious chance to get the delay you wanted :P

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1233 GMT (8:33 a.m. EDT)


This will likely push Dragon's capture by the space station robotic arm after the new target time of 9:10 a.m. EDT (1310 GMT).
 
Its why flight-testing is so important, such things never happen in lab experiments :

FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2012
1236 GMT (8:36 a.m. EDT)


Dragon's LIDAR sensor works by bouncing laser signals off the space station, creating a 3D map of the complex and giving Dragon's computer data on the craft's distance, closure rate, and orientation.

It seems like the ship's LIDAR system was receiving stray reflections from a structure on the space station's Japanese Kibo laboratory module, so SpaceX wants to see how to resolve the issue.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/003/status.html
 
Got video back at spacevidcast... Dragon closing at 62 meters!

---------- Post added at 08:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 AM ----------

correction, holding @62 meters.
 
Got video back at spacevidcast... Dragon closing at 62 meters!

Negative. We're still at 72 meters and holding.
 
Dragon's LIDAR is trying to lock onto the Kibo module (or something close to that).
 
Trying to figure out the right side HUD items ...

Assuming ... OBT is on orbit time (UTC). PET zeroes (some period timer?)

Attitude settings - Yaw, Pitch and Roll absolutes and deltas (nice clean data).

Position settings (CP to GF?) relative X Y Z distances and rates.

W to ISS ... presumably 2 more ranging radars. Current spread... Z = 62.36, Pri = 72.02, Sec = 68.05, so all looking at a slightly different aim point.

Questions - do you assume perfect retrograde is Y=180, P=0, R = 0? If so - is the roll axis 90 degrees off from what we would use on Orbiter? I.e. this Dragon is coming in from below the ISS (so we are seeing the earth), wings level, so I would usually call this Y=180, P=0, R=90 or 270.
 
Its interesting to notice that changes of lighting can make the spacecraft shape look completely different. Like when the light is from behind and the capsule itself is shadowed.
 
It's offline for me. Probably overloaded.

Yep, many people are watching. Let's hope for a success.


5-10 more minutes are needed to narrow the field of the LIDAR so that it won't pick the JAXA Kibo superstructure.
 
The resume command will be sent momentarily.

---------- Post added at 01:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 PM ----------

Range decreasing, approach resumed.
 
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