Updates SpaceX Falcon 9 F5 CRS SpX-2 through CRS SpX-12 Updates

[Kyle]

@elonmusk About to pass over Australia ground station and command inhibit override

 

[IronRain]

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk

About to pass over Australia ground station and command inhibit override

 

[sitha241]

Latest NASA TV update reports that the issue may be related to change of burn schedules due to accelerated docking time. So definitely a software problem.

Words are out that the Dragon batteries can last for 18 hours, so it seems much better than once thought....

But if Musk said they wont deploy solar panels unless they activate thrusters does that means they can deploy them when ever they want?
If so there should be no problem with power..
Control over spacecraft on the other hand is tricky..

 

[Kyle]

SpaceX PAO:
One thruster pod is running. Two are preferred to take the next step which is to deploy the solar arrays. We are working to bring up the other two in order to plan the next series of burns to get to station.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Quote of the day (from another forum):

"Uninhibit the thruster pods, HAL."

"I'm sorry, Dave Elon. I'm afraid I can't do that."

:rofl:

 

[N_Molson]

Spaceflight Now updates :

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1622 GMT (11:22 a.m. EST)
SpaceX says one thruster pod is working, and two are "preferred" to deploy solar arrays. Four thruster pods are on the Dragon spacecraft.

"We are working to bring up the other two in order to plan the next series of burns to get to station," a SpaceX spokesperson says.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1612 GMT (11:12 a.m. EST)
NASA spokesperson Pat Ryan says flight controllers in Houston and at SpaceX's headquarters in California are studying whether they may need to change the sequence of rendezvous burns to approach the space station.

"It is a possibility that part of the response to the issue may be a rearrangement of the planned burn sequences for the Dragon spacecraft," Ryan said in a televised update from mission control in Houston.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk is tweeting updates on the situation. His latest update: "About to pass over Australia ground station and command inhibit override."

Musk is referring to an attempt to recover at least one of the three disabled thruster pods.

Dragon uses 18 Draco rocket jets to control its orientation and change its orbit to approach the space station.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1606 GMT (11:03 a.m. EST)
"Holding on solar array deployment until at least two thruster pods are active," Musk just tweeted.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1543 GMT (10:43 a.m. EST)
SpaceX founder and CEO just tweeted: "Issue with Dragon thruster pods. System inhibiting three of four from initializing. About to command inhibit override."

Solar array deployment was delayed while engineers attempt to regain attitude control of Dragon.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1543 GMT (10:43 a.m. EST)
SpaceX founder and CEO just tweeted: "Issue with Dragon thruster pods. System inhibiting three of four from initializing. About to command inhibit override."

Solar array deployment was delayed while engineers attempt to regain attitude control of Dragon.

 

[Kyle]

Safe!
@elonmusk: Thruster pod 3 tank pressure trending positive. Preparing to deploy solar arrays.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

YESSSSSS!

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk
Thruster pod 3 tank pressure trending positive. Preparing to deploy solar arrays.

 

[Kyle]

Still not over with, need one more to get to ISS.

 

[Alfastar]

Really? Need there three to go to the ISS?

Lucky it looks more positive for the Dragon ATM then 20 minutes ago

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

URRRRAHHHH!

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk
Solar array deployment successful

 

[Roundaboutdan]

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk

Solar array deployment successful


:-D Things are sure looking more positive!

 

[orb]

Launch photos:

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[N_Molson]

SN updates :

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1650 GMT (11:50 a.m. EST)
Dragon has extended its power-generating solar panels.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1640 GMT (11:40 a.m. EST)
"Thruster pod 3 tank pressure trending positive. Preparing to deploy solar arrays," Musk just tweeted.

At least two thruster pods are needed to deploy the power-generating solar arrays, which stretch 54 feet tip-to-tip.

 

[Ripley]

Looking forward to the post-launch press conference...

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Elon Musk ‏@elonmusk
Attempting bring up of thruster pods 2 and 4

 

[Alfastar]

Well, got someone some news about the software problems and the attitude control problem? Or are that all now gone with the deploying of the solar panels?

spaceflightnow (17.10 GMT) :

SpaceX has released the following statement:
"Falcon 9 lifted off as planned and experienced a nominal flight. After Dragon achieved orbit, the spacecraft experienced an issue with a propellant valve. One thruster pod is running. We are trying to bring up the remaining three. We did go ahead and get the solar arrays deployed. Once we get at least 2 pods running, we will begin a series of burns to get to station.

Well, do this means that the try to let active at least the third truster is failed?

 

[orb]

Launch replays (different perspectives included) from NASAtelevision:

 

[N_Molson]

Some interesting details :

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1736 GMT (12:36 p.m. EST)
A NASA official says three Dragon thruster pods are required to approach the International Space Station.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1726 GMT (12:26 p.m. EST)
The Dragon spacecraft's Draco thrusters are mounted on four pods. Two of the pods contain five thrusters and the other two contain four thrusters.

According to SpaceX, the pods are positioned to provide complete control of the spacecraft's direction of motion (X, Y and Z axis), as well as orientation (roll, pitch and yaw).

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2013
1710 GMT (12:10 p.m. EST)
SpaceX has released the following statement:

"Falcon 9 lifted off as planned and experienced a nominal flight. After Dragon achieved orbit, the spacecraft experienced an issue with a propellant valve. One thruster pod is running. We are trying to bring up the remaining three. We did go ahead and get the solar arrays deployed. Once we get at least 2 pods running, we will begin a series of burns to get to station."

So we are talking about RCS attitude thrusters, right ? So in the current state, they have pitch, yaw & roll control but no redundancy at all, which is a no go to approach the ISS.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Some interesting details :




So we are talking about RCS attitude thrusters, right ?

Remember that on the Dragon the RCS thrusters, orbit change thrusters and de-orbit thrusters are one and the same.