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

[Cosmic Penguin]

Pre-launch briefing underway - GO for launch tomorrow 20:58:44 UTC!

Some required readings for this mission:

SpaceX Press Kit

Cargo manifest

CRS-3 Fact Sheet

 

[Kyle]

Exciting to hear, let's get this thing off the ground!

---------- Post added at 11:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:41 PM ----------

Via SpaceX twitter, man that's a sexy rocket!

Also of note via NASA press release.

April 13, 2014
MEDIA ADVISORY M14-069
NASA Hosts Launch Complex 39A Status Update
NASA will provide a status update on Launch Complex 39A at 2:30 p.m. EDT, Monday, April 14 at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The update, which will be held at pad 39A, will not be carried live on NASA Television.
The update is open to media already badged for Monday's SpaceX launch to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Pass and Identification Building on State Road 3, Merritt Island, will be open to pick up media credentials on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Monday from 7–10 a.m., resuming at 12:30 p.m.
Media will be bused to Launch Complex 39A from Kennedy’s Press Site. Buses will begin loading at 1:45 p.m. and depart at 2 p.m. Following the event, buses will take media to view the SpaceX launch and return to the Press Site by 5:30 p.m.
NASA has been in negotiations since December with SpaceX for an agreement to use and operate the historic site. The pad is where Apollo 11 lifted off from on the first manned moon landing in 1969, as well as being the launch site for first space shuttle mission in 1981 and the last in 2011.

So it's a big day all around tomorrow for SpaceX!

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

While all eyes will probably be on the first stage later today, I think that the interesting cargo on board and outside the Dragon are worth a mention: :tiphat:

Internal cargo:

• One new spacesuit (EMU) to act as back-up to the two suits currently on the ISS, with improvements made to prevent last year's leaking spacesuit incident.
  
• Legs for Robonaut 2:
  
  
• Vegetable Production System (VEGGIE), a deployable plant growth unit capable of producing salad-type crops to provide the crew with appetizing, nutritious, and safe, fresh food and support crew relaxation and recreation.
  
  
  
  
  
• T-Cell Activation in Space: The T-Cell Activation in Space investigation, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, seeks to identify the defect in T-cell activation, an immune response used to fight foreign antigens, during microgravity exposure. This research also can help in understanding and treating a range of auto-immune diseases such as arthritis and diabetes. Identifying this defect may someday inhibit the decline of the immune system as a normal part of the aging process.
  

External payloads:

• Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS): The Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) investigation tests the use of laser optics to transfer information to the ground. The switch from radio frequency to a laser beam—which can be hundreds to thousands of times narrower in comparison to radio waves—could improve communication data rates by a factor of 10 to 100. This advanced approach stands to increase the amount of data future missions can send using the same power resources, optimizing research return.
  
  
  
  
  
• High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV): The HDEV investigation places four commercially available high definition cameras on the exterior of the space station for use in streaming live video of Earth for online viewing. The cameras are enclosed in a temperature-specific case and exposed to the harsh radiation of the space environment. Analysis of the effect of space on the video quality during the HDEV operational period may help engineers determine the best types of commercially available cameras to use on future missions. Using available products may be more cost-effective than designing new products. High school students helped design some of the cameras' components, through the High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware program, and student teams will operate the experiment.
  
  
  

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

The rocket now stands vertical at the pad:

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

However the prize for the most interesting payloads goes to the 5 cubesats hitchhiking on the Falcon 9 rocket (and deployed separately about 1 minute after the Dragon separates into orbit) - especially one named KickSat, which will deploy 104 (!) micro-satellites named "Sprites" to test out how small self-functioning satellites can go. These are nothing more than a 1.4 inch-per-side electric circuit board complete with antennas, micro-controller, solar cells, radio transmitter and various sensors that can communicate with the ground and the cubesat itself.

And each of them were paid through a Kickstarter effort! Luckily for other satellites in orbit, their size and shape means that they will fall back into the atmosphere within a month or so. You can also help track them once the Sprites are deployed by the end of this month. :hmm:

Also on board are the latest PhoneSat (2.5) from Ames Research Center....

....and ALL-STAR/THEIA, TestSat-Lite and SporeSat from 3 US institutions.

 

[Ripley]

While all eyes will probably be on the first stage later today...

Will it deploy its legs and try to reenter over the Ocean (or what else)?

Edit:
Ok, found.
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/009/140223legs/#.U0wmd6LPu6h

 

[dehat42]

If you have a Roku, you have 2 ways of watching the launch...

NASA TV channel

Livestream channel...also where SpaceX shows their non-NASA specific launches (like the latest geosationary orbit missions)

 

[Kyle]

Just under two hours, weather is looking beautiful and no issues being worked!

 

[boogabooga]

Scrubbed

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Scrubbing for the day...whoops!

Next attempt is on April 18 at 19:25 UTC (3:25 pm EDT).

EDIT: Apparently its a helium leak on the 1st stage....

 

[Kyle]

Let's just hope the weather will hold for such an event, I think they'd have a better shot over the weekend.

 

[DaveS]

Let's just hope the weather will hold for such an event, I think they'd have a better shot over the weekend.

According to the weather briefing part of yesterday's launch status update on NASA TV, the weather is going to deteriorate over the week with Friday's launch attempt having a PoV of 60%:

 

[Kyle]

Thought so, really wished they'd have gotten up today. The weather is gorgeous here.

---------- Post added at 10:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:08 PM ----------

I'm going to give my personal NO-GO for a Friday attempt.

Synoptic Discussion:Weather will begin to deteriorate Tuesday as a cold frontal system moves into the area with widespread clouds, rain and isolated thunderstorms. There is also a slight chance for hail and severe winds. The front should clear south of the Spaceport on Wednesday, allowing clouds to diminish. Temperatures will struggle to reach the mid 70’s as strong northeasterly surface winds remain through Thursday. On Friday, models indicate a wave developing in the Gulf of Mexico and moving over Central Florida. Thick cloud cover and periods of rain and isolated thunderstorms are typical with these systems. Maximum upper level winds will be 70 knots from the west-northwest at 43,000 feet.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Apparently if there's a scrub on the 18th another try will be available on the next day! IIRC the weather should be better on Saturday.

From NASA:

SpaceX Launch Reset for Friday
April 16, 2014 - 8:28 AM EDT
The International Space Station Program and SpaceX have selected Friday, April 18 for the next launch attempt for the Falcon 9 rocket to send the Dragon cargo craft on the company's third commercial resupply mission to the space station. Launch is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. EDT. NASA TV coverage will begin at 2:15 p.m.
A launch on Friday results in a rendezvous with the space station on Sunday, April 20 and a grapple at 7:14 a.m. NASA TV coverage will begin at 5:45 a.m. with berthing coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron forecast predicts a 40 percent chance of favorable weather, with a chance of showers and thunderstorms that could result in violating the Thick Cloud, Lightning and Flight Through Precipitation rules.
SpaceX has settled on a backup launch date of Saturday, April 19 for the best pair of launch dates for the science payloads being delivered to the station. If needed, a Saturday launch would occur at 3:02 p.m. NASA TV coverage would begin at 2 p.m. This would be a three-day transit to the station instead of two days with grapple on Tuesday, April 22.
If SpaceX launches Friday, a contingency spacewalk to replace a failed multiplexer-demultiplexer will be conducted on Wednesday, April 23. If SpaceX scrubs Friday and attempts to launch Saturday, the contingency spacewalk moves earlier to Sunday, April 20.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

It's launch day at the Cape! While the weather conditions still aren't the best, it seems that the rain may stop during the afternoon so don't write off today's launch window just yet. :tiphat:

In other news, it seems that the Russians are watching this launch rather closely - the Russian tug Nikolay Chiker has been seen sailing around the Cape on March 15 (after escorting an electronic intelligence ship of the Russian Northern Fleet to Cuba), the day before the Dragon was scheduled to launch. After the launch was delayed it went to the Caribbean.....until recently, when it again returned off the Floridan coast. Hmm..... :hmm:

 

[IronRain]

In other news, it seems that the Russians are watching this launch rather closely - the Russian tug Nikolay Chiker has been seen sailing around the Cape on March 15 (after escorting an electronic intelligence ship of the Russian Northern Fleet to Cuba), the day before the Dragon was scheduled to launch. After the launch was delayed it went to the Caribbean.....until recently, when it again returned off the Floridan coast. Hmm..... :hmm:

Seriously.. I find this ridiculous.

Anyhow, launch day indeed!

A video that I haven't found in this forum yet, erection! (my girlfriend looked weird when she asked what I was watching and I replied that I was looking at an erection..)

From Spaceflight Now:

SpaceX is gearing up for launch of a Falcon 9 rocket Friday with 2.4 tons of experiments, provisions and hardware for the International Space Station. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral is scheduled for 3:25 p.m. EDT (1925 GMT), weather permitting.
Forecasters predict widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms around the launch site Friday afternoon, with a 60 percent chance conditions prevent liftoff. The main concerns are with thick clouds, lightning and precipitation in the 208-foot-tall launcher's flight path.
If the rocket does not get off the ground Friday, another launch attempt could be made Saturday at 3:02 p.m. EDT (1902), when weather conditions should be improved enough to allow for better then even odds of liftoff.
The mission's first launch attempt Monday was scrubbed about an hour before blastoff after engineers detected a helium valve in the Falcon 9's pneumatic stage separation system was not holding the correct pressure.
Technicians returned the launcher to its hangar and replaced the faulty valve.
Officials spent Thursday afternoon packing the Dragon spacecraft with refrigerated experiment samples and other time-sensitive cargo as part of the standard "late load" activities before each resupply flight to the space station.
If the SpaceX launch goes on schedule Friday, the Dragon capsule will arrive at the space station early Sunday, with grapple of the automated vehicle by the outpost's robot arm expected at 7:14 a.m. EDT (1114 GMT).
Astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Steve Swanson are preparing for a spacewalk next Wednesday, April 23, to replace a failed computer on the space station's central truss section. The computer stopped responding to commands April 11, threatening to delay the SpaceX cargo flight, but NASA managers approved the resupply mission after determining the space station's critical systems had enough redundancy to safely deal with any further failures.
If Friday's launch is scrubbed, NASA plans to move the spacewalk forward to Sunday, April 20. A Falcon 9 launch Saturday would take a longer three-day route to the space station, arriving April 22 after the spacewalk.

And my new mobile wallpaper:

 

[tl8]

It's launch day at the Cape! While the weather conditions still aren't the best, it seems that the rain may stop during the afternoon so don't write off today's launch window just yet. :tiphat:

In other news, it seems that the Russians are watching this launch rather closely - the Russian tug Nikolay Chiker has been seen sailing around the Cape on March 15 (after escorting an electronic intelligence ship of the Russian Northern Fleet to Cuba), the day before the Dragon was scheduled to launch. After the launch was delayed it went to the Caribbean.....until recently, when it again returned off the Floridan coast. Hmm..... :hmm:

Does it have a Helo pad?
SpaceX could land on that...
The government might have a fit though with Weapon Export Restrictions

 

[Kyle]

This is what we're dealing today in terms of weather.. expect that yellow-blue mass of precip to come in today.

 

[IronRain]

Spaceflight Now:

The weather today over Central Florida will be challenging for liftoff of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket at 3:25 p.m. EDT (1925 GMT).
There continues to be a 60 percent chance of violating weather rules due to thick clouds, lightning and precipitation in the rocket's flight path.
But Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager, says he is hopeful the launch team will find a hole in the weather to lift off on time this afternoon.
The Falcon 9 rocket rolled out to Cape Canaveral's Complex 40 launch pad overnight and was rotated vertical around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), according to NASA.
Fueling of the two-stage launcher is set to begin around 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT).

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Currently looking at the NASA TV coverage - weather seems to be OK for launch with probably no rain at liftoff time. SpaceX coverage starts in 20 minutes.