Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.2 - CRS- 11 - June 1, 2017

[Kyle]

SpaceX continues its rapid launch cadence with the CRS-11 mission! Aiming for a static fire on Saturday, with a launch on the 1st of June at 5:55pm EDT (21:55pm UTC). Planned landing at LZ-1, the third LZ-1 landing of the year. This mission will reuse the pressure vessel previously flown on the SpaceX CRS-4 mission. CRS-11 will carry the NICER neutron star observer, as well as the MUSES and ROSA payloads.

---------- Post added at 06:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:20 PM ----------

Static fired moved forward a day to tomorrow.

 

[ESK]

Do you know when they will fly the first Crew Dragon?

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Crewed Dragon is a long way off. But I've heard of a remote control test flight in November (this year?)

edit - - -
https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/12/13/spacexs-first-crewed-launch-moved-back-to-2018/

So "planned" crew Dragon in May 2018. I'd realistically expect that to slip. The best plans don't ever unfold according to "the plan".

 

[ESK]

A delay?...Kind of like SLS, Just say'n

 

[Donamy]

Dragon1 had the luxury of acceptable losses. Crewed Dragon2 does not.

 

[Andy44]

Planned landing at LZ-1, the third LZ-1 landing of the year.

I love how Cape Canaveral/KSC is actually a real spaceport, complete with both a runway and a vertical landing pad as well as launch pads.

Oh Robert Heinlein, if only you were here to see this.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I love how Cape Canaveral/KSC is actually a real spaceport, complete with both a runway and a vertical landing pad as well as launch pads.

Oh Robert Heinlein, if only you were here to see this.

And they're already recovering stages at rates approaching 70% (see my signature). Absolutely insane times we live in.

 

[boogabooga]

I love how Cape Canaveral/KSC is actually a real spaceport, complete with both a runway and a vertical landing pad as well as launch pads.

Oh Robert Heinlein, if only you were here to see this.

That's a good point. When I started Orbiter I couldn't imagine that the vertical landing pads would be realistically plausible for anything but helicopters.

Also, the shuttle was still flying in those days...

 

[Kyle]

A delay?...Kind of like SLS, Just say'n

Turns out developing a crewed spacecraft and human rated launch vehicle in the 21st century is kinda, sorta difficult.

 

[mahdavi3d]

 

[Kyle]

Static fire moved to Sunday.

---------- Post added 05-28-17 at 01:10 PM ---------- Previous post was 05-27-17 at 08:30 PM ----------

F9 vertical on the pad

---------- Post added at 10:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:10 PM ----------

Nominal static fire... too nominal, if anything. Set off a brush fire.

 

[Donamy]

Any photos of the payload in the trunk ?

 

[Kyle]

Weather 70% GO... of note this mission will mark the 100th launch from LC-39A.

---------- Post added at 09:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:42 AM ----------

Patch!

---------- Post added 06-01-17 at 11:55 AM ---------- Previous post was 05-31-17 at 09:00 PM ----------

Falcon 9 is now vertical on LC-39A.

 

[BrianJ]

Heads up for any Orbinauts in Southern UK - I reckon the Dragon capsule should be visible (weather permitting!) quite high in the sky, about 70deg elevation, to the South, about 20 mins after launch. It will be in sunlight for a couple of minutes before passing into shadow. You can also see the Falcon9 2nd stage following the capsule, and possibly the solar array covers to either side. Followed 10 minutes later by the ISS. Crossed fingers for a successful launch and no clouds

 

[Donamy]

Good luck !! I don't think we'll see anything here, on the northern east coast (Cape Cod). Too light out.

 

[Kyle]

Bad storm over KSC right now. Phase 2 lightning warning over KSC. Typical June in Florida...

 

[ESK]

I'm going to predict a scrub for today's launch.

 

[Kyle]

Sounds like they're going to scrub for today. Lightning near pad during fueling = huge no-no.

---------- Post added at 08:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:47 PM ----------

Pressing ahead with fueling despite the lightning warning.

 

[DaveS]

SCRUB due to unfavorable weather forecast. Setting up for a 48hr scrub turn around. Took a lightning strike inside 10 n.mi of the pad, needed 30 minutes to clear that flight rule, not enough time in the count to clear it in time. Also had a bunch of other weather rules NO-GO, would not have been have to clear those in time either.

 

[Kyle]

The weather looks absolutely terrible around 5pm for the next week or so. Hopefully this doesn't end up like the STS-127 launch campaign...