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[Urwumpe]

AFAIK the manned Dragons will have to use LIDS, in case they need to leave in a hurry.

Exactly, the CBM isn't made for fast operations. Also, the docking port question is also about which spacecraft is active and which is passive. CBM makes the Dragon the passive spacecraft, it can only dock to a powered ISS. LIDS or others make the Dragon the active spacecraft and could permit docking to uncooperative targets.

 

[NovaSilisko]

I think I read somewhere that it would use APAS, so it could dock with the existing PMAs?

But perhaps that was a misidentification of LIDS in a rendering somewhere...

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

I think I read somewhere that it would use APAS, so it could dock with the existing PMAs?

But perhaps that was a misidentification of LIDS in a rendering somewhere...

The plans have been shifting, but IIRC the latest plan is to install 2 LIDS-to-APAS adapters to the two PMAs (PMA 3 might be moving to somewhere else), so that these spacecrafts can dock to them.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

The plans have been shifting, but IIRC the latest plan is to install 2 LIDS-to-APAS adapters to the two PMAs (PMA 3 might be moving to somewhere else), so that these spacecrafts can dock to them.

Correct - two NASA Docking System (NDS) - which is a crossover of APAS and LIDS - adapters will be added to PMA-2 and PMA-3.

PMA-2 will stay where it is at Node 2 Forward, while PMA-3 will move to Node 3 Nadir (which means the Cupola will move to Node 1 Nadir, which means the PMM will move to Node 3 Aft).

 

[Kyle]

View of the SSRMS into the trunk of the Dragon spacecraft.

Great reference for anyone working on a future Dragon addon!

 

[orb]

Universe Today: Station Astronauts Say Dragon is Plenty Roomy for Hauling Big Crews to Orbit

 

[Unstung]

The ISS has a crew of six and uses two Soyuz spacecraft to haul the crew up there. How would a single Dragon capsule that can carry seven astronauts affect the way the crew gets to and from the ISS?

 

[mojoey]

The ISS has a crew of six and uses two Soyuz spacecraft to haul the crew up there. How would a single Dragon capsule that can carry seven astronauts affect the way the crew gets to and from the ISS?

Soyuz would probably be used as an escape craft.

 

[Urwumpe]

The ISS has a crew of six and uses two Soyuz spacecraft to haul the crew up there. How would a single Dragon capsule that can carry seven astronauts affect the way the crew gets to and from the ISS?

Not that much, since Russia needs to be included. It would also not happen to have bigger crews on the ISS, because it would then also need more frequent resupplies.

But you could bring visiting crews better to the ISS again and back for temporarily extending the crew size.

 

[N_Molson]

I highly doubt that cosmonauts will abandon their mythical Soyuz and pay for seats in the Dragon.

 

[orb]

Florida Today: ISS crew gets SpaceX Dragon ready for return to Earth:

Crewmembers aboard the International Space Station have finished unloading SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and are packing it for its planned return to Earth on Thursday.

Since Monday, the crew has spent about 18 hours unloading a half-ton of food, clothing, experiments and other items hauled up by the first commercial spacecraft to berth at the station.

Dragon will return to Earth with about 1,400 pounds of cargo. It’s the only spacecraft other than Russia’s Soyuz, which can carry little more than its three-person crew, that can return cargo home.

On Thursday, the station’s robotic arm is expected to pull the Dragon away from its port at 4:15 a.m. EDT Thursday, then release the spacecraft at 6:12 a.m. EDT.

SpaceX plans about five hours of orbital operations before a planned splashdown hundreds of miles off the southern California coast.

{...}

 

[orb]

Aviation Week: ISS Team Approves Unberthing Of Dragon Cargo Capsule:

The NASA-led International Space Station (ISS) Mission Management Team has approved plans for the scheduled unberthing of the first U.S. commercial resupply mission spacecraft later this week, as the astronauts aboard the orbiting science laboratory wrapped up a fast-paced, 2,400-lb. cargo exchange.

The SpaceX Dragon’s unberthing is scheduled for May 31 at 4:05 a.m. EDT. Astronaut Don Pettit, who will carry out the operation using the station’s Canadarm2, will release the freighter below the orbital outpost at 6:10 a.m.. After three orbits of the Earth, Dragon will fire its braking rockets at 10:51 a.m. for reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, ending the nine-day NASA Commercial Orbital Transporation Services test flight with a parachute descent into the Pacific Ocean. A splashdown several hundred miles off Southern California is expected at 11:44 a.m.

{...}

 

[orb]

NASA:
MEDIA ADVISORY : M12-098
NASA TV Coverage for SpaceX Dragon Reentry and Splashdown

May 29, 2012

HOUSTON -- NASA Television will provide extensive coverage of the departure of the SpaceX Dragon capsule from the International Space Station before its reentry and splashdown on May 31.

On Wednesday, May 30, a news briefing previewing the departure activities will be held at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at 9 a.m. CDT (10 a.m. EDT) and will be broadcast live on NASA TV and the agency's website. Participants include NASA Flight Director Holly Ridings and SpaceX Mission Manager John Couluris.

On Thursday, May 31, NASA TV will begin live coverage of the departure of Dragon at 2:30 a.m. CDT (3:30 a.m. EDT). Coverage will continue through the release of Dragon from the station, currently scheduled for 5:10 a.m. CDT (6:10 a.m. EDT) and will resume at 9:15 a.m. CDT (10:15 a.m. EDT) with deorbit and splashdown coverage. The capsule is currently scheduled to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean at 10:44 a.m. CDT (11:44 a.m. EDT) hundreds of miles off the west coast of California likely out of range of live television.

A news briefing will be held jointly from Johnson and SpaceX in Hawthorne, Calif., at 1 p.m. CDT (2 p.m. EDT) live on NASA TV.

{...}

 

[orb]

Here's calendar event for unberthing and return to Earth. You can request a reminder here.


Dragon's timeline for tomorrow (2012-05-31):

UTC​

|

EDT​

| EVENT

04:35 |12:35 a.m. |Dragon vestibule demate

04:50 |12:50 a.m. |IPCU deactivation

05:35 |01:35 a.m. |Dragon vestibule depressurization

08:05 |04:05 a.m. |Station robot arm (SSRMS) detaches Dragon from Harmony nadir port

10:10 |06:10 a.m. |SSRMS releases Dragon

10:11 |06:11 a.m. |Departure burn No. 1

10:13 |06:13 a.m. |Departure burn No. 2

10:20 |06:20 a.m. |Departure burn No. 3

11:06 |07:06 a.m. |Apogee reduction burn

11:07 |07:07 a.m. |Unlatch/close/latch GNC cover

14:51 |10:51 a.m. |Deorbit ignition

15:09 |11:09 a.m. |Trunk jettison

15:28 |11:28 a.m. |GPS blackout

15:35 |11:35 a.m. |Drogue chute deploy

15:36 |11:36 a.m. |Main chute deploy

15:44 |11:44 a.m. |Splashdown

 

[IronRain]

Cool photo by André Kuipers

My Soyuz reflected in one of Dragon's solar panels.

 

[orb]

SPACE.com: SpaceX's Private Dragon Capsule Returns to Earth Thursday

Florida Today: SpaceX Dragon capsule prepares for return to Earth on Thursday

The Planetary Society Blog: Dragon packed and ready for reentry

Universe Today: SpaceX Dragon Sealed for Earth Return on May 31

Parabolic Arc: Dragon Prepped for Fiery Re-entry

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: SpaceX’s Dragon prepares for unberthing ahead of its return to Earth

SPACE.com: SpaceX's Dragon Capsule Returns to Earth Today: How to Watch Online

Florida Today: Re-entry one more test for Dragon

 

[Delta4]

I'd say they are right on schedule. NASA planned to launch STS-1 in 1978 and it got pushed back and back and back..... Space-X have got two launch vehicles, both flown and both ready to go. They understand the issue that caused the abort - a real abort due to a part.

This proves that the system has matured since the first couple of disastrous launches.

Get them to upgrade to DG-IVs. Then the only excuse they have to delay their launches would be the pilot having some bad Thai food. DGs NEVER fail.

 

[Urwumpe]

Get them to upgrade to DG-IVs. Then the only excuse they have to delay their launches would be the pilot having some bad Thai food. DGs NEVER fail.

DGs can't land in the real world, they would keep on floating in high altitude.

 

[Zachstar]

DGs can't land in the real world, they would keep on floating in high altitude.

Is that some kind of gas joke? :rofl: