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

[Donamy]

Maybe more light will be shed soon.

 

[orb]

ReelNASA:

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now: SpaceX launch week begins with static fire Monday

 

[orb]

NASA News Release:
MEDIA ADVISORY : M13-037
NASA Coverage Set for March 1 SpaceX Mission to Space Station

Feb. 22, 2013

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The second SpaceX mission to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch Friday, March 1, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. NASA Television coverage begins at 8:30 a.m. EST.

The company's Falcon 9 rocket carrying its Dragon cargo capsule will lift off at 10:10 a.m. If needed, a backup launch opportunity is available on March 2 with launch time at 9:47 a.m. and NASA TV coverage beginning at 8 a.m.

The mission is the second of 12 SpaceX flights contracted by NASA to resupply the space station. It will mark the third trip by a Dragon capsule to the orbiting laboratory, following a demonstration flight in May 2012 and the first resupply mission in October 2012.

The capsule will be filled with more than 1,200 pounds of scientific experiments and cargo. It will remain attached to the space station's Harmony module for more than three weeks. The Dragon capsule will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California on March 25, returning more than 2,300 pounds of experiment samples and equipment, which will be recovered for examination by scientists and engineers.

In advance of the launch, NASA will host a briefing on NASA's human deep space exploration progress at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On Thursday, Feb. 28, NASA will host a mission science briefing at 1 p.m. and a prelaunch news conference at 3 p.m. All three briefings will be carried live on NASA TV and the agency's website.

{...}

 

[orb]

NASASpaceflight: SpaceX Dragon to make third ISS visit amid logistics schedule challenges, article by Orbinaut Pete


Spaceflight Now:

• Mission Status Center
• Dragon rendezvous profile
• Dragon launch cargo
• Dragon return cargo
• SpaceX Dragon spacecraft facts
• SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket facts

Mission patch:

Higher resolution:
https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/statuses/305428806531960832

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

The Falcon 9's hot fire test is apparently scheduled at 1:30 pm EST (18:30 GMT), less than 3 hours from now.....

BTW no webcast available...... but who wants to track a 2 second rocket engine roar?

 

[Kyle]

Doesn't mean there's no video!
Falcon 9 is vertical!

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

No, I mean how does it attach to the trunk (looks like it's floating in there) ? It will probably be attached to the EE on the MBS.

As for how the HRSGFs interface with the Trunk itself, I have no idea. I thought maybe they were bolted in place, but since they have to be removed robotically, perhaps there is some kind of electromechanical latch. But I'm just guessing here.

You are correct that the two HRSGFs will be transferred to the POA on the MBS, and they will wait there until a US EVA in June/July, where each one will be installed onto a respecive radiator on the P1/S1 Truss.

 

[Kyle]

Falcon 9's hotfire occurred on time and was visually a success. Will wait for confirmation.

 

[orb]

collectSPACE: SpaceX's 2nd space station resupply flight gets two mission patches

The SpaceX patch with Falcon 9 in center was already presented earlier, but here's the other, CRS patch with Dragon in the center:

 

[orb]

Falcon 9's hotfire occurred on time and was visually a success.

Elon Musk via Twitter:

Rocket static fire @SpaceX Cape Canaveral launch pad looks good. Engines generated 433 tons of thrust, parameters nominal.

 

[orb]

NASAKennedy via Twitter:

The weather forecast is 90 percent favorable for the launch of the SpaceX at 10:10 a.m. EST Mar. 1 from SLC-40 at CCAFS.

 

[orb]

Here's static fire test official video from SpaceX:

 

[Hlynkacg]

I notice that they've added more cameras

 

[Donamy]

Hope they get all the water dried off.

 

[NukeET]

Here's some scenario code for Friday's launch, currently scheduled for 03/01/2013 at 1010 EST (1510 UTC). This starts at T-5 minutes to launch:

BEGIN_ENVIRONMENT
  System Sol
  Date MJD 56352.625
  ....
END_ENVIRONMENT

For ISS:

ISS:ProjectAlpha_ISS
STATUS Orbiting Earth
  RPOS  2787984.15401237  4039312.35813651 -4677584.92752703
  RVEL  3797.71959731427  3757.61240909794  5509.06606268314
  ....
 END

 

[orb]

Spaceflight Now:

• Mission Status Center:

  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013SpaceX managers today gave the green light to continue preparations to launch the company's Falcon 9 rocket Friday.
  
  Top officials met for a Launch Readiness Review today to discuss the status of launch preparations and any unresolved issues before pressing ahead with final preflight steps, loading of experiment specimens and fresh food into the Dragon spacecraft, and the start of the countdown Friday morning.
  
  {...}

  
  
• Falcon 9 launch opportunities
• Falcon 9 countdown timeline
• Falcon 9 launch timeline

 

[Kyle]

We're just about at the L-24 hour mark for launch.

 

[orb]

NASAKennedy via Twitter:

Weather now 80 percent "go" for Friday's 10:10 a.m. @SpaceX liftoff, with a slight possibility of thick clouds and winds at launch time.

 

[Ripley]

Will the Dragon follow a "quick rendez-vous" trajectory this time?