Launch News SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.2 with Dragon CRS-8 April 8 2016

[Thunder Chicken]

Why are the unmanned supply missions attached to the ISS by capture and berthing, while the manned Dragon capsule will have a conventional docking port? Wouldn't it be easier to let the Dragon dock like the Progress freighters do?

IIRC the berthing port hatch is bigger, so you are less constrained on the size of items being transferred.

This is why despite the fact the shuttle could dock to the station, it transferred cargo via berthed MPLMs that were manipulated into position using Canadarms.

 

[Urwumpe]

Why are the unmanned supply missions attached to the ISS by capture and berthing, while the manned Dragon capsule will have a conventional docking port? Wouldn't it be easier to let the Dragon dock like the Progress freighters do?

CBM has a larger cross section, so that complete payload racks can be transported and exchanged. But CBM does not allow a fast undocking, what the smaller docking ports can. CBM is meant for long firm connections between modules and spacecraft, it can take a few dozen minutes to undock with it. Not really a good choice, if you want to evacuate a space station and undock in an emergency from it. A normal undocking would only take a few minutes for closing the hatches and venting air between station and spacecraft.

 

[Evil_Onyx]

I suspect it has much more to do with evacuating the station in an emergency than ease of docking.

 

[dehat42]

Does it have anything to do with the Progress craft having the computers on board to do automatic-ish docking (since they are very similar to the Soyuz)?

 

[Hlynkacg]

Why are the unmanned supply missions attached to the ISS by capture and berthing, while the manned Dragon capsule will have a conventional docking port? Wouldn't it be easier to let the Dragon dock like the Progress freighters do?

As others have noted the primary justification is that the CBM hatches are wider. Unfortunatly the CBM does not support autonomous docking as the two modules basically have to be bolted together. (One of the reasons the CBM hatch can be wider is that it doesn't have a bunch of alignment and latching mechanisms to get in the way)

The current plan is for manned Dragon flights to be outfitted with an IDS style docking collar and attach to forward PMA as the Space Shuttle did.

 

[dehat42]

Found an interesting article on the CNN website about the BEAM being sent up later today...

The module will not be open to the station all the time. They're going to have someone enter the module once every three months for a few hours and do tests. I wonder if they will don a spacesuit just in case something happens...although it has a Kevlar frame.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/07/us/spacex-launch-expandable-habitat-irpt/index.html?eref=rss_tech

 

[DaveS]

Found an interesting article on the CNN website about the BEAM being sent up later today...

The module will not be open to the station all the time. They're going to have someone enter the module once every three months for a few hours and do tests. I wonder if they will don a spacesuit just in case something happens...although it has a Kevlar frame.

No. It does have pressure sensors just like the other modules. If a pressure loss is detected, BEAM will be egressed and the hatch closed.

---------- Post added at 08:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:11 PM ----------

SpaceX CRS-8 Technical Webcast:

SpaceX CRS-8 Hosted Webcast:

 

[kuddel]

Hmmmm decisions decisions...
Technical Webcast or Hosted Webcast

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Technical, of course. No pandering to the uninformed... just raw data ad anudio from launch and mission controls centers.

---------- Post added at 13:47 ---------- Previous post was at 13:14 ----------

Good first stage flight... second stage is burning.

 

[boogabooga]

Was it me, or did the webcast start with a 10 minute delay?

---------- Post added at 04:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 PM ----------

THEY DID IT!

BARGE LANDING SUCCESS!

 

[GLS]

It landed!
Not sure for how long it will stay up....

 

[Artlav]

That's definitely more than 5 seconds, though. :thumbup:

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Still upright!

 

[GLS]

Is it me, or that 2º stage shutdown a bit early and with an underspeed? I remember orbital speed is usually 27700Km/h not 27100... (yes I know it depends on altitude)

 

[Pipcard]

Technical, of course. No pandering to the uninformed... just raw data ad anudio from launch and mission controls centers.

I was watching the technical stream, but missed out on all the excitement and cheering as the first stage finally landed on the barge.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Dragon is freely flying, solar panels are out, and one thoroughly barbequed rocket on the barge IN ONE PIECE.

I call that a good day at the office.

 

[Artlav]

Well, you can always rewind.

 

[Ripley]

Congrats to SpaceX!

 

[Lmoy]

That was extremely impressive to watch. Here's hoping that first stage is capable of being reused.

 

[indy91]

Very impressive. The next big step will be reflying a used core. And then we will see, if ULA is wrong about reusability not being profitable.