Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 15, 2015 Veteran Share Posted November 15, 2015 Garrett Reisman narrates first part of commercial crew milestones... from reddit... ISPCS 2015: Panel Discussion, Kathryn L. Lueders, Manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program, video is 13:55, SpaceX is first half... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Ahhhh .... *deep sniff of the air* .... neurons. I wasn't aware that the new Space Suits were that close to being ready yet?! Niiiiiiice. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Yeah, images of their suit & helmet were on L2 a while back. Sporty. What was neat about the latest SuperDraco module test video is how they can independently throttle the pair for precision maneuvering. I'll bet that during the DragonFly tests we'll see her do some fancy footwork to demo this. Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 I always figured they were able to be individually throttled. All that's left is a sensor package and appropriate flight software additions for balancing them as needed. I wonder if they are also intended to be used as a Retro package, or if that duty falls to another. :hmm: Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Re-entry retro-burns are done using the regular Draco engines, though in a pinch - why not? That thing isn't exactly short of engines. Unobscured Vision and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 15, 2015 Veteran Share Posted November 15, 2015 I always figured they were able to be individually throttled. All that's left is a sensor package and appropriate flight software additions for balancing them as needed. I wonder if they are also intended to be used as a Retro package, or if that duty falls to another. :hmm: The engine design, as we know, is leading edge, particularly the simulation environment. But one aspect always goes without mention, in many fields...and that is control system engineering....this is what makes everything from sub system operations, to fully autonomous flight control to the ISS and back. This facet of electrical engineering, to the public, has always taken a back seat, when it is one of the most demanding and mathematically complex aspects of most machinery. Control systems can range from a simple bias system for an amplifier stage , all the way to multi platform control. The sensors only supply raw data to the system, the control system controls the "show" (aspects can be initiated with or without software). In a lot of our designs, this aspect is routinely overlooked...so don't mind my "plug" for it..it's well deserved.... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Agreed! It's all of the unseen bits that make everything do what it's supposed to do that deserve the largest applause and recognition. And more often than anything else, those bits are so critical that without them, that system couldn't function -- or worse, wouldn't function safely. The Engineers and Scientists plugging away after midnight checking out a piece of code for a secondary flight system could find something and correct it which ultimately prevents a disaster -- and because it worked, nobody would ever know about it, or about their work. Those are my heroes. Like Marty and the Wonder Workers. The only one of those guys whom we even know the name of is Marty, himself -- but without the Wonder Workers, SpaceX won't get anything off the ground. It's a Team effort. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Marty is The Man Unobscured Vision and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted November 20, 2015 Author Share Posted November 20, 2015 NASA Orders SpaceX Crew Mission to International Space StationNASA took a significant step Friday toward expanding research opportunities aboard the International Space Station with its first mission order from Hawthorne, California based-company SpaceX to launch astronauts from U.S. soil. This is the second in a series of four guaranteed orders NASA will make under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contracts. The Boeing Company of Houston received its first crew mission order in May. "It’s really exciting to see SpaceX and Boeing with hardware in flow for their first crew rotation missions," said Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. "It is important to have at least two healthy and robust capabilities from U.S. companies to deliver crew and critical scientific experiments from American soil to the space station throughout its lifespan." Determination of which company will fly its mission to the station first will be made at a later time. The contracts call for orders to take place prior to certification to support the lead time necessary for missions in late 2017, provided the contractors meet readiness conditions. Commercial crew missions to the space station, on the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, will restore America’s human spaceflight capabilities and increase the amount of time dedicated to scientific research aboard the orbiting laboratory. SpaceX’s crew transportation system, including the Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, has advanced through several development and certification phases. The company recently performed a critical design review, which demonstrated the transportation system has reached a sufficient level of design maturity to work toward fabrication, assembly, integration and test activities. "The authority to proceed with Dragon's first operational crew mission is a significant milestone in the Commercial Crew Program and a great source of pride for the entire SpaceX team," said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. “When Crew Dragon takes NASA astronauts to the space station in 2017, they will be riding in one of the safest, most reliable spacecraft ever flown. We're honored to be developing this capability for NASA and our country.” Commercial crew launches will reduce the cost, per seat, of transporting NASA astronauts to the space station compared to what the agency must pay the Russian Federal Space Agency for the same service. If, however, NASA does not receive the full requested funding for CCtCap contracts in fiscal year 2016 and beyond, the agency will be forced to delay future milestones for both U.S. companies and continue its sole reliance on Russia to transport American astronauts to the space station. Orders under the CCtCap contracts are made two to three years prior to actual mission dates in order to provide time for each company to manufacture and assemble the launch vehicle and spacecraft. Each company also must successfully complete a certification process before NASA will give the final approval for flight. Each contract includes a minimum of two and a maximum potential of six missions. A standard commercial crew mission to the station will carry up to four NASA or NASA-sponsored crew members and about 220 pounds of pressurized cargo. The spacecraft will remain at the station for up to 210 days, available as an emergency lifeboat during that time. “Commercial crew launches are really important for helping us meet the demand for research on the space station because it allows us to increase the crew to seven,” said Julie Robinson, International Space Station chief scientist. “Over the long term, it also sets the foundation for scientific access to future commercial research platforms in low- Earth orbit.” NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manages the CCtCap contracts and is working with each company to ensure commercial transportation system designs and post-certification missions will meet the agency’s safety requirements. Activities that follow the award of missions include a series of mission-related reviews and approvals leading to launch. The program also will be involved in all operational phases of missions to ensure crew safety. For the latest on Commercial Crew progress, bookmark the program’s blog at: http://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew flyingskippy, Jim K, Draggendrop and 1 other 4 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 24, 2015 Veteran Share Posted November 24, 2015 Astronauts Try Out Crew Dragon Display at SpaceX Commercial crew astronauts Doug Hurley, Sunita “Suni” Williams and Bob Behnken had the opportunity to evaluate the displays in the Crew Dragon spacecraft at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, California, headquarters. Hurley, Williams and Behnken are three of four astronauts who were selected to be the first to train to fly to space aboard commercial spacecraft as part of the NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA will decide at a later date which astronauts will fly aboard which spacecraft – SpaceX Crew Dragon and the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. See more photos in Commercial Crew’s Flickr album here. https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2015/11/23/astronauts-try-out-crew-dragon-display-at-spacex/ And generic article about 1st order..... SpaceX receives firm order for its first crew flight Artist’s concept of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. Credit: SpaceX Fresh off a major design review, SpaceX’s human-rated Dragon spaceship has received the first of up to six firm mission orders from NASA under the company’s $2.6 billion commercial crew contract. The structure of the commercial crew deals with SpaceX and Boeing give each company at least two — and up to six — operational crew rotation missions to the International Space Station. Those flights are in addition to unpiloted and crewed demonstration missions by SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsules in 2017. Boeing received the first mission order in May, soon after the CST-100 spacecraft’s critical design review, a milestone NASA officials have said would trigger firm commitments for revenue-earning crew rotation flights. “It’s really exciting to see SpaceX and Boeing with hardware in flow for their first crew rotation missions,” said Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA’s commercial crew program at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “It is important to have at least two healthy and robust capabilities from U.S. companies to deliver crew and critical scientific experiments from American soil to the space station throughout its lifespan.” NASA has not decided which contractor will fly the first operational flight to the space station with a crew, and officials caution the timing of the orders does not necessarily indicate whether Boeing or SpaceX will get the nod first. Large article...more at the link...http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/11/23/spacex-receives-firm-order-for-its-first-crew-flight/ Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 (edited) Ballast and a crash test dummy in the left seat. Don't think they're doing much correcting, don't see any regular Draco burps. Probably seeing how self-stable the SuperDraco's can be. Edited January 21, 2016 by DocM Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 21, 2016 Veteran Share Posted January 21, 2016 Wow...that video says a lot.....she's well on her way, just playing the game now.... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 Differential steering; selective throttling of the 8 SuperDracos gives you high level directional control. Combined with regular Draco engines you get propulsion and 3 axis control. The 3D printed SuperDraco's can throttle 20-100% and pulse. 0-100% thrust ramp in 100 milliseconds. Smaller throttle changes can happen faster. Here's the YouTube video, including a 4x slomo Unobscured Vision and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 21, 2016 Veteran Share Posted January 21, 2016 I was just ready to post the same...I'm slow obviously... Stuff starting to litter the forums about it, particularly since it is dated November 24th and where they are now...quite exciting when combined with the thrusters in future use.... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Another view Quote On November 24, SpaceX’s Dragon 2, powered by eight SuperDraco engines, executed a picture-perfect propulsive hover test at the company’s rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas.Eight SuperDraco thrusters, positioned around the perimeter of the vehicle in pairs called “jet packs”, fired up simultaneously to raise the Crew Dragon spacecraft for a five-second hover, generating approximately 33,000 lbs of thrust before returning the vehicle to its resting position. This test was the second of a two-part milestone under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The first test—a short firing of the engines intended to verify a healthy propulsion system—was completed November 22, and the longer burn two-days later demonstrated vehicle control while hovering. Edited January 22, 2016 by DocM Unobscured Vision and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingskippy Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 When I first saw D2's Draco configuration, I thought it was ingenious. Normally you would see at least four thrusters lined up with all the axis of the capsule. They came up with a way of tilting three Dracos just off axis and by firing individually or in combination, have the same freedom of control as before. It also saved wait and maybe even fuel too. DocM, Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 22, 2016 Veteran Share Posted January 22, 2016 Yes...full independent control for maneuvering with only a slight (mathematical vector) thrust loss. Unobscured Vision and DocM 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 I wouldn't be a bit surprised if BFS is a massively scaled up Dragon 2. Maybe not as conical, but using many of its principles. Draggendrop and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 22, 2016 Veteran Share Posted January 22, 2016 That would be stunning, and just imagining having decks and bulkheads.....I have to stop.....stop....... DocM and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Just now, Draggendrop said: That would be stunning, and just imagining having decks and bulkheads.....I have to stop.....stop....... No! Imagine away! That's how SpaceX likes it. Great ideas come from imagination tempered by an educated mind. I draw inspiration from Carl Sagan -- perhaps our greatest Educated Inspirationalist of all. (And yes, that's a word. I checked. ) He would have loved Kerbal Space Program, if for no other reason than for its' sheer audacity mixed with "the real". That's what helps me dream big dreams. Draggendrop and DocM 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted January 22, 2016 Veteran Share Posted January 22, 2016 15 minutes ago, DocM said: I wouldn't be a bit surprised if BFS is a massively scaled up Dragon 2. Maybe not as conical, but using many of its principles. One advantage would be scalability, and a wealth of knowledge derived from operations of Dragon V1 and V2. This would save a sort of "re-inventing the wheel" here. SpaceX is in the position that no one else is. They have a vision and a motivated crew...I would think that they would take the intelligent approach, yet factor in, that they do have a time line, and go with what works.....and Dragon definitely works. Unobscured Vision and DocM 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Gods, I want to see this beauty fly for real... She's gorgeous, and deserves some wings! DocM and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 4 hours ago, FloatingFatMan said: Gods, I want to see this beauty fly for real... She's gorgeous, and deserves some wings! They're targeting December of this year for the unmanned orbital test flight to ISS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) 2 minutes ago, DocM said: They're targeting December of this year for the unmanned orbital test flight to ISS. I know... It's aaaaaaages away! I know they gotta be safe and sure and everything, and the last thing I want is for them to take any chances, but I just wanna see her fly! I bet most of the ISS crew want to see her in service too.. The difference between Dragon 2 and the Russian capsules is like the difference between an Aston Martin DB9, and a farm truck... Who wants to go to work in the truck when there's an Aston in the garage? Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 22, 2016 Author Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) The Russian crews have been extremely favorable in their comments about Dragon 1 - how spacious it is, the fit & finish, LED lighting etc. They'll get their shot at riding Dragon 2 under a new ride share program. The commercial crew ships and Dream Chaser being a 3rd cargo hauler will also allow a larger ISS crew. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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