DocM Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 There will be Dragon Fire on NASA TV The DragonV2 test vehicle will launch from a truss structure at KSC Launch Complex 40 after a simulated Falcon 9 abort signal is initiated. Its eight 3D printed SuperDraco thrusters will generate almost 16,000 lbf of thrust each, pulling Dragon V2 and its finned Trunk to safety going supersonic in <5 seconds. The Trunk fins add stability through the abort burn, then after the SuperDracos shut down the Trunk separates and Dragon V2's parachutes open for a water touchdown offshore. If this test goes well, this Dragon V2 will demonstrate its reusability by being used in a mid-launch abort test at Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base later this summer. April 21, 2015 MEDIA ADVISORY M15-062 Media Accreditation Opens for SpaceX Commercial Crew Pad Abort Test Media accreditation is open for a pad abort test of SpaceXs Crew Dragon spacecraft next month. The test will simulate an emergency abort from a test stand on Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft is prepared for critical pad abort test that will take place at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in May. As a development test, the likelihood of encountering an issue is higher than with operational missions. SpaceX currently is targeting no earlier than Tuesday, May 5, for the test flight. The company will have a four-hour window to conduct the test, beginning at about 9:30 a.m. EDT. SpaceX has an additional test opportunity on May 6. NASA Television will provide live coverage of the test. NASA TV also will air a media briefing previewing the test with SpaceX and NASA representatives. The date and time for the briefing, which will take place at NASA Kennedy Space Centers Press Site, are yet to be determined. The ability to abort from a launch or pad emergency and safely carry crew members out of harm's way is a critical element for NASA's next generation of crew spacecraft. SpaceX will perform the test under its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement with NASA, but can use the data gathered during the development flight as it continues on the path to certification. Under a separate Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract, NASA's Commercial Crew Program will certify SpaceXs Crew Dragon, Falcon 9 rocket, ground and mission operations systems to fly crews to and from the International Space Station. SuperDraco engine pod (4 w/2 SD's each) Test vehicle Single SuperDraco pod Test http://youtu.be/3nlzf85twB4 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Beefy looking units, indeed ... more than capable of doing the job they are built for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 That's because the abort system has engine out capability, with the SD's rated power being less than its capabilities. Beasts, and they only need ~20% throttle to do propulsive landings. The flight abort launcher will be a Falcon 9 first stage with no second stage and only 3 engines. The flight abort test launcher underwent fueling and pressurization tests at Vandenberg last week. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bguy_1986 Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Are they pretty certain this will be successful? If they only need 20% throttle for landings, why don't they try and land with the trunk attached yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 The SuperDraco engine has a long test history, over 2 years and hundreds of firings, and all 8 in this test have been extensively test fired and x-rayed after each use. The abort avionics code is also pretty basic, and draws on sensors to read the vehicles orientation. Theyre at the test it or go home point, and SpaceX doesn't go home. As to a propulsive landing after an abort, no. During an abort the system is doing an all-out balls to the wall bugout to outrun an exploding booster. Full throttle until the tanks run dry to save the crew. No fuel left for a landing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SALSN Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 If they only need 20% throttle for landings, why don't they try and land with the trunk attached yet? The trunk does not have a heat shield, and is thus not able to re-enter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bguy_1986 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 The trunk does not have a heat shield, and is thus not able to re-enter. I was just talking about the pad abort test. I assumed they were going to land on land or attempt on water. For pad abort they wouldn't need to re-enter the astrosphere. Doc had the answer I was looking for. SALSN 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 It is going to be May 6th now apperently! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 Official notice, April 30, 2015 MEDIA ADVISORY M15-069 SpaceX Targets May 6 for Pad Abort Test of New Crew Spacecraft SpaceX now is targeting Wednesday, May 6, for a pad abort test of its Crew Dragon, a spacecraft under final development and certification through NASA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firey Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 total newb here.. what's an abort test mission? Like.. they start shooting the rocket up into space then decide eh.. maybe it shouldn't go to space.. lets bring it back down safely sort of thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted April 30, 2015 Author Share Posted April 30, 2015 Crewed spacecraft usually have a Launch Abort System (LAS) which can pull them away from a failing rocket, either on the launch pad or during flight, to save the crewmembers. Something the Shuttle didn't have. This will be the first of two tests of Dragon 2's LAS. During this test Dragon 2's eight (3D printed) SuperDraco thrusters will fire at full throttle, accelerating it from from 0 to supersonic in about 5 seconds. Then it jettisons its finned Trunk and parachutes into the sea offshore. Later this year they'll do an abort test from a rocket flying at high altitude and high velocity, the most difficult test of all. A LAS can be of different types, Tractor: a tower at the top of the spacecraft which uses solid fuel rockets. Mercury, Apollo, Soyuz. Pusher: mounted under the spacecraft, usually in a service module. These can be liquid or solid fuel rockets. Boeing CST-100, Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital capsule. Integrated: built into the spacecraft. These can also be liquid or solid fuel rockets. SpaceX Dragon 2, SNC Dream Chaser spaceplane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firey Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 So... basically it's an ejection..capsule... for crews? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 Not an ejection capsule from the spacecraft. The entire spacecraft bugs out using some very powerful, but compact, thrusters. This is a test of Blue Origin's pusher LAS system. Note the entire capsule bugs out. http://youtu.be/o6mFCUGLmdQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firey Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Guess I have some reading to do.. I thought a space ship was just a space ship and used other parts to get it into space.. but how could anyone survive the G's going from that slow to that fast... that fast? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 During launch aborts the crew experiences 6-8 G's in US spacecraft and 14-17 G's in Russian, the latter being what the Soyuz 7K-ST 16L crew experienced in 1983 during an abort just before their launcher exploded on the pad. Car crashes often produce 25-50 G's, and Swedish Indy car driver Kenny Brack survived 214 G's in a 2003 crash in Texas. People can be tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 Pre-flight presser YouTube link.... Highlights, NASA webcast begins ~25mins before opening of window. Objective: to show that astronauts can be flown to safety. It's a development test and they will learn even if it's not fully successful. Test date: May 6 Launch window: 0700-1430 Eastern. SpaceX may tweak the time for wind conditions. Wind is the main test constraint, and the main reason for doing the test early AM before the winds build. Test setup: a truss over the LC-40 flame duct topped with an upper stage simulator, Dragon 2 and its Trunk. Lightning tower inner wires will be removed for clearance. Launch mass: 9,525.44 kg (21,000 lbs) Propellant load: 1,587.57 kg (3,500 lbs) No Control Panel Test dummy name: Buster (Mythbusters fans?) Mass simulators for other crewmembers. Flight profile: 6 second burn, 20 second coast to apogee (1,524 m, 5,000 ft), Trunk separation then parachutes deploy. 90 seconds total. This is the first time all 8 SuperDraco's have been fired simultaneously. So far only 2 at a time in tests. Synchronization is key. Nominal landing distance is about 1,830 m (6,000 ft) from the pad. Shoreline is about 915 m (3,000 ft), so Dragon should land about 915 m (3,000 ft) from shore. After splashdown, Dragon will go to Texas for decontamination and inspection. Local post-recovery ops will be done on the recovery barge. This Dragon will be reflown for the in-flight abort test at Vandenberg AFB SLC-4E. Flight abort at MaxQ, about 13,000 m (40,000 ft.) NASA webcast http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html SpaceX webcast on their site, the YouTube SpaceXChannel and Live Stream SpaceX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 Static fire: May 5 Window: 1200-1600 Local Target T-0: 1200 Local Pad Abort Test: May 6 Window 0700-1430 Local Target T-0: 0700 Local SALSN 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Aw man, my manager just planned a meeting this wednesday for which we have to get going around the time the window opens fu work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 4, 2015 Veteran Share Posted May 4, 2015 I hope all goes well the next two days...Wednesday is going to be great....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 https://www.spacex.com/news/2015/05/04/5-things-know-about-spacexs-pad-abort-test 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SPACEX SALSN and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 She's a looker. SALSN 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SALSN Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Sooo cool, I've really been looking forward to this test. Does anyone know why they bring the trunk up with them? It doesn't seem like it will survive anyway, with no landing system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 The Trunk fins provide passive stability during the coast to apogee after the SuperDraco's shut down. Like the fins on a dart or arrow. Thar she blows!!!! Static fire completed. Elon Musk ?@elonmusk 4 minutes ago Hold down firing of Dragon 2 spacecraft at Cape Canaveral SALSN and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 Fun fact from NSF: The Apollo LEM's Lunar Descent Module engine had 8.5% of Dragon 2's thust. The Lunar Ascent Module had 3%. We're talking a real live fire-breathing spacecraft here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted May 5, 2015 Veteran Share Posted May 5, 2015 The Trunk fins provide passive stability during the coast to apogee after the SuperDraco's shut down. Like the fins on a dart or arrow. Thar she blows!!!! Static fire completed. This is stunning...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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