SpaceX Updates (Thread 4): F9, FH & Dragon

[DocM]

And for fun....

The Real Falcon:

[FloatingFatMan]

... AAaahahahaha!!

[DocM]

Wayne Hale has a blog post about veteran NASA lead systems engineer John Muratore, who joined SpaceX this spring. They got one of the great greybeards. His presence is going to greatly benefit the F9R, Dragon V2, Falcon Heavy, BFR and MCT programs.

https://waynehale.wordpress.com/tag/john-muratore/

[DocM]

Former astronaut Garrett Reisman of SpaceX gave a presentation to the Future In-Space Operations (FISO) Working Group on August 27.

Some interesting stuff, especially about them using a flight termination system that doesn't need an explosive shaped charge to unzip the tanks.

http://spirit.as.utexas.edu/~fiso/telecon/Reisman_8-27-14/Reisman.mp3

http://spirit.as.utexas.edu/~fiso/telecon/Reisman_8-27-14/Reisman_8-27-14.pdf

Q: What can you tell us about the Texas incident?

A: The test was of our three engine variant of Grasshopper, what we call F-9R Dev. It looks like it was a single point failure that existed on that test article, but does not exist on the Falcon 9. We think it was a failure of a single sensor. Falcon 9 has multiple sensors that its algorithm uses, so the same failure on Falcon 9 would not effect the mission in any way. The fact that Falcon 9 had nine engines, even if it had eight engines it could overcome this issue.

We've been taking a lot of risks with Grasshopper. We're flying this in flight regimes and conops that it was not designed for in an effort to learn. One of those risks bit us. One of the single point failures failed which we knew was a possibility. The failure was such that the flight control could not maintain the lateral boundries of its safety zone and so the flight was terminated intentionally upon exceeding that lateral boundry. That's the most we considered definitively right now.

There was no explosive termination device. Instead, the flight termination sequence is thrust termination combined with some valves that are opened. That caused the destructive sequence you saw. There are populated areas not too far away. We also have our own property and infrastructure that we're trying to protect. We set a certain bound and if we exceed that bound either laterally or vertically then the flight computer initiates the sequence that occurred.

[FloatingFatMan]

^ You sure as hell can't say they're as blas? about safety as NASA are!

[DocM]

Interesting tidbit from Musk's trip to Japan....

(JAXA = Japan's space agency)

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/509211956436545536

@elonmusk

Meeting with @JAXA_en in a building called pic.twitter.com/RBS2shPdNY

Hmmm....

Speculations run from supporting Dream Chaser rides for JAXA or DragonLab flights to launching the solar power satellite cluster JAXA is developing, which would require FH or BFR. JAXA won't have a launcher of that class for a long time if ever.

[DocM]

So SpaceX has launched 7 times in 12 months with more coming. Now Arianespace etc. have to contend with this news from World Satellite Business Week 2014,

https://twitter.com/AvWeekParis/status/509358113716449280

@AvWeekParis

SpaceX closed 9 deals, w/possible 2-3 heavies. Four more in the next few weeks, incl one non-GEO, then maybe 4 more before end of the year.

Hearing it actually totals 17 new launches.

Arianespace announced 4 new contracts.

[DocM]

From today's NASA/SpaceX presser -

* a SpaceX crew will be on the maiden flight of Dragon V2 (!!!!)

NOTE: if this is true then Dragon V2 is a LOT further along than we thought!

* 6 hour ISS rendezvous possible.

* more mousetronauts on CRS-6

* ISS - enough US side food through June, with another month's worth on Dragon CRS-4.

* parallel processing allowed the 13 day launch turnaround. Close to a Cape record set in the the 1960's.

* CRS-4 F9 targeting a landing zone with the first boost back burn.

* one of the next launches will attempt a landing on land, pending range approval.

* next satellite launch is in October, targeting around the 23rd. Then CRS-5 in December.

NOTE: no firm word on whose satellite it is, but ORBCOMM-2 is now possible as their re-tests are now done.

[Macsen]

It's about time they went for the express rendezvous profile.

[DocM]

Some of the NSF guys used the F9 landing videos as a guide in creating an animation of a legged touchdown.

[SarK0Y]

Some of the NSF guys used the F9 landing videos as a guide in creating an animation of a legged touchdown.

was there real landing at floating platform?????

[DocM]

Read my post - an animation.

They created an accurate 3D model based on real images, then timed out the motions and angles from real landing videos - both of F9R Dev-1 and the reconstructed real landing videos - and did a high quality render using simulated water textures and $$ software.

Talented bunch, they are.

As to the platform, that'll wait. It appears the next legged landing attempt could be at KSC. The CRS-4 first stage did some target practice to a GPS coordinate and now they're working with the USAF and FAA on a landing permit. Targeting one of the upcoming flights. Could be CRS-5.

[SarK0Y]

Read my post - an animation.

They took the landing videos, created an accurate model based on real images, and timed out the motions and angles from real videos, both of F9R Dev-1 and the reconstructed real landing videos.

Talented bunch, they are.

i know it's 3d footage, i meant "real landing was or was scrubbed???".

[FloatingFatMan]

i know it's 3d footage, i meant "real landing was or was scrubbed???".

 

Not been reading details of the mission, I take it?

 

If you had, you'd know the answer to that.

[SarK0Y]

DocM, any info about new dates to flyback????

[SarK0Y]

Not been reading details of the mission, I take it?

 

If you had, you'd know the answer to that.

yes, got it read Just now. :)

[DocM]

DocM, any info about new dates to flyback????

As in a previous post,

As to the platform, that'll wait. It appears the next legged landing attempt could be at KSC. The CRS-4 first stage did some target practice to a GPS coordinate and now they're working with the USAF and FAA on a landing permit. Targeting one of the upcoming flights. Could be CRS-5.

We don't have firm dates yet for the 2 remaining launches this year, CRS-5 and an unnamed satellite launch. SpaceX also has to prep LC-40 for November's Dragon V2 pad abort test for NASA, so they have to work those launches around it.

If the satellite payload is ready now it could theoretically go in October before they shut down for the pad abort test. Based on the ISS Visiting Vehicle Schedule CRS-5 may go in early December.

IMO CRS-5 is the most likely to be landed.

[SarK0Y]

Tnx, DocM.

[SALSN]

Great with all this progress, I'm really looking forward to seeing something land, both the dragon and the F9R first stage.

 

Am I correct in assuming that the Dragon V2 is capable of flying with 0 crew, and doing pretty much all the same things as with crew, assuming that nothing goes wrong, or is a human pilot needed somewhere in the process, for docking or what ever?

 

Anyways thanks to all the people (and especially DocM) who keep updating these threads with interesting information, I really appreciate it, and read the threads often, though I rarely respond :-)

 

@DocM what ever happened to your 15 page limit by the way?

[DocM]

Dragon V2 can be fully robotic, manually piloted or a mix.

Where Dragon V2 differs is that (for now) it has an NDS docking adapter (automatically bump into ISS and lock, 800mm hatch) while Dragon V1 has a Common Berthing Mechanism (needs the robotic arm to connect to ISS, but has a 1270mm hatch.)

That big CBM hatch on Dragon V1 allows for some pretty large pressurized cargo. We'll know soon if Dragon V2 will have a CBM variant or if Dragon V1 will continue in.the CRS Round 2 contracts as the large cargo hauler. The company proposals are due very soon.

I was going to start a new thread soon.

[DocM]

Other than headhunting every major company there, I wonder what they have planned for the Seattle facility?

Hmmmm....

http://www.geekwire.com/2014/spacex-launching-seattle-area-office-recruiting-squadrons-microsoft-engineers/

SpaceX launching Seattle-area office, recruiting squadrons of Microsoft engineers

Space Exploration Technologies, the Elon Musk-owned company better known as SpaceX, has been heavily recruiting engineers from Microsoft and other companies in the region as it gears up a new Seattle-area office.

Recent status updates on LinkedIn show several former Microsoft engineers in the Seattle region joining SpaceX within the past month, and we?re hearing that the numbers are actually larger than that. Examples include a former Microsoft senior electrical engineer and a former principal electrical engineering lead at Microsoft who worked on ?an incubation team developing proprietary hardware concepts? for the Redmond company.

SpaceX has yet to make a formal announcement of the new office, but its jobs site lists Seattle as one of its locations in addition to its corporate headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif., and locations in Florida, Texas, California and Washington, D.C.

Representatives of SpaceX have not yet responded to a request for comment about the Seattle-area office, but a filing with the state lists an address in Bellevue.

Former members of the Microsoft Xbox and games teams are also among those who have joined the space company ? which makes sense given past comments by Musk. ?We actually hire a lot of our best software engineers out of the gaming industry,? he told Fast Company earlier this year.

?In gaming there?s a lot of smart engineering talent doing really complex things. [Compared to] a lot of the algorithms involved in massive multiplayer online games?a docking sequence [between spacecraft] is actually relatively straightforward. So I?d encourage people in the gaming industry to think about creating the next generation of spacecraft and rockets.?

Of course, the Seattle region is also rich with aerospace experience, given the presence of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, its suppliers, and newer companies such as Jeff Bezos? Blue Origin ? which happens to be involved in a patent dispute with SpaceX.

SpaceX flies supply missions to the International Space Station and, along with Boeing, recently won a large piece of the contract to shuttle U.S. astronauts into space.

[DocM]

SpaceX has an opening in Texas for....a farmer. Must meet US ITAR qualifications though :)

http://www.spacex.com/careers/position/5749

[Beittil]

Guess they need a farmer to herd cows and produce methane!

[FloatingFatMan]

Guess they need a farmer to herd cows and produce methane!

 

If they want methane, they should cut a deal with McDonalds and all the farms THEY run...

[DocM]

Many US companies who have large acreage but facilities that fill a fraction of it will lease it out to farms, run it themselves (since the 1920's Ford has grown or bought many millions of bushels of soybeans for making plastic parts, shock absorber oil, solvents etc.) or, as our area electric company does, joined with charities to grow crops for food banks or the needy. They have 4 of these large 'community farms' just in the Detroit area with more coming.