Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch (NET Dec 7)

[docm]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

Made the local news that Thursday was canceled, and the schedule was only for a 10 second run first followed by a 30 second run later. Could also be that they're feeling their oats and are getting aggressive to get it to LC-40 earlier?

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/97064424.html

SpaceX Delays Scheduled Round Of Central Texas Tests

The series of rocket engine tests scheduled for Thursday at SpaceX's McGregor Test Facility was delayed.

McGREGOR (June 24, 2010)-The series of tests scheduled Thursday on the Falcon 9 rocket engine did not happen as originally planned.

Local rocket engine developer Space Exploration Technologies had scheduled a 10-second test fire to take place Thursday afternoon at its McGregor Test Facility, with a 30-second test fire to happen in the days that followed.

A spokesperson for SpaceX said Friday morning the first test for the Falcon 9 was delayed but did not give a reason for the delay.

The spokesperson also did not know when the test fire would take place but did say the engineers would know more later Friday.

The Falcon 9, along with SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, was recently selected by NASA to resupply the International Space Station starting in 2011.

 

[mr_mark]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

Great news to hear that the COTS-1 first stage is undergoing testing. Second stage must not be too far behind. I remember seeing pressure testing done already. With any luck the stages should be shipped sometime in mid to late July.

 

[mr_mark]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

Here is a link to the Cots-1 first stage test firing. The first stage is undergoing a series of tests before being shipped to the cape for assembly and launch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW_A4ua7 ... r_embedded

 

[docm]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

I'll embed it for completeness sake, and also note that a 40 second burn was a departure from the original plan of a 10 second burn last Thursday to be followed this week by a 30 second burn. Must be feeling their oats a bit.

Makes me wonder if they'll just finish this one up at 40 seconds and ship it or if they'll do a full burn first.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW_A4ua7p8M[/youtube]

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

This question is probably more suited for SB&T, but i'll be short :
- is there any plan to sell Merlin engines on the market ? Any other separate part of the stack ?

 

[mr_mark]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

No offense but, meteorwayne has informed us that this board is for Spacex falcon 9 cots-1 posts only. We need to keep this board focused on that discussion and we are not allowed to go off topic. Thanks for understanding......

 

[EarthlingX]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

You are correct, so i posted that here.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

Post in wrong thread deleted. D'oh!!

 

[mr_mark]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

I think this belongs in Falcon 9 flight 1 posting...This board is for Falcon 9 flight 2 Cots -1. LOL :roll:

 

[mr_mark]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

Anyways....Does anyone have an idea when the second stage for COTS -1 will undergo a test burn? It should be soon. I'm wondering if the engineers found anything after the first stage test burn to help them with the torque roll problem.

 

[docm]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

I heard the problem with the 2nd stage was a malfunctioning actuator, which could well not fail in ground tests if cold or vacuum were a contributing factor. Best they can do is make sure the wiring is tight enough not to come loose with same and try another sample. Mebbe ground tests of the actuator wrapped in dry ice in a vac chamber?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

I think this belongs in Falcon 9 flight 1 posting...This board is for Falcon 9 flight 2 Cots -1. LOL :roll:

ROFL, yep, that's what I get for trying to do something from a hotel room when I'm not payin' attention.

 

[mr_mark]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

A 90 sec. test of COTS -1 first stage will be attempted today. SpaceX say it will test fire rocket engines Thursday afternoon at the McGregor Test Facility. The test should occur between 12 p.m. and 10 p.m.

.

 

[shuttle_guy]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

..................................I'm wondering if the engineers found anything after the first stage test burn to help them with the torque roll problem.

I believe that the roll issue on the second stage and the roll issue on the first stage have the same cause. The torque is causd by the engine exhaust "twist" and the positioning of the turbo pump exhaust vents which are used to control roll. The engineers were looking to get more data from the first stage static tests. I expect the tests and the fix will slightly delay the next launch.

 

[shuttle_guy]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

I heard the problem with the 2nd stage was a malfunctioning actuator, which could well not fail in ground tests if cold or vacuum were a contributing factor. Best they can do is make sure the wiring is tight enough not to come loose with same and try another sample. Mebbe ground tests of the actuator wrapped in dry ice in a vac chamber?

See my post before this one. I think the roll issue on both stages have the same cause which I expect will be easy to fix.

The roll torque on the first stage was higher since there were 9 engines vs 1 on the second stage. The second stage roll did not appear until later in the burn as the mass of the stage decreased (burned propellant). Both of these issues had the potential to cause a mission failure. The first stage could have recontacted the launch pad structure and the second stage problem could have caused a early engine shutdown.

 

[job1207]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

This is pretty interesting. How long would it take NASA to work through something like that.

 

[docm]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

I heard the problem with the 2nd stage was a malfunctioning actuator....

See my post before this one. I think the roll issue on both stages have the same cause which I expect will be easy to fix.
>

Watch the video closely - early in the 2nd stage burn the roll thruster can be seen moving/firing to correct the roll, but for most the burn it doesn't budge. Without correction the roll builds up, just as one would expect. 'In' sources have blamed an actuator for the thruster not moving.

 

[mr_mark]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

I saw that too. I was wondering about that. Wonder if it's hardware or software. If it's software they can correct that easily. If it's hardware it may have been a fluke and the next thruster will work correctly.

 

[stevekk]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

I saw that too. I was wondering about that. Wonder if it's hardware or software. If it's software they can correct that easily. If it's hardware it may have been a fluke and the next thruster will work correctly.

Obviously spoken by a guy who doesn't write software..

I would say that it would be much easier to inspect and test each actuator, than to pour through multiple simulations and models to try to figure out why the control software didn't command the actuator correctly.

Of course, I have plenty of experience writing software that needs to handle the cases when the hardware doesn't always perform the way it's supposed to. We have more code to handle hardware exceptions than we do for the normal use cases. I don't know why they call it "Hardware", the software is the difficult part. The hard part is convincing the mechanical and electrical engineers that their designs don't work without software.

 

[docm]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

....I don't know why they call it "Hardware", the software is the difficult part. The hard part is convincing the mechanical and electrical engineers that their designs don't work without software.

^^^^=====

 

[Boris_Badenov]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

From Spaceflight Now.

Sept. 9 Falcon 9 • Dragon C1
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first active Dragon spacecraft, called Dragon C1. The mission will demonstrate the capabilities of the Dragon in a four-and-a-half hour test flight named COTS 1. The company is building the Dragon to fly on resupply missions to the International Space Station. Delayed from 2nd Quarter. Delayed from July 21 and August. [July 14]

 

[stevekk]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

From Spaceflight Now.

Sept. 9 Falcon 9 • Dragon C1
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first active Dragon spacecraft, called Dragon C1. The mission will demonstrate the capabilities of the Dragon in a four-and-a-half hour test flight named COTS 1. The company is building the Dragon to fly on resupply missions to the International Space Station. Delayed from 2nd Quarter. Delayed from July 21 and August. [July 14]

I assume Sept 9th is a "No Earlier Than" date. I saw the Russians are launching a Progress ship towards the ISS on Sept 8, which would make for a crowded neighborhood around the ISS at that time. Perhaps they are just pushing to hit this milestone sometime in Q3.

 

[docm]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

COTS-1 isn't to be in the neighborhood of ISS. That's COTS-2. IF COTS-1 goes well SpaceX is lobbying NASA to let them combine COTS-2 and COTS-3

COTS-1 2010 5 hours

Launch and separate from Falcon 9, orbit Earth, transmit telemetry, receive commands, demonstrate orbital maneuvering and thermal control, re-enter atmosphere, and recover Dragon spacecraft

COTS-2 2011 5 days

ISS Fly-by. Dragon will approach to within 10 km of ISS and exercise the radio cross-link, demonstrating the ability of ISS crew to receive telemetry from Dragon and their ability to send a command to the spacecraft. After this primary objective is completed, Dragon will leave the vicinity of ISS and perform a comprehensive set of in-space check-outs before returning to earth.

COTS-3 2011 3 days

Full cargo mission profile including mate to ISS

 

[job1207]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

Sept 9th is in the window. I would not call this a delay per se. Spacex said late summer. That would take them to Sept 21st. It is good to see a blurb on the next flight from SpaceX.

 

[docm]

Re: Spacex Falcon 9 Flight 2 COTS -1 Launch

Stages arriving at the Cape (SpaceFlightNow...)

Heat shield part of the discussion already started in SB&T, so please discuss it there.

Second Falcon 9 rocket begins arriving at the Cape

Six weeks after the first Falcon 9 rocketed into orbit, pieces of the second launcher have begun arriving at Cape Canaveral for a shakedown flight of SpaceX's Dragon capsule in September, according to the company's top executive.

The Falcon 9 first stage pulled into Cape Canaveral Thursday after a truck ride from SpaceX's test site in central Texas.
>
Engineers plan more testing over the next several weeks to make sure the stage and its nine Merlin engines are ready for flight.

The Falcon 9 upper stage should arrive in Florida by August, according to Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO.
>
The Dragon should be shipped to Cape Canaveral sometime in August, but Musk cautioned it is difficult to predict exactly when it will be ready.
>