SpaceX Dragon COTS Flight 1: Wed. Dec. 8, 2010

[Dr Mordrid]

COTS-1 is the first full test flight for NASA of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The Dragon will launch from Launch Complex 40 at the Kennedy Space Center atop a Falcon 9 rocket. It will do 3-5 orbits, test the orbital maneuvering systems, do a retro-fire, re-enter then deploy 'chutes for a water landing off the California coast.

This flight is boarded for Nov. 18, with a launch window of 1355-1705 GMT (8:55 a.m.-12:05 p.m. EST). I'll post a live SpaceX webcast link as soon as it's provided, however because it's a NASA flight they may broadcast/webcast it as well. There will also be a 4 second hotfire engine test a few days before launch.

Falcon 9 COTS-1 during integration


Dragon COTS-1


An interesting look at Dragon COTS-2's pressure hull (next flight)

[Dr Mordrid]

The SpaceX Dragon COTS-1 flight is a GO for Dec. 7th.

There will be a 4-second engine test this weekend.

NASA TV (cable & satellite) coverage of the launch starts at the end of the built-in hold at T-5, SpaceX.com streaming at T-20.

Launch window: 9:03 AM to 12:22 PM EST.

Seconary launch dates are Dec. 8 and Dec. 9 with the same launch window.

[Dr Mordrid]

Coverage update -

NASA Sets Coverage For Cots 1 Launch Targeted For Dec. 7

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first SpaceX Falcon 9 demonstration launch for NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program is targeted for liftoff on Tuesday, Dec. 7. Liftoff will occur from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch window extends from 9:03 a.m. to 12:22 p.m. EST. If necessary, launch opportunities also are available on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9 with the same window.

Known as COTS 1, the launch is the first flight of the Dragon spacecraft and the first commercial attempt to re-enter a spacecraft from orbit. This is the first of three test launches currently planned in the Falcon 9 test flight series. It is intended as a demonstration mission to prove key capabilities such as launch, structural integrity of the Dragon spacecraft, on-orbit operation, re-entry, descent and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

NASA established the COTS program to procure a commercial launch service to stimulate the commercial space industry, to facilitate a private industry cargo capability to the International Space Station as soon as achievable, and to achieve cost effective access to low Earth orbit that will attract private customers.

PRELAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE
The prelaunch news conference for the COTS 1 Falcon 9 launch is planned for L-1, currently Monday, Dec. 6 at 1:30 p.m., at the press site at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA Television will provide live coverage, and the briefing will be streamed at

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

The prelaunch news conference participants will be:
- Phil McAlister, acting director, Commercial Space Flight Development NASA Headquarters, Washington
- Alan Lindenmoyer, manager, Commercial Crew and Cargo Program
NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston
- Gwynne Shotwell, president
SpaceX, Hawthorne, Calif.
- Mike McAleenan, Falcon 9 Launch Weather Officer
45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

A post-mission news conference will be held at Kennedy approximately one hour after splashdown occurs.

Audio of the prelaunch and post-mission news conferences also will be carried on the NASA “V” circuits, which can be accessed directly by dialing 321-867- 1220, 1240, 1260 or 7135.

NASA TV & WEB LAUNCH COVERAGE
On launch day, Dec. 7, NASA TV live coverage will begin at the conclusion of the built in hold at T-5 minutes and counting. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

Prelaunch and launch day coverage of the COTS 1 Falcon 9 mission will be available on the NASA website at:

http://www.nasa.gov

Coverage will include live streaming and text updates of the final five minutes of the countdown. On-demand streaming video, podcast and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff. To access these features, go to NASA’s COTS website at:

http://www.nasa.gov/cots

Launch day media activities will be outlined in a Dec. 3 news release to be issued by SpaceX...

Johnson Space Center is responsible for the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office for the COTS program as part of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

For further information about the COTS 1 launch visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy

[Dr Mordrid]

Hot-fire test tomorrow (Friday)....

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 201

SpaceX plans a brief firing of the Falcon 9 rocket's main engines around 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT) Friday on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Bolted to a transporter-erector device, the 15-story rocket rolled out of the SpaceX assembly hangar and arrived at Complex 40 Thursday. The 600-foot journey was accomplished on rail tracks, then the rocket was hydraulically lifted upright Thursday afternoon.

A lean team of technicians was expected to begin methodically hooking up the transporter to the launch pad with a series of pins and flanges after carefully lining up the rocket on top of the flame trench.

The flanges link the rocket with ground storage tanks containing liquid oxygen, kerosene fuel, helium, gaserous nitrogen and the first stage ignitor source called triethylaluminum-triethylborane, better known as TEA-TEB.

Workers must also connect electrical and data cables between the launch pad and the transporter, which serves as the interface between the ground and the rocket.

The launch team will load kerosene and liquid oxygen into the rocket around sunrise Friday, aiming for a brief 3.5-second ignition of the first stage's nine Merlin engines at 9 a.m. EST.

The rehearsal is the final prelaunch simulation of the countdown, and the SpaceX team will conduct the test from the company's Launch Control Center at the south end of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station near Port Canaveral.

If the engine test goes as planned, officials say the Falcon 9 could blast off as soon as 9 a.m. EST Tuesday.
>

[Dr Mordrid]

Friday's engine test aborted due to too high a chamber pressure in one if the nine Merlin engines.

Saturday's test was successful, so it looks like a Tuesday launch.

[Dr Mordrid]

A possible defect in the niobium nozzle extension of the 2nd stage (MVac = Merlin Vacuum) engine has been found.

If no replacement is necessary then launch will be either Wednesday or Thursday. If they need to airlift one from California & fit it then launch is Friday or Saturday.


Dragon COTS-1 Press kit....(PDF) Lots of interesting tidbits.

The result is the most advanced heat shield ever to fly, it can potentially be used hundreds of times for Earth orbit reentry with only minor degradation each time (like an extreme version of a Formula 1 car's carbon brakepads) and can even withstand the much higher heat of a moon or Mars velocity reentry.

[Dr Mordrid]

NASA reports it's go for launch Wednesday. SpaceX is holding off their announcement until ~9:00 PM.

Launch window = 9:00 AM - 12:22 PM EST.

Webcast starts at T-20 on http://www.spacex.com & broadcast at T-5 on NASA TV and on NASA's webcast page: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

The delay:

2 small vertical seam weld cracks were found at the bottom end of the 9' tall niobium 2nd stage expansion nozzle extension. Where the cracks were found the nozzle is just .3 mm thick.

Since this nozzle is mainly for large payloads to low-Earth and geosynchronous orbits but not for Dragon, they decided to just cut off the lowermost 4 feet at a horizontal weld line. The effect on performance being <5% it's irrelevant to this mission.

Truth be told, they could have just left off the whole thing given how strong the MVac (Merlin Vacuum) is....

MVac nozzle extension -

[Dr Mordrid]

Launch attempt at 9:03 AM EST was aborted because of range telemetry problems. Next attempt will be at 10:43 AM EST.

The mission event sequence has been posted here....

[Rakido]

live-video here -> http://www.spacex.com/webcast.php

[Dr Mordrid]

Liftoff!!!

[Dr Mordrid]

Liftoff - perfect
Staging - perfect

Orbit is 301x288 km, almost perfect (target = 300x300).

Dragon will fire its Draco thrusters to circularize the orbit, then do orbital maneuvers as if it were approaching ISS for docking. Then it will do a de-orbit burn using the Draco's and re-enter. Touchdown in the Pacific 03:19 after launch, about 500 miles off the coast of Mexico.

If all goes well expect COTS flights 2 & 3 to be combined - meaning a docking with ISS would be possible. At the very least Dragon would approach the ISS to test techniques.

[Dr Mordrid]

Launch video -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-ci9xIgNZM

The PPods, microsatellite secondary payloads - one for DoD, were deployed by the 2nd stage bus after Dragon was inserted into orbit.

6 minute de-orbit burn completed, Dragon in position & touchdown just past 2PM EST.

[Dr Mordrid]

Splashdown!

Dragon is home after what appears to be a near-perfect mission.

[Evildead666]

Cheers for the Vid-Link DR.

[Dr Mordrid]

N/P

Just finished listening to SpaceX infobabe Shotwell's statement at the presser.

Landing zone was 60x20 km, and Dragon landed just 800m from the ships. NICE shootin', Tex

Also: the landing velocity was just 8 m/s, roughly 1/3 that of Apollo.

Musk says Crew Dragon will be able to land on water or land, the latter using landing gear & rockets, and that it'll be able to steer itself onto your average helipad