SpaceX F9 - 11th Reuse - CRS-14 - SLC-40 - Return 5/2

[Grendal]

Launch Date: April 2 (Backup is April 3 at 4:08 PM EDT)
Launch Window: 4:30 PM EDT
Launch site: SLC-40 Cape Canveral
Booster Recovery: No - Expended Obsolete Booster
Booster Type: B1039 - Block 4 - Reused from CRS-12 on 8/24/17 (Dragon is reused)
Orbit: LEO 7510 kg (16,590 lbs.)
Dragon Return - May 2nd

NASA has contracted for the CRS-14 mission from SpaceX and therefore determines the primary payload, date/time of launch, and orbital parameters for the Dragon space capsule. According to a NASA Inspector General report of June 2016, CRS-14 is expected to carry 2,760 kg (6,080 lb) of pressurized mass and 550 kg (1,210 lb) of unpressurized.[4] According to a 2016 presentation, the external payloads manifested for this flights were ASIM, PFCS and MISSE.

 

[MacGreiner]

Any idea when we will know if this will be ASDS or expendable?

 

[Grendal]

Any idea when we will know if this will be ASDS or expendable?

Oops. If they land this one it would be an RTLS. Thanks for spotting the mistake. Rumors might let us know a few days ahead of time whether they go for a landing. Otherwise we'll find out the day of launch. SpaceX rarely announces these things.

 

[mongo]

SpaceX rarely announces these things.

Fortunately for us, we have you!

 

[Grendal]

Static Fire complete.

Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting April 2 launch from Pad 40 in Florida for Dragon’s fourteenth mission to the ISS.

SpaceX on Twitter

 

[Grendal]

There will be no booster recovery for the obsolete Block 4 used twice according to a space reporter. SpaceX changed the paperwork with the authorities to say they wouldn't be recovering the booster at LZ-1.

 

[MacGreiner]

Booo!

 

[miimura]

Dude! Pack your trash!

Seriously. They should land the booster and recycle it instead of dumping it in the ocean.

 

[Grendal]

Webcast is now available:

Here is the Press Kit.

 

[Grendal]

NASA pre-launch conference.

 

[ecarfan]

@Grendal thanks for posting. If you watched that news conference, could you let us know if in your opinion there is anything interesting you learned?

 

[Grendal]

@Grendal thanks for posting. If you watched that news conference, could you let us know if in your opinion there is anything interesting you learned?

Sure. A few things:
The Dragon is from CRS-8 and very little needed to be refurbished except the standard major items (pica-x heat shield, parachutes, and trunk) before reuse.

Dragon 1.0's have a service life that go for up to three uses. So far SpaceX has limited those to only one reuse so far but they can have a third use.

The booster will not be thrown away but used for important experiments with flight profiles to push the envelope and long term help with reusability. This is what they have been doing with each of these "expendable" 2nd reuse obsolete booster situations.

So nothing too dramatic and revealing but interesting tidbits.

 

[ecarfan]

The booster will not be thrown away but used for important experiments with flight profiles to push the envelope and long term help with reusability.

Thanks! And by “not thrown away” what you mean is, it will not be recovered for re-use but it will do a “soft” ocean landing just as if it was going to land on an ASDS and the landing data will be used. Is that correct?

 

[Grendal]

Thanks! And by “not thrown away” what you mean is, it will not be recovered for re-use but it will do a “soft” ocean landing just as if it was going to land on an ASDS and the landing data will be used. Is that correct?

Exactly. SpaceX is probably testing the angle of attack in entering the atmosphere. That will be important information for long term use of the B5 boosters and possibly even a little useful information that can be used for BFR/BFS. Since the booster will be lost anyway, SpaceX can push the limits. If they push it too far and the booster tumbles and breaks up then that would really be useful.

 

[jimmyjohn]

LET's ROCK THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jimmyjohn]

VOLUME TO 11 !!!!!!

 

[Grendal]

Everything is a go and everything looks good for launch. SpaceX is continuing their dual webcast with hosted and technical combined. Use the folder symbol at the bottom of the webcast to switch between both.

 

[SMAlset]

Nice! Another successful mission thus far as it deployed. Docking in a few days, think they said 4am on Wednesday, but not sure and especially there's the time zone factor. So check if you're going to trying catching that. Glad Elon got some good news today!

 

[Grendal]

This video is from NASA TV and has some different angles. At the very end there is a series of different camera angles of the launch itself. Very cool to see.

 

[MacGreiner]

I went down to watch this today from Banana Creek. These were the windiest conditions of any launch I have been to.