SpaceX F9 - Comm Crew DM-1 - LC-39A

[e-FTW]

Now NET March. And well delays are likely. But more worrisome is the possibility that this puts NASA at risk of not maintaining an American presence on the ISS.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon launch moves to March, risking Falcon Heavy delays — Teslarati

Prior to DM-1’s delay from NET January to NET March 2019, SpaceX was targeting an In-Flight Abort test roughly three months after DM-1 (it will reuse DM-1’s Crew Dragon capsule), DM-2 six months after DM-1 (NET June 2019), and NASA certification and the first operational astronaut launch (PCM-1) as few as two months after DM-2 (August 2019). It’s reasonable to assume that delays to DM-1 will impact subsequent Crew Dragon launches roughly 1:1, as DM-2 and its many associated reviews hinge directly on DM-1, while the same relationship also exists between PCM-1 and DM-2. As a result, Crew Dragon’s two-month delay probably means that SpaceX’s NASA certification will occur no earlier than October 2019, giving NASA no more than 90 days of buffer before the US presence on the ISS drops from around 50% (3 astronauts) to 0%.

 

[e-FTW]

Official word, NET March 2: NASA, Partners Update Commercial Crew Launch Dates – Commercial Crew Program

The SpaceX and Boeing timelines are now much closer than before.

 

[e-FTW]

From that NASA blog update:

Commercial crew has continued working toward these historic missions throughout the month of January.

 

[Mike1080i]

I just got the current NASA-TV schedule for DM-1.

Full Demo-1 coverage is as follows. All times are EST:


Friday, Feb. 22

• (no earlier than) 6 p.m. – Post-flight readiness review briefing at Kennedy, with the following representatives:
  • William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, NASA Human Exploration and Operations
  • Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
  • Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program
  • Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
  • Astronaut Office representative

Thursday, Feb. 28

• TBD – Pre-launch briefing at Kennedy, with the following representatives:
  • Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
  • Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program
  • SpaceX representative
  • Astronaut Office representative

Saturday, March 2

• 2 a.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins for the 2:48 a.m. liftoff
• 5 a.m. – Post-launch news conference at Kennedy, with the following representatives:
  • Steve Stich, NASA launch manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
  • Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program
  • SpaceX representative
  • Astronaut Office representative

Sunday, March 3

• 3:30 a.m. – Rendezvous and docking coverage
• 8:45 a.m. – Hatch opening coverage
• 10:30 a.m. – Station crew welcoming ceremony

Friday, March 8

• 12:15 a.m. – Hatch closing coverage begins
• 2:30 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins
• 7:30 a.m. – Deorbit and landing coverage
• TBD – Post-landing briefing on NASA TV, location TBD, with the following representatives:
  • Steve Stich, deputy manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
  • International Space Station Program representative
  • SpaceX representative
  • Astronaut Office representative

 

[e-FTW]

NASA, SpaceX Demo-1 Briefings, Events and Broadcasts

Launch is set for NET 2:48 a.m. EST Saturday, March 2

 

[Nikxice]

DM-1, as a dress rehearsal for DM-2 I wonder if they'll be staging a closeout procedure? Important, especially since NASA initially had load and go concerns. Simulating the timeline for closing the hatch and evacuating the ground crew seems to be a logical test. Once the hatch is closed there must be a pressure check to confirm a proper seal, taking several minutes. Note that the NASA broadcast begins only 48 minutes prior to launch. If DM-1 includes this procedure perhaps it can be viewed on the SpaceX webcast. It certainly will be highlighted during DM-2.

 

[mongo]

DM-1, as a dress rehearsal for DM-2 I wonder if they'll be staging a closeout procedure? Important, especially since NASA initially had load and go concerns. Simulating the timeline for closing the hatch and evacuating the ground crew seems to be a logical test. Once the hatch is closed there must be a pressure check to confirm a proper seal, taking several minutes. Note that the NASA broadcast begins only 48 minutes prior to launch. If DM-1 includes this procedure perhaps it can be viewed on the SpaceX webcast. It certainly will be highlighted during DM-2.

Most likely. I believe I read on here that they did a full simulated crew/ real fueling run through previously.

 

[ecarfan]

NASA, SpaceX Demo-1 Briefings, Events and Broadcasts

Launch is set for NET 2:48 a.m. EST Saturday, March 2

So that’s 11:48PM PST. I usually go to bed at 9PM but I am definitely going to watch this launch live! It’s been a long time coming...

 

[Grendal]

The Readiness Review is a go!
NASA Commercial Crew on Twitter

The Demo-1 Flight Readiness Review has concluded. The Board set March 2 at 2:48 a.m. EST as the official launch date for SpaceX's flight to Space_Station.

 

[e-FTW]

Only caught the tail-end of the press conference.

• Spacecraft (Crew Dragon) is already fueled
• Flight readiness review on the 27th
• Rolling out to pad on the 28th
• Launch still scheduled for the 2nd

 

[adiggs]

The Readiness Review is a go!
NASA Commercial Crew on Twitter

I just read an article / press release about this. My first thought "I wonder if NASA could hire somebody for Marketing".

Maybe the timing for this is just really really awful, and they really really don't want to wait, but 2:48am local time launch for the demo flight for US returning crew to space? Out here on the west coast, it's only really bad timing.

Sigh. Maybe they'll be sure and launch during daytime when there are actual crew onboard, so we can get all of that coverage of crowds of people flocking to the Space Coast to see the launch.

Note: I'm not in Marketing myself, though I did take an undergrad Marketing class as part of my mixed IT / business bachelor's degree. So I'm like an expert or something -- when you're making news and you can pick the time, pick a time when people are awake.

 

[Joerg]

Unfortunately the launch time is predetermined by ISS‘ orbit. You can’t just start whenever you want.

 

[Bobfitz1]

Unfortunately the launch time is predetermined by ISS‘ orbit. You can’t just start whenever you want.

No doubt there were various conditions determining launch time for this mission. However ISS orbits close to 16 times each day.
It's possible a daytime launch time could have been picked.

 

[Nikxice]

Don't know if the ISS orbit will cooperate, launching DM-2 on Saturday, July 20, 2019 would be a spectacular marketing pick. I'm certain somebody has already done the calculations on this? Sir Richard has also stated he's hoping to fly to space that day with his VG.

 

[mongo]

No doubt there were various conditions determining launch time for this mission. However ISS orbits close to 16 times each day.
It's possible a daytime launch time could have been picked.

ISS circles the earth 16ish time a day. However the plane if its orbit only crosses a specific point on the earth twice a day, and one of those times it is inclined the wrong way.

Picture it like this: the orbit is a circle around the center of the earth. The ISS completes one revolution of that circle every 90 minutes or so. However, the earth is spinning one revolution a day beneath that circle. The most efficient time to launch is when the plane of that circle intersects the launch site and the inclination of the orbit is favorable. So once every 24ish hours (not quite 24 because it is relative to the rotation on the Earth's axis, not our axis plus our orbit around the sun aka sidereal day)

 

[e-FTW]

That clarifies things greatly @mongo thank you.

And Ars' piece on that news conference ends with this, which answers something I had been wondering about:

The station has a busy schedule in March and April, so there is a fairly narrow margin for getting this flight off the ground. The next Russian Soyuz crew launch is scheduled for March 14, and then there are three spacewalks and two cargo missions in late March and April. Anticipating potential weather or technical issues, SpaceX should have three opportunities to launch between March 2 and March 9, but if it misses this window it's not clear when the company would have another attempt.

Not only can you not just launch when you want, you also cannot just show up and dock. “Parking spaces” are at a premium up there!

 

[Mike1080i]

If DM-1 or any ISS launch were to get delayed, it's launch time will move about 20 minutes or so earlier every day. But with other factors to consider, you can't wait for a day the launch window is better for public relations.
I may have posted this youtube clip before, but it does a pretty good job explaining the basics of calculating launch windows.

 

[AudubonB]

So that’s 11:48PM PST. I usually go to bed at 9PM but I am definitely going to watch this launch live! It’s been a long time coming...

Hope you remember to stay up late on 1 March, not 2.

 

[Grendal]

First post updated with launch information.

 

[boonedocks]