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SpaceX F9 - CRS-20 - SLC-40

Discussion in 'SpaceX' started by Grendal, Jan 30, 2020.

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  1. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    #1 Grendal, Jan 30, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2020
    Launch Date: March 6/7
    Launch Window: 0449:29 GMT on 7th (11:49:29 p.m. EST on 6th)
    Launch site: SLC-40 Cape Canaveral
    Booster Recovery: RTLS
    Booster Type: B1059.2
    Orbit: ISS in LEO
    Dragon Return - April 7

    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 22nd Dragon spacecraft mission on its 20th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. This is the last CRS mission using the Dragon 1 capsule. All further missions will be using the new Cargo Dragon 2 under the CRS-2 contract.

    SpaceX CRS-20 - Wikipedia
     
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  2. Quickrider

    Quickrider Member

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    Great! I will be in that area at the beginning of March. :) Can anyone recommend a decent viewing spot for me and my 6 year old son? :)

    Best regards from a german Model X-owner,

    Quickrider.
     
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  3. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    Flight of the last gen 1 Cargo Dragon, the last Cargo Resupply mission of the initial program. From here on out, they will fly a new second generation Cargo Dragon that will be closely related to Crew Dragon (if not re-used and re-purposed Crew Dragons).
    [​IMG]
     
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  4. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    Crew Dragons will not be repurposed into Cargo Dragons. That is certain at this time.
     
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  5. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    SpaceflightNow is reporting this is now delayed. Date not specified.
     
  6. Mike1080i

    Mike1080i Member

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    SfN now shows 0450 GMT on 7th (11:50 p.m. EST on 6th).
     
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  7. Mike1080i

    Mike1080i Member

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    This web page is probably a good place to start:
    http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

    Scroll down to FALCON 9 LAUNCHES FROM PAD 40 and FALCON 9 FIRST STAGE LANDINGS AT LANDING ZONE 1.

    Hope that helps!
     
  8. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    Whoa: SpaceX CRS-20 Launch Targeted for March 6 – SpaceX
     
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  9. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

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    Isn’t it great that SpaceX produces so many second stages that they have a spare, full ready stage available and can slot it in? What other rocket company could do that?
     
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  10. e-FTW

    e-FTW New electron smell

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    No one ever! Their launch rate has something to do with it.
    Considering that Gwynne Shotwell was saying second-stage production was a potential bottleneck to the 2020 plans for a record number of launches, I hope this one does not have compounded effects later on.
     
  11. bxr140

    bxr140 Active Member

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    Bit of a party pooper here, but...at least from time to time, most of them. Obviously the phenomenon is 100% related to launch cadence and as such SpaceX will pretty much always have SN N+1 available whereas others won't be in that position, but most of the big launchers do or at least can have multiple vehicles in various states of final assembly in their launch preparation facility. Both times I've campaigned out of Baikonur, for instance, there were 3 Protons in the final assembly hall. (There are probably none now since they've let that vehicle go to *sugar*, but I digress...). Ariane specifically built the BIF and BAF and two launch tables so they could process (not directly in parallel) two launchers at a time, and pretty much every time I've been there they've had two vehicles going. If you looked into the hanger of the Commander back in its heyday, you'd see at least 2-3 Zenits in there. Hell, I've even seen multiple Atlas 5's at the cape at the same time, and they launch that thing like twice a year if they're lucky. :confused:

    All that said, swapping major components across rocket FMs is pretty uncommon in the industry. SpaceX can get away with it because they're a) the industry bully and b) have internal inventory that's easier to transfer ownership, but pretty much everyone else focuses on resolving the anomaly instead of swapping parts. That's because if you're a customer spending a ton of money on something, you want the thing that you bought, not someone else's thing.

    An analogy: Someone takes their Tesla to a service center with an AFU battery. You take your Tesla to that service center for something else and tell them you're going on vacation for a week. In an effort to get the other customer on their way, Tesla takes your battery and puts it in the other car and then says to you "Don't worry, we're going to fix the AFU battery and then put it in your car. It will be good as new, trust us."
     
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  12. Quickrider

    Quickrider Member

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  13. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    SpaceX supposedly grabbed the second stage from Starlink 5. I haven't heard if they are fixing the issue with this stage and using it for Starlink 5. I suppose it comes down to how big the valve issue is.
     
  14. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    SpaceX on twitter March 1st: Falcon 9 static fire test complete — targeting March 6 launch from Pad 40 in Florida for Dragon’s twentieth resupply mission to the ISS for the final flight of the first version of Dragon.
     
  15. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    NASA's coverage of the launch:
     
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  16. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    Official SpaceX webcast:
     
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  17. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

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    So it appears this launch has slipped to March 7th?
     
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  18. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    This one of those odd launches where UTC time is the 7th and the US launch times are the 6th. No slip as of yet but it is possible because the weather for today isn't great - 50% chance to Go - but tomorrow is much better at 80%.
     
  19. ecarfan

    ecarfan Well-Known Member

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    Thanks. Sorry, my confusion! Have re-set the reminder on my phone to alert me this evening. :cool:
     
  20. Grendal

    Grendal SpaceX Moderator

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    There was a pre-launch conference for this launch. Since this is the last launch of the original CRS contract a NASA representative gave a rundown on the achievements for SpaceX.

    SpaceX and Dragon has brought 94,000 lbs of cargo to the ISS.
    Dragon has returned 74,000 lbs. of cargo from the ISS.
    Dragon brought the very first Mousetronaut to the ISS for research purposes.
    Dragon has been berthed to the ISS for a total of 520 days.
    Lots of reuse happened during this contract: both boosters and especially Dragons.

    Berthing on March 9th at 7 AM EST (I think).

    On to Dragon 2...
     
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