SpaceX Falcon 9 FT - CRS-11 - LC-39A

[Grendal]

NET June 1st
Falcon 9 • SpaceX CRS 11
Launch time: Approx. 2130 GMT (5:30 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 13th Dragon spacecraft on the 11th operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.

SpaceX CRS-11 - Wikipedia

This will be the 5th RTLS at LZ-1. This will be the very first reuse of a used Dragon spacecraft. According to a NASA Inspector General report of June 2016, CRS-11 is expected to carry 1,737 kg (3,829 lbs.) of pressurized mass and 1,573 kg (3,468 lbs.) of unpressurized. According to 2016 presentations, the external payloads manifested for this flight are Nicer, MUSES and ROSA.

 

[ICUDoc]

Enjoying this Spacex journey to Mars- that last flight and landing was so much fun to watch!
Roll on June 1 and another successful RTLS!

 

[Grendal]

There's been a minor adjustment to the time frame and the launch is no longer NET, but scheduled for June 1st.

Launch time: 2155 GMT (5:55 p.m. EDT)

If successful, this will be the fourth available booster for reuse. All other recovered boosters have been either put on display, used for testing, or as FH side boosters. The upcoming launch of BulgariaSat will reuse the booster from the January Iridium flight. That leaves the boosters from CRS-10, NROL 76, and this one available for reuse flights.

 

[MacGreiner]

Any news on the heavy launch date?

 

[ecarfan]

Any news on the heavy launch date?

That is a different thread. See Falcon Heavy

 

[Grendal]

Details on the science experiments loaded aboard for this mission:
SpaceX Dragon to Deliver Research to Space Station

 

[bonnie]

I just received this 25 page synopsis about the launch:

 

[ggr]

Very envious. Have fun!

 

[Piney999]

Grendal, you have no idea how much I count on you for my SpaceX news and updates. I truly appreciate your postings in this forum!

 

[Electroman]

Grendal, you have no idea how much I count on you for my SpaceX news and updates. I truly appreciate your postings in this forum!

Amen to that.

Thanks Grendal

 

[Grendal]

Grendal, you have no idea how much I count on you for my SpaceX news and updates. I truly appreciate your postings in this forum!

Amen to that.

Thanks Grendal

That was very nice. Thank you very much. I'm glad to be helpful.

So to live up to my reputation, the static fire for CRS-11 has been moved up from Saturday to Friday!

Not associated with CRS-11 but news for SpaceX is that the upcoming Iridium launch, which was scheduled for June 29th, has also been moved up. Its launch date is now June 25th.

 

[adiggs]

Moving launches up - excellent.

I remember one of the posted interviews with Gwynne Shotwell - the goal was to get everybody with a satellite that was ready to launch, launched this year. The recent pace may or may not mean they hit that goal, but I doubt there will be much grumbling about delays and how slow the manifest is getting cleared

 

[NikeWings]

Not associated with CRS-11 but news for SpaceX is that the upcoming Iridium launch, which was scheduled for June 29th, has also been moved up. Its launch date is now June 25th.

Anyone here trekking to VAFB for the June 25th launch @ 1:24:59 pm PT?

 

[ecarfan]

Anyone here trekking to VAFB for the June 25th launch @ 1:24:59 pm PT?

Yes my wife and I plan to be there. Will be our first launch live viewing!

 

[ggr]

Moving launches up - excellent.

I remember one of the posted interviews with Gwynne Shotwell - the goal was to get everybody with a satellite that was ready to launch, launched this year. The recent pace may or may not mean they hit that goal, but I doubt there will be much grumbling about delays and how slow the manifest is getting cleared

Oh, no! You mean that SpaceX will be Demand Constrained? (That's a joke for the people who follow the Investor's discussion about Model S being demand constrained...)

 

[Grendal]

Static Fire was moved back to Saturday.

The weather looks good for the Wednesday launch. There is a chance of rain, but the clouds and wind seem good for now.

 

[Grendal]

Static Fire was moved back to Saturday.

The weather looks good for the Wednesday launch. There is a chance of rain, but the clouds and wind seem good for now.

Static Fire now bumped to Sunday for an unknown reason. The launch date and time hasn't changed: Wednesday.

 

[Nikxice]

A successful static fire test of the Falcon's 9 Merlin engines occurred just a couple of hours ago on Pad 39A. Was this mission originally planned for Wednesday? I'm seeing the launch scheduled for Thursday, June 1st at 5:55 EDT. Also, this being an ISS resupply mission, there is likely little to no flexibility with the launch window.

Fun fact from the SpaceX twitter feed.....May 25th was the fifth anniversary of the first commercial Dragon flight to the ISS.

 

[Grendal]

A successful static fire test of the Falcon's 9 Merlin engines occurred just a couple of hours ago on Pad 39A. Was this mission originally planned for Wednesday? I'm seeing the launch scheduled for Thursday, June 1st at 5:55 EDT. Also, this being an ISS resupply mission, there is likely little to no flexibility with the launch window.

Fun fact from the SpaceX twitter feed.....May 25th was the fifth anniversary of the first commercial Dragon flight to the ISS.

Yeah. Just me lost in my own world. Thursday, June 1st is correct and for some reason, in my mind, Wednesday was the 1st. Thanks for the correction.

 

[dhanson865]

Oh, no! You mean that SpaceX will be Demand Constrained? (That's a joke for the people who follow the Investor's discussion about Model S being demand constrained...)

it is funny and I do know the crowd you are referring to but for those wondering about when SpaceX could ever be demand constrained:

The past tally including demo flights is

• 2010 2 launches
• 2011 0 launches
• 2012 2 launches
• 2013 3 launches
• 2014 6 launches
• 2015 7 launches (including CRS-7 failure)
• 2016 8 launches (NOT including Amos-6 that didn't launch)

- 2017 partial year is up to 6 so far with 6 months to go

Now we are into 2017 and might see 14-24 launches this year (including falcon heavy test/demo launches if one or more happen). 24 launches being what Shotwell/Musk are publicly aiming for.

So how many years of 24 launches a year would it take to clear the manifest? There are 56 flights listed on Launch Manifest | SpaceX including CRS11. But that doesn't even count any new demand that will open up as prices drop and/or availability of flights increase (reducing time delays).

So I think it's safe to say that we are more than 2 years away from catching up to demand even if a >24 launches per year rate is achieved.