SpaceX Falcon 9 FT launch - CRS 9 - SLC-40

[Grendal]

Currently scheduled for July 16th.

Launch time: 0532 GMT (1:32 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 11th Dragon spacecraft on the ninth operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Delayed from Dec. 9, June 24 and June 27. [May 23]

NASA has contracted for the CRS-9 mission from SpaceX and therefore determines the primary payload, date/time of launch, and orbital parameters for the Dragon space capsule.

NASA payload for CRS-9 may include JAXA animal research experiments.
The IDA-2, a docking adapter, will be launched in Dragon's trunk.

SpaceX will be conducting another experimental booster recovery and it has been stated that this flight will be a RLS (Return to Launch Site) attempt. The odds should be pretty high that the recovery will be successful unless SpaceX tries something new and difficult.

 

[adiggs]

I appreciate you starting up these threads Grendal. These don't directly impact my my life, and yet I watch every launch (mostly the recording afterwards, but I watched the first successful landing on live webcast). Even if I don't work in this industry or have anything directly to do with space, the accomplishments SpaceX have made has thoroughly gripped my imagination

Starting up these threads for me makes it easy for me to keep up on the latest going on.

And SpaceX sure does have a lot going on in the public eye this year. The launch cadence looks fantastic to me.

 

[ecarfan]

SpaceX will be conducting another experimental booster recovery and it has been stated that this flight will be a RLS (Return to Launch Site) attempt.

Great! We should get some terrific live video of the landing.

 

[Mike1080i]

Just read the press release from NASA that CRS-9 launch is targeted for no earlier than July 18th at 12:45 a.m. EDT.

 

[Grendal]

Great! We should get some terrific live video of the landing.

Though it is another night landing. I can't wait for a daylight RLS. There would be lots of very cool videos of that. Hopefully they've figured out what went wrong with the last hovering attempt which used up too much fuel.

And it looks like it's been bumped to two days later. NASA has a much larger hand in the CRS launches. So it can easily be that NASA changed the timetable to a later date.

I appreciate you starting up these threads Grendal. These don't directly impact my life, and yet I watch every launch (mostly the recording afterwards, but I watched the first successful landing on live webcast). Even if I don't work in this industry or have anything directly to do with space, the accomplishments SpaceX have made has thoroughly gripped my imagination

You are very welcome. I don't work in the industry either. I just have a lifelong fascination with space and spaceships. Science Fiction books and Star Trek (original series) are probably to blame. SpaceX represents a company doing the best to bring the stuff I read in science fiction to life.

 

[Electroman]

Appreciate you taking the time and effort to start these threads for every launch. I come here to get the latest and greatest news than going to SpaceX site.

 

[Grendal]

Okay, we're coming up on the launch. This article has a lot of good details about the launch on late Sunday/early Monday:

SpaceX prepares to static fire Falcon 9 rocket ahead of CRS-9 launch | NASASpaceFlight.com

The static fire should happen tomorrow morning.

 

[adiggs]

Woot! I've been thinking this forum was a bit quiet. I think I got spoiled over Spring with all those launches

 

[Grendal]

Woot! I've been thinking this forum was a bit quiet. I think I got spoiled over Spring with all those launches

We've had one launch per month so far this year and the one in December of last year. SpaceX is just starting the big run of launches for the end of the year. We have a lot of big milestones coming up. The first Falcon Heavy launch, the in flight abort test, the relaunch of a used booster, and all the regular launches which should be a minimum of six more. So the excitement should be ramping up at the back end of this year.

Personally, I am really looking forward to a daylight return to launch site booster landing.

Woot-woot!

 

[Grendal]

90% chance of favorable weather and this flight will have a 1 second launch window.

 

[808?]

this flight will have a 1 second launch window.

Gosh, cutting a bit fine.

 

[Grendal]

Gosh, cutting a bit fine.

I found out today that all CRS missions have a one second launch window. The reason is that since the ISS is orbiting that any slight miss and the capsule is playing catch up and using a lot more fuel.

A satellite just needs to get to its orbital position and that gives it a lot more leeway for launch. It will get to where it needs to go with very minor adjustments.

 

[ICUDoc]

I found out today that all CRS missions have a one second launch window. The reason is that since the ISS is orbiting that any slight miss and the capsule is playing catch up and using a lot more fuel.

A satellite just needs to get to its orbital position and that gives it a lot more leeway for launch. It will get to where it needs to go with very minor adjustments.

Thanks, Grendal, for the notification and info.
I'm taking my family to the USA for the first time in December.
We are fighting (nicely) over where to go: definitely seeing Hamilton in New York and then: should we go to Florida to catch the Falcon Heavy launch? Any chance, do you think???

 

[Grendal]

Thanks, Grendal, for the notification and info.
I'm taking my family to the USA for the first time in December.
We are fighting (nicely) over where to go: definitely seeing Hamilton in New York and then: should we go to Florida to catch the Falcon Heavy launch? Any chance, do you think???

Launch Schedule – Spaceflight Now

The only launch from SpaceX in December is Iridium. FH is supposedly in November. However SpaceX and the launch schedule is very fluid. An adjustment can happen at any time and delays are normal. So you might just get the opportunity to see the FH in December. You can be pretty confident that there will at least one SpaceX launch happening that month.

Have a safe trip. My wife saw Hamilton a while back and said it was incredible and deserved all the Tony's.

 

[oneday]

Assuming a successful landing, do you think that this will likely be the first booster that is reused? Or will they use one of the previously recovered boosters?

 

[ICUDoc]

Launch Schedule – Spaceflight Now

The only launch from SpaceX in December is Iridium. FH is supposedly in November. However SpaceX and the launch schedule is very fluid. An adjustment can happen at any time and delays are normal. So you might just get the opportunity to see the FH in December. You can be pretty confident that there will at least one SpaceX launch happening that month.

Have a safe trip. My wife saw Hamilton a while back and said it was incredible and deserved all the Tony's.

Great, thanks Grendal- here's hoping we get to see a launch of some description while we are there!!
(O/T: Hamilton has taken over my life - I can't talk to my children unless it's in Hamilton quotes...)

 

[Mike1080i]

I'm planning to go down for the FH launch myself and Grendal is right, launch schedules can be very fluid and difficult to plan trips around. I've been at the Cape for launches only to have them delayed for days due to various reasons. I've also been there when they launched the first time, on time. Also just to note, the SpaceX Iridium Next flight in December is a West Coast flight out of Vandenberg AFB.

The only 2 SpaceX flights scheduled around that time at the Cape are CRS-10 and the FH Demo flight both in November, but the FH schedule may slip into December. CRS-10 may also float a bit, since that depends on the ISS visiting vehicle schedule and likely the next ISS crew launch on Soyuz just a few days later from Kazakhstan. There is also a Atlas V comsat launch on Dec. 8th at the Cape.

If you get down there, I also recommend a visit to the USAF Space and Missile Museum History Center (it's free) right next to the SpaceX launch control center near the South Gate of CCAFS.

 

[Nikxice]

As a reminder that launching rockets is always risky business, this flight could be a real 'first' for the press at KSC. The traditional NASA press site viewing area and also the VAB will be evacuated for the launch. The Air Force is forecasting the winds to be blowing on shore in that direction early Monday morning. In case of a launch failure, SpaceX is prepared to activate the Dragon's launch abort system, which could parachute back into the evacuated zone. Good to see they're prepared to protect the cargo and not taking success for granted. I'm sure that ISS docking adapter rings don't come cheap, having another opportunity to launch this one will insure a better outcome than a year ago.

 

[ICUDoc]

I'm planning to go down for the FH launch myself and Grendal is right, launch schedules can be very fluid and difficult to plan trips around. I've been at the Cape for launches only to have them delayed for days due to various reasons. I've also been there when they launched the first time, on time. Also just to note, the SpaceX Iridium Next flight in December is a West Coast flight out of Vandenberg AFB.

The only 2 SpaceX flights scheduled around that time at the Cape are CRS-10 and the FH Demo flight both in November, but the FH schedule may slip into December. CRS-10 may also float a bit, since that depends on the ISS visiting vehicle schedule and likely the next ISS crew launch on Soyuz just a few days later from Kazakhstan. There is also a Atlas V comsat launch on Dec. 8th at the Cape.

If you get down there, I also recommend a visit to the USAF Space and Missile Museum History Center (it's free) right next to the SpaceX launch control center near the South Gate of CCAFS.

Looks great, thanks Mike1080i!

 

[Grendal]

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