Updates SpaceX CRS-13 Mission: Launch, Grapple, Installation, Deorbit, Reentry and Splashdown

[Nicholas Kang]

*Previous thread name:

LIVE: SpaceX CRS-13 (LC40 RTF, December 15, 2017 10:36:09 EST / 15:36:09 UTC)

Thread name updated to include capture and installation phase of the mission. Reentry and splashdown coverage/updates will be included here as well.

SpaceX is targeting launch of the Commercial Resupply Services 13 (CRS-13) mission from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force station in Florida no earlier than Friday, Dec. 15th at 7:36 a.m. PST, or 15:36 UTC.

This mission marks the first time SpaceX is flying both a flight-proven Falcon 9 and a flight-proven Dragon spacecraft. Falcon 9’s first stage previously supported the CRS-11 mission in June 2017 and the Dragon spacecraft previously supported the CRS-6 mission in April 2015.

Dragon will deliver about 4,800 pounds of cargo and material to support science investigations aboard the space station. After about one month attached to the space station, Dragon will return with results of earlier experiments, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California.

*This will be a "double reuse" mission. F9 Core stage previously flew in the CRS-11 mission while Dragon previously flew in the CRS-6 mission. F9 core stage will attempt an LZ-1 landing.

Mission Press Kit is available here.

Webcast:

Static Fire:

Static Fire was completed on December 6th 2017, 15:00 EST / 20:00 UTC. F9 Core (B1035.2) fired for 7 seconds.

Mission Overview (NASA):

PDF Link: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/spacex_crs-13_mision_overview_low_res8.pdf

(*Wrong launch date in PDF)

Total Cargo: 2205 kg / 4861.2 lbs
Pressurized Cargo w/packaging: 1560 kg / 3439.2 lbs
Unpressurized Cargo (TSIS, SDS): 645 kg / 1422 lbs

Note: Zuma mission postponed to NET Jan. 4 next year, and will be launched from LC40 as well.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

SpaceX Technical webcast is back!

Hosted webcast

NASA TV live broadcast has started!

Eastern range is go for launch and landing.

90% GO for today (Weather)

T-25 minutes

SpaceX music begins!

HUGE LOX venting

LOX loading surpasses 50%

Star Wars inspired CASIS mission patch.

Both technical and hosted webcast have begun!

SpaceX do not plan to clean or repaint reused boosters in the future!

10 minutes to go!

Engine chill start soon.

Strongback retracted!

1 minute! Startup!

LIFTOFF!!!

MAX-Q

MECO

Stage sep!

Boostback burn underway and second stage is good!

Entry burn!

Stage 1 landed!

SECO

Dragon deployed!

Some impressive views...

Solar arrays deployed!

Successful launch!

Webcast ended!

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Launch video:

And landing video!

 

[Codz]

SpaceX CRS-13 Falcon 9 Launch from SLC-40

It’s launch day for the CRS-13 ISS resupply flight! Looks like SLC-40 will finally see its first launch since the incident that resulted in severe damage to the pad facilities last year. T-0 is currently scheduled for 10:36AM ET and weather is 90% go according to the 45th SW at CCAFS.

NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX now is targeting no earlier than 10:36 a.m. EST Friday, Dec. 15, for its 13th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The launch and post-launch news conference will air on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

Packed with almost 4,800 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/...broadcast-schedule-for-cargo-resupply-mission

---------- Post added at 04:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:27 AM ----------

Successful launch and first stage recovery! Next up is rendezvous with the ISS on December 17th.

 

[BrianJ]

Smooth :thumbup: Can't believe how quick they flip that big 1st stage for the boostback burn!

 

[barrygolden]

This was the best live view from the Cape yet. It was quite a show

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Amazing. SpaceX has a stage recovery rate of 80%. :huh: There are 16 used recovered stages.

One thing that I noticed was that there appeared to be some exhaust leaking from the junction of the nozzle and powerhead on the second stage Merlin. Didn't look like a wake effect.

 

[kerlix]

Amazing. SpaceX has a stage recovery rate of 80%. :huh: There are 16 used recovered stages.

One thing that I noticed was that there appeared to be some exhaust leaking from the junction of the nozzle and powerhead on the second stage Merlin. Didn't look like a wake effect.

I thought maybe I was imagining something when I saw that. I'm glad i wasn't the only one that thought it was weird. I was half expecting the feed to cut out from a RUD or a lower than planned insertion.

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Live on NASA TV

Grapple coverage (4:30 a.m. EST)

Installation coverage (7:30 a.m. EST)

 

[Nicholas Kang]

Dragon installation coverage goes live! (7:30 a.m. ET)

Dan Huot, Moderator for NASA's Public Affair is the commentator.

Moving to "Ready-To-Latch-Position" (ROBO Using the CBCS "Centerline Berthing Camera System" who provide relative-state, alignment information to the SSRMS operator for robotic berthing.

Some "exercise constraint" for the ISS crew. Dragon will remain hold at 1.5 m from the berthing port.

Short handover between communication links.

0.5 m

HD View:

Closing in now!

Standby for RTL Maneuver (Ready-To-Latch)

Dragon moving again, this time contacting the berthing port.

Now at RTL stage!

Now, alignment: all 4 RTL "Ready-To-Latch-Indicators" must be switched to Green (indicating that Dragon was in the proper position for installation)

Working on second stage capture now.

"1st stage capture": closed four latches and started driving bolts (SSRMS in limp-mode)

"2nd Stage Capture": four sets of 4 bolts were driven to secure Dragon in place.

ISS flying over Puerto Rico

All bolts driven!

Dragon installed 8:26 a.m. Eastern!

"Fast & furious" task to unload the cargoes.

Installation coverage ended!

 

[Nicholas Kang]

CRS-13 departed from ISS a little while ago.

De-orbit expected at 14:43 UTC, with splashdown about 15:36.

NASA Feature Release: NASA Science to Return to Earth aboard SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft

SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, Jan. 13, west of Baja California, with approximately 4,100 pounds of NASA cargo, science and technology demonstration samples from the International Space Station.

The Dragon spacecraft will be taken by ship to Long Beach, California, where some cargo will be removed immediately for return to NASA. Dragon then will be prepared for a return trip to SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas, for final processing.

A variety of technological and biological studies are returning in Dragon. Hardware from the Made in Space Fiber Optics payload, which demonstrated manufacturing fiber optic filaments in a microgravity environment. Designed by the company Made in Space and sponsored by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the investigation pulled fiber optic wire from ZBLAN, a heavy metal fluoride glass commonly used to make fiber optic glass. Research indicates that ZBLAN fiber pulled in microgravity may not crystalize as much, giving it better optical qualities than the silica used in most fiber optic wire. Results from this investigation could lead to the production of higher-quality fiber optic products both in space and on Earth.

Samples from APEX-05 were used to study a stress reaction in plants when experiencing reduced oxygen availably (hypoxia), which occurs for example, during times of soil flooding. Such natural hypoxic events are sensed by plants and can lead to either changes in growth and development to aid in the plant’s survival, or in extreme cases, lead to significant losses in productivity and even death. These spaceflight experiments may help provide molecular targets for manipulation to help make plants more tolerant of low oxygen conditions and so contribute to agriculturally important traits such as crop flood tolerance.

Mice from NASA’s Rodent Research-6 study also will return live to Earth for additional study. The investigation, which was conducted jointly with the U.S. National Lab, evaluated a new drug delivery device for administering continuous low doses, which could help counteract muscle wasting and prevent the need for daily or frequent drug administration. A tiny capsule, implanted under the skin, delivers a constant, low dose of a drug via a silicone membrane, with channels as narrow as 1/50,000 the width of a human hair. The drug, called formoterol, is a common therapy in asthma inhalers and for other lung diseases that relaxes muscles responsible for tightening a patient’s airways. The low-dose delivery also could help avoid the known side effects of taking high doses long-term.