SpaceX launches to space station, but experiences problem in orbit

SpaceX launches to space station, but experiences problem in orbit
By W.J. Hennigan
March 1, 2013, 8:39 a.m.

On an overcast morning, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and sped through the clouds Friday on its way to the International Space Station.

However, about 12 minutes into the NASA resupply mission, after the rocket had lifted its Dragon capsule packed with more than 1,200 pounds of cargo into orbit, there was an anomaly in the spacecraft.

"It appears that although it reached Earth orbit, Dragon is experiencing some type of problem right now," John Insprucker, Falcon 9 product director, told viewers on SpaceX's live webcast. "We'll have to learn the nature of what happened."

The live webcast was then shut down.

Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and chief executive, took to Twitter to describe the problem: "Issue with Dragon thruster pods. System inhibiting three of four from initializing. About to command inhibit override."

The company later issued a statement about the thrusters, which are crucial to the spacecraft successfully reaching the space station:

"One thruster pod is running. Two are preferred to take the next step which is to deploy the solar arrays. We are working to bring up the other two in order to plan the next series of burns to get to station."

The Hawthorne company's craft blasted off at 7:10 a.m. PST. The plan was that Dragon would reach and attach to the space station on Saturday, but it's unclear how the thruster issue will affect that.

There is a news conference slated for later in the day, when more information may be available.

SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has already performed successful NASA resupply missions to the space station. There was one official mission in October, and a demonstration mission took place in May.

Both of those missions also had problems.

In May, a problem with the Dragon's onboard sensors pushed back its capture by the station by about two hours later than planned.

In October, one of the nine engines on the massive Falcon 9 rocket experienced a problem and shut down shortly after launch. Because of the glitch, a satellite that the rocket was carrying didn't reach proper orbit, but the NASA resupply mission went on as planned and the Dragon capsule connected with the space station.

(click link for video)

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-spacex-blastoff-nasa-problem-20130301,0,4927820.story

They report that, six hours into the flight, all thrusters are working and the craft is aligned to reach the space station.

GREAT! I got a wild hair tonight and went out, so missed reading the news...

Great to hear. Thanks, EE!

SpaceX capsule nears ISS for rendezvous on Sunday
Saturday 02 March 2013, 2355

WASHINGTON — A privately-owned unmanned US space capsule neared the International Space Station early Sunday, preparing to dock to deliver food, scientific materials and other crucial equipment.

"Dragon is scheduled to be captured Sunday at 6:31 am EST (1131 GMT) by NASA Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford and NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn," the US space agency NASA said in a statement.

NASA said SpaceX's Dragon would be installed onto the Earth-facing port of the ISS's Harmony module by ground experts at mission control in Houston and bolted into place via commands by the ISS crew.

The original plan was for Dragon to attach to the space station on Saturday and return to Earth on March 25, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.

But the capsule ran into troubles with its thrusters shortly after launching Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, triggering the delay.

SpaceX engineers found that only one of the spacecraft's four thruster pods, which help maneuver the capsule in orbit, was working. The problems were later fixed.

"SpaceX said it has high confidence there will be no repeat of the thruster problem during rendezvous, including its capability to perform an abort, should that be required," NASA said.

The delay, however, will not affect the capsule's splashdown, which remains planned for March 25, the US space agency said.

Dragon is carrying 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms) of supplies on SpaceX's second resupply mission to the ISS.

This is the third commercial mission by SpaceX -- Space Exploration Technologies -- to the orbiting space station under contract with NASA.

In May 2012, SpaceX made history when Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft in history to successfully attach to the International Space Station.

Previously only four governments -- the United States, Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency -- had achieved this challenging technical feat.

SpaceX has now begun regular missions to the Space Station, completing its first official resupply mission in October 2012.

NASA is relying on SpaceX and other commercial ventures to take over for its retired fleet of space shuttles, which last flew in July 2011.

Before SpaceX's successful mission in October, NASA had been relying on Russian spacecraft -- but the Soyuz craft does not have room for cargo on the return flight.

SpaceX says it has 50 launches planned -- both NASA missions and commercial flights -- totaling about $4 billion in contracts.

So far, SpaceX has only sent unmanned flights into orbit, but the company aims to send a manned flight within the next three or four years. It is under a separate contract with NASA to refine the capsule so that it can carry a crew.

NASA also has a $1.9 billion resupply contract for the station with Orbital Sciences Corporation, which will launch the first test flight of its Antares rocket from a base in Virginia in the coming weeks.

The cargo for the 25-day mission includes equipment for 160 experiments to be conducted by the space station crew, which currently consists of two Americans, three Russians and a Canadian.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iLEdKiYqqWRYQWDIZoAr70-7IyaA?docId=CNG.a65b488f9b02e1808e526454e67e3052.2d1

--> Related articles, but all with some differing and interesting information:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0301/SpaceX-addresses-hitch-that-could-have-put-mission-to-space-station-in-doubt-video

http://www.informationweek.com/government/mobile/nasa-missions-face-triple-whammy-of-glit/240149829

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323478304578334121188527806.html
_________________

This would all interest me anyways, but since the wind industry is, err... "blowing" right now, if you will, I am currently in the process of applying to two open positions... One @SpaceX and one @The Spaceship Company, one of which I was recruited to apply for. I had the tremendous pleasure and fortune of watching the launch of Space Ship One from the Mojave Spaceport in... ahh, 2004, if memory serves. It was truly amazing and something I will never forget.

Cheers!

I have a picture from the launch somewhere and can't find it at the moment, but here's a shot of Space Ship One:

I read this morning that Dragon has been snatched by the space station crew. Odd that they used that procedure. Why not dock it like others?

Eric wrote:

I read this morning that Dragon has been snatched by the space station crew. Odd that they used that procedure. Why not dock it like others?

I'm not sure, EE... from the infos below it *reads* as if that might have been the plan, although like you, that doesn't completely make sense to me.

Quote :

NASA is concerned that unless nearly all of Dragon's thrusters are working well, it increases the chances of a close call or even a collision between the capsule and the space station orbiting 250 miles above the earth. Astronauts aboard the station plan to capture Dragon with a robotic arm.

-via WSJ link in above post

Quote :

"Dragon is scheduled to be captured Sunday at 6:31 am EST (1131 GMT) by NASA Expedition 34 Commander Kevin Ford and NASA Flight Engineer Tom Marshburn," the US space agency NASA said in a statement.

-via AFP link in above post

Tamed Dragon supply ship arrives at space station (+video, linked @bottom of post)
A privately owned Dragon capsule arrived a day late at the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering a ton of supplies with high-flying finesse after a shaky start to the mission.
By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press / March 3, 2013 / 1830 PST / 2030 CST
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

A privately owned Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering a ton of supplies with high-flying finesse after a shaky start to the mission.

The Dragon's arrival was one day late but especially sweet — and not because of the fresh fruit on board for the station astronauts who snared the capsule.

SpaceX, the California-based company founded by billionaire Elon Musk, had to struggle with the Dragon following its launch Friday from Cape Canaveral. A clogged pressure line or stuck valve prevented thrusters from working, and it took flight controllers several hours to gain control and salvage the mission.

In the end, the Dragon approached the orbiting lab with its 1-ton load about as smoothly as could be expected, with all of its thrusters, or little maneuvering rockets, operating perfectly. The capture occurred as the two spacecraft zoomed 250 miles above Ukraine.

"As they say, it's not where you start, but where you finish that counts," said space station commander Kevin Ford, "and you guys really finished this one on the mark."

He added: "We've got lots of science on there to bring aboard and get done. So congratulations to all of you."

Among the items on board: 640 seeds of a flowering weed used for research, mouse stem cells, food and clothes for the six men on board the space station, trash bags, computer equipment, air purifiers, spacewalking tools and batteries. The company also tucked away apples and other fresh treats from an employee's family orchard.

The Dragon will remain at the space station for most of March before returning to Earth with science samples, empty food containers and old equipment.

SpaceX — Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to keep the station well stocked. The contract calls for 12 supply runs; this was the second in that series.

This is the third time, however, that a Dragon has visited the space station. The previous two capsules had no trouble reaching their destination. Company officials promise a thorough investigation into what went wrong this time; if the thrusters had not been activated, the capsule would have been lost.

Ford said everything about Sunday's rendezvous ended up being "fantastic."

"There sure were some big smiles all around here," NASA's Mission Control replied from Houston.

The actual anchoring of the Dragon to the space station, 2½ hours after its arrival, also unfolded without a hitch. "The Dragon is ours!" Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield announced via Twitter.

In a tweet following Friday's nerve-racking drama, Musk said, "Just want to say thanks to @NASA for being the world's coolest customer. Looking forward to delivering the goods!"

Musk, who helped create PayPal, acknowledged Friday that the problem — the first ever for an orbiting Dragon — was "frightening." But he believed it was a one-time glitch and nothing so serious as to imperil future missions. The 41-year-old entrepreneur, who also runs the electric car maker Tesla, oversaw the entire operation from Hawthorne, Calif., home to SpaceX and the company's Mission Control.

The Dragon's splashdown in the Pacific, meanwhile, remains on schedule for March 25.

NASA is counting on the commercial sector to supply the space station for the rest of this decade; it's supposed to keep running until at least 2020. Russia, Europe and Japan are doing their part, periodically launching their own cargo ships. But none of those craft can return items like the Dragon can; they burn up on re-entry

Russia also is providing rides for U.S. astronauts.

SpaceX and other companies are working toward launching astronauts in another few years. Musk leads the charge; he said he can have people flying on a modified Dragon by 2015.

NASA's space shuttles, retired to museums after a 30-year run, used to be the main haulers for the space station. At the White House direction, the space agency opted out of the Earth-to-orbit transportation business in order to focus on deep space exploration. Mars is the ultimate destination.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0303/Tamed-Dragon-supply-ship-arrives-at-space-station-video