Posts tagged spacex

Video 2
Notes
Posted 4 weeks ago

SpaceX Vision - In this video Elon Musk talks about his plans for SpaceX and how his plans for the company integrate with his over arching vision for his other ventures (Tesla, SolarCity). SpaceX continues to make rapid progress towards the company’s goal of fully reusable launch and space vehicles, and has inspired several other companies build upon SpaceX’ promise of low cost space access (e.g. MarsOne).

Hear how Musk plans to send millions of people to colonize Mars, as Michelle Fields talks to the tech innovator about the future of space exploration, scientific innovation and doing business in California during a recession.

(Source: parabolicarc.com)

Video 6
Notes
Posted 4 months ago

Merlin’s Magic - Pinehead TV has posted a nice article on SpaceX’ Merlin rocket engine. Now in it’s fourth generation (Merlin 1D) it powers all stages of the SpaceX family of launch vehicles. The article takes you from the original Merlin 1A design to the latest 1D, summarizing key design choices. It also includes a couple of design drawings and a short white-board video by Tom Mueller walking through the basic engine operation. 

Photo 11
Notes
Posted 7 months ago
Dragon Tales - Following NASA’s announcement that the last SpaceX Dragon to visit the ISS experienced a couple of avionics challenges, aviation week has published an interview with John Muratore (SpaceX director of vehicle certification). John discusses both the details of the anomaly, and the approach behind the Dragon design. Q: But there’s nothing on the spacecraft in the way of radiation-hardened parts? A: The parts aren’t hardened, the design as a total system is hardened. What it is, is each part does not go through the screening that is typical of radiation hardened parts. […] But we test them as a total system, not each part at a time. We’ve tested lots of our parts to very, very high radiation environments. So we test them as a total system, and by that I mean a unit with three processors in it, we test the entire unit. We take the cover off and we hit it really, really hard with radiation, and we do that so we understand how the parts react in the radiation environment. Q: So what happened in this situation where one computer on board Dragon had a suspected radiation hit and shut down?A: […] if we take a hit there it can cause basically a bit to flip from a zero to a one. And that instruction can be wrong, and that is where the two processors in a single computer element voting on each other can detect that, and it can force a reboot. And that’s what happened, we rebooted the computer.  Head over to the original source to read the complete interview. Zoom

Dragon Tales - Following NASA’s announcement that the last SpaceX Dragon to visit the ISS experienced a couple of avionics challenges, aviation week has published an interview with John Muratore (SpaceX director of vehicle certification). John discusses both the details of the anomaly, and the approach behind the Dragon design.

Q: But there’s nothing on the spacecraft in the way of radiation-hardened parts?

A: The parts aren’t hardened, the design as a total system is hardened. What it is, is each part does not go through the screening that is typical of radiation hardened parts. […] But we test them as a total system, not each part at a time. We’ve tested lots of our parts to very, very high radiation environments. So we test them as a total system, and by that I mean a unit with three processors in it, we test the entire unit. We take the cover off and we hit it really, really hard with radiation, and we do that so we understand how the parts react in the radiation environment.

Q: So what happened in this situation where one computer on board Dragon had a suspected radiation hit and shut down?

A: […] if we take a hit there it can cause basically a bit to flip from a zero to a one. And that instruction can be wrong, and that is where the two processors in a single computer element voting on each other can detect that, and it can force a reboot. And that’s what happened, we rebooted the computer.

 Head over to the original source to read the complete interview.

Photo 2
Notes
Posted 8 months ago
T minus 5 hours - Falcon 9 and Dragon CRS-1 are raised vertical on the launch pad, ready for liftoff to the International Space Station at 5:35 pm pacific / 8:35 pm eastern time. This will be the first time Dragon carries powered cargo (a fridge) to the ISS, with will contain (among other things) the most precious of resources … ice cream! Launched into an initially elliptical orbit with a high point of 202 miles and a low point of around 124 miles, the solar-powered spacecraft will carry out a complex computer-orchestrated series of rendezvous rocket firings to catch up with the space station early Wednesday. Over the next three weeks or so, the station crew will unload a half ton of equipment and supplies, including experiment hardware, a freezer, spare parts, clothing and food. Taking advantage of the freezer, ice cream was included, a rare treat for space crews. Zoom

T minus 5 hours - Falcon 9 and Dragon CRS-1 are raised vertical on the launch pad, ready for liftoff to the International Space Station at 5:35 pm pacific / 8:35 pm eastern time. This will be the first time Dragon carries powered cargo (a fridge) to the ISS, with will contain (among other things) the most precious of resources … ice cream!

Launched into an initially elliptical orbit with a high point of 202 miles and a low point of around 124 miles, the solar-powered spacecraft will carry out a complex computer-orchestrated series of rendezvous rocket firings to catch up with the space station early Wednesday.

Over the next three weeks or so, the station crew will unload a half ton of equipment and supplies, including experiment hardware, a freezer, spare parts, clothing and food. Taking advantage of the freezer, ice cream was included, a rare treat for space crews.

(Source: CNET)

Photo 22
Notes
Posted 8 months ago
T minus 2 days - Dragon CRS-1 is still scheduled to take off on October 8, 00:35:07 UTC; watch it live on NASA TV and/or SpaceX TV. If you catch a little SpaceX fever in the process and want to show your support, check out the new public SpaceX swag store while you’re at it. Zoom

T minus 2 days - Dragon CRS-1 is still scheduled to take off on October 8, 00:35:07 UTC; watch it live on NASA TV and/or SpaceX TV. If you catch a little SpaceX fever in the process and want to show your support, check out the new public SpaceX swag store while you’re at it.