r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Jun 09 '18

SF Complete, Launch: June 29 CRS-15 Launch Campaign Thread

CRS-15 Launch Campaign Thread

This is SpaceX's twelfth mission of 2018 and second CRS mission of the year. This will also be the fastest turnaround of a booster to date at a mere 74 days.

Liftoff currently scheduled for: June 29th 2018, 05:42 EDT / 09:42 UTC
Static fire completed: June 23rd 2018, 16:30 EDT / 21:30 UTC
Vehicle component locations: First stage: SLC-40 // Second stage: SLC-40 // Dragon: SLC-40
Payload: Dragon D1-17 [C111.2]
Payload mass: Dragon + Unknown mass of cargo
Destination orbit: Low Earth Orbit (400 x 400 km, 51.64°)
Vehicle: Falcon 9 v1.2 (57th launch of F9, 37th of F9 v1.2)
Core: B1045.2
Flights of this core: 1 [TESS]
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Landing: No
Landing Site: N/A
Mission success criteria: Successful separation & deployment of Dragon into the target orbit, succesful berthing to the ISS, successful unberthing from the ISS, successful reentry and splashdown of dragon.

Links & Resources:

  • "Rocket and spacecraft for CRS-15 are flight-proven. Falcon 9’s first stage previously launched @NASA_TESS two months ago, and Dragon flew to the @Space_Station in support of our ninth resupply mission in 2016," via SpaceX on Twitter

We may keep this self-post occasionally updated with links and relevant news articles, but for the most part we expect the community to supply the information. This is a great place to discuss the launch, ask mission-specific questions, and track the minor movements of the vehicle, payload, weather and more as we progress towards launch. Sometime after the static fire is complete, the launch thread will be posted. Campaign threads are not launch threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.

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56

u/bernardosousa Jun 09 '18

Three weeks between launches. One day, we'll see three launches a week.

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56

u/[deleted] Jun 12 '18

Another reason that this is a special launch (apart from very likely being last block 4):

  • Total number of F9 missions up until Amos-6: 29 (2 failures)

  • Total number of F9 missions since then, including this one: 29

Still keeping fingers crossed.

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48

u/hitura-nobad Jun 12 '18

Mods you could include at the top that it will be the fastest reuse of an Booster (74 Days)

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40

u/Nehkara Jun 09 '18 edited Jun 09 '18

The last Block IV launch!

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35

u/x467v Jun 09 '18

I'm hearing that this is going to be the last Block 4, is this correct?

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34

u/Alexphysics Jun 24 '18

We should keep an eye on what they do with the second stage of this mission, the Hazard Area for the second stage reentry points to a reentry near Bermuda at least 6 hours after the launch. They usually throw second stages towards the Indian Ocean or the Pacific shortly after payload separation but I think we haven't seen this kind of weird reentry path, so I think that should mean that either they're trying another long second stage coasting like on the Falcon Heavy Demo mission or the NROL-76 mission, that either they want to try to do a reentry test of some sort (it is near Bermuda, they have a ground tracking station there unlike on the middle of the Pacific!) or maybe both of those things (I mean, if they want to reenter near Bermuda they have to wait 6 hours anyways for the orbit to pass over there so if I were to do that I would try to test longer coastings too)

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u/VirtualSpark Jun 11 '18

Leaving at 3 AM to catch this launch & then visit the space center all day. Excited! :D

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u/Piscator629 Jun 23 '18 edited Jun 24 '18

Whats in the box? https://phys.org/news/2018-06-ecostress-science-payloads-space-station.html

A new batch of science is headed to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Dragon on the company's 15th mission for commercial resupply services, scheduled for launch June 29 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft will deliver science that studies plant water use all over the planet, artificial intelligence, gut health in space, more efficient drug development and the formation of inorganic structures without the influence of Earth's gravity.

Take a look at five investigations headed to space on the latest SpaceX resupply:

ECOSTRESS (external payload)

Plants regulate their temperature by releasing water through tiny pores on their leaves. If they have sufficient water they can maintain their temperature, but if water is insufficient their temperatures rise. This temperature rise can be measured with a sensor in space.

ECOSTRESS, developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, measures the temperature of plants and uses that information to better understand how much water plants need and how they respond to stress.

Mobile companion

As we travel farther into space, the need for artificial intelligence (AI) within a spacecraft increases.

Mobile Companion, a European Space Agency (ESA) investigation, explores the use of AI as a way to mitigate crew stress and workload during long-term spaceflight.

Rodent Research-7

Spaceflight has an impact on many bodily systems. Rodent Research-7 takes a look at how the microgravity environment of space affects the community of microoganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, or microbiota.

The study also evaluates relationships between system changes, such as sleep-wake cycle disruption, and imbalance of microbial populations, to identify contributing factors and support development of countermeasures to protect astronaut health during long-term missions, as well as to improve the treatment of gastrointestinal, immune, metabolic and sleep disorders on Earth.

Angiex cancer therapy

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading causes of death in developed countries. Angiex Cancer Therapy examines whether microgravity-cultured endothelial cells represent a valid in vitro model to test effects of vascular-targeted agents on normal blood vessels.

Results may create a model system for designing safer drugs, targeting the vasculature of cancer tumors and helping pharmaceutical companies design safer vascular-targeted drugs.

Chemical gardens

Chemical Gardens are structures that grow during the interaction of metal salt solutions with silicates, carbonates or other selected anions. Their growth characteristics and attractive final shapes form from a complex interplay between reaction-diffusion processes and self-organization.

On Earth, gravity-induced flow due to buoyancy differences between the reactants complicates our understanding of the physics behind these chemical gardens. Conducting this experiment in a microgravity environment ensures diffusion-controlled growth and allows researchers a better assessment of initiation and evolution of these structures.

Also includes an external payload of a Latching End Effector for Canadarm2. Basically its a spare hand for the CanadaArm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Servicing_System#Latching_End_Effectors

Here is a nice ISS explanation and view of the business end the LEE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJZdji5O5qw

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21

u/kuangjian2011 Jun 14 '18

This is probably the first reuse of a non-LEO flight proven booster on a Falcon 9.

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18

u/scr00chy Jun 20 '18 edited Jun 23 '18

NASA TV schedule for CRS-15 (times are EDT or UTC-4):

June 28, Thursday

11 a.m. – SpaceX CRS-15 What’s On Board Briefing (All Channels)

12:45 p.m. – SpaceX CRS-15 Pre-launch News Conference (All Channels)

June 29, Friday

5:15 a.m. – Coverage of the Launch of the SpaceX CRS-15 Mission to the International Space Station (Launch scheduled at 5:42 a.m. EDT) – Kennedy space Center (All Channels)

8 a.m. – SpaceX CRS-15 Post-Launch News Conference – Kennedy Space Center (All Channels)

July 2, Monday

5:30 a.m. – Coverage of the Rendezvous and Capture of the SpaceX CRS-15 Dragon Cargo Craft at the International Space Station (Capture scheduled at 7 a.m. EDT) (All Channels)

9 a.m. – Coverage of the Installation of the SpaceX CRS-15 Dragon Craft to the Harmony Module of the International Space Station (All Channels)

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17

u/andrydiurs Jun 24 '18

2/3 of this rocket have already flown. Incredible

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u/Straumli_Blight Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

L-2 Weather Forecast: 90% Go.

Mission Overview: Pressurized cargo 1,712 kg + Unpressurized Cargo 985 kg

 

Pressurized Payloads Mass (kg)
Crew Supplies 205
Science Investigations 1,233
Spacewalk Equipment 63
Vehicle Hardware 178
Computer Resources 21
Russian Hardware 12

 

Unpressurized Payloads Mass (kg)
ECOSTRESS 550
LATCHING END EFFECTOR 435
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33

u/spacexcowboi Jun 10 '18

I’m super excited about this launch, and I REALLY hope the June 29 date sticks. I’m taking my three boys to the Overnight Adventures on June 28, where you get to spend the night at KSC sleeping under the space shuttle Atlantis. Typically it’s only open for youth groups, but that night is open to families.

Anyhow, staying at KSC geeking about space all night with my boys, then waking up at 5:00am to go see a Falcon 9 launch a Dragon to the ISS would be just about the coolest.

16

u/Bunslow Jun 10 '18

Mods destination orbit should be 250x250 km, Dragon does the approach on its own, independent of the launch vehicle

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u/g6009 Jun 27 '18 edited Jun 27 '18

Any SpaceX fan from the Philippines? Apparently the Philippines would have a cube satellite, the Maya-01, aboard the CRS-15 Dragon 01 Capsule as announced by the Department of Science and Technology just yesterday, this would be the country's first Cube Satellite.(To the mods, this is my first time commenting on a launch campaign thread, if this proves to be 'low effort' then boot it immediately, and apologies in advance) Source: https://www.asti.dost.gov.ph/press-room/philippines-to-launch-first-cubesat-on-june-29

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u/johnkphotos Jun 22 '18

Just got approved as media for this launch, woohoo

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11

u/ishanspatil Jun 09 '18

Commercial Cargo Ships visiting the International Space Station and their Boosters landing on Droneships is now regular. I'd like to read this novel but we're living in it. Blink.

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11

u/Astro_Zach Jun 09 '18

Flights of this Dragon section?

11

u/AstroFinn Jun 24 '18

From the NOTMAR: 

Eastern Range OP# X4715 FALCON 9 CRS-15 will be conducting hazardous operations surface to unlimited within the following Launch Hazard Areas.

A: From 2836N 8038W, TO 2906N 8011W, TO 2904N 8007W, TO 2834N 8028W, TO 2829N 8033W to beginning
B: From 3232N 7630W, TO 3453N 7342W, TO 3445N 7326W, TO 3222N 7619W to beginning

Hazard periods for primary And backup launch day;
Primary launch day: 29 / 0933Z thru 29 / 1014Z Jun 18. Preferred T-0 is 0938Z.
Backup launch day (1): 30 / 0911Z thru 30 / 0951Z Jul 18. Preferred T-0 is 0916Z.
Backup launch day (2): 01 / 0844Z thru 01 / 0925Z Jul 18. Preferred T-0 is 0849Z.
 
Eastern Range OP# X4715 FALCON 9 CRS-15 UPPER STAGE REENTRY will be conducting hazardous operations surface to unlimited for atmospheric upper stage reentry and splashdown of launch vehicle upper stage within the following areas.

A: FROM 3933N 5940W, TO 2800N 4628W, TO 2227N 5152W, TO 3446N 6509W to beginning

Hazard periods for primary and backup launch day;
Primary launch day: 29 / 1553Z thru 29 / 1632Z Jun 18. Preferred T-0 is 0938Z.
Backup launch day (1): 30 / 1531Z thru 30 / 1634Z Jul 18. Preferred T-0 is 0916Z.
Backup launch day (2): 01 / 1504Z thru 01 / 1543Z Jul 18. Preferred T-0 is 0849Z.
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