Endeavour was born out of tragedy, a little over one year after the loss of the sister she never knew, Challenger, following the STS-51L disaster.

With the decision not to upgrade Enterprise, instead taking advantage of structural spares created during the construction campaigns of OV-103/Discovery and OV-104/Atlantis, construction of NASA’s newest orbiter, known officially as OV-105 (Orbiter Vehicle 105), gained a significant time advantage.

To this end, the start of structural assembly of OV-105′s Crew Module began on February 15, 1982 – over five years before authorization to build OV-105 was issued.

The contract to build NASA’s newest, and last, Space Shuttle orbiter was issued to Rockwell International on July 31, 1987. Two months later, on September 7, engineers began assembling the body-flap of OV-105 – with assembly beginning on her aft-fuselage on Sept. 28.

She was powered-up for the very first time on July 6, 1990 – nearly 22 years before she was finally powered down for the final time.

Unlike all previous NASA spacecraft, NASA chose to involve, from the beginning, the general public when it came to choosing a name for the new Space Shuttle orbiter.

For the naming contest, students in all elementary and secondary schools in the United States were offered the opportunity to submit names for consideration.

The entries had to include an essay regarding the historical and exploratory significance for the suggested name, as well as information on why the name would be appropriate for the new Shuttle orbiter. State-level winners were selected and forward on for final consideration.

In the end, the name that was eventually chosen for OV-105 was the most popular entry received, accounting for one-third of the total state-level entry winners.

On April 25, 1991, the Space Shuttle orbiter ENDEAVOUR was proudly rolled out of her Palmdale construction facility by her dedicated workforce.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour is named after two great ships of exploration – the first being the HMS Endeavour, the ship Captained by James Cook on his first voyage from 1768-1771.

During the HMS Endeavour’s voyage, she transported Cook to the South Pacific where he observed and recorded the transit of Venus between the Earth and the sun – observations that helped early astronomers calculate the distance of the Earth from the sun.

With Endeavour transported to her new Florida home, preparations – including a Flight Readiness Firing (FRF) – were completed, ahead of her debut mission into space.

At 19:40:00 EDT on May 7, 1992, the countdown clock reached ZERO and the Solid Rocket Boosters ignited, lifting Endeavour and her seven-member crew off Pad-B and into the history books.

Launch of Endeavour and the STS-49 mission marked the first and only time that a Space Shuttle vehicle conducted its maiden voyage from Pad-B at the Kennedy Space Center; all four of Endeavour’s older sisters embarked on their maiden flights from Pad-A.

Once in orbit, Endeavour’s crew got right to work setting up for the rendezvous with the Intelsat VI satellite – which was stranded and unusable in Low Earth Orbit following its launch on a Titan rocket in March 1990 when its launch system failed to place it in its correct, geostationary orbit.

The crew also conducted part of an ongoing evaluation into the ASEM experiment for Space Station Freedom and performed Chimerical Protein Crystal Growth, Ultraviolet Plume Imager, and Air Force Maui Optical Station experiments/investigations.

The maiden voyage of Endeavour concluded at 06:57.38 EDT on May 16th – 20 years ago to the day- with a landing on runway 22 at Edwards AFB, CA. Upon landing, Endeavour made one more first for the Space Shuttle Program – the first use of a drag chute during landing.

Her final mission, STS-134, was the 165th manned U.S. spaceflight, the 134th Space Shuttle mission, the 25th flight of Endeavour, the 36th Shuttle flight to the ISS (Endeavour’s 12th), the 109th post-Challenger flight, and the 21st post-Columbia flight.

The mission marked the final spacewalks to be conducted by a Space Shuttle crew, the final time an international astronaut will fly on the Space Shuttle, the use of the final External Tank to be delivered to the Kennedy Space Center from the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana, the final all-male crew of a Space Shuttle mission, the final flight of a major European Space Agency payload element on the Space Shuttle, and the delivery of the final major payloads to the ISS by the Space Shuttle.

But more importantly, Endeavour delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer -02 (AMS-02) and all the spares on ELC-3 (Express Logistics Carrier 3) marked U.S. Assembly Complete on the International Space Station, meaning that Endeavour became not only the orbiter to have begun construction of the ISS, but also the orbiter that completed U.S.-segment assembly of the ISS.

The anniversary of her launch, on May 16, 2011, was rightfully marked by grateful teams who benefited from the mission, not least the AMS-02 team, who continue to use the device for continuous observations of the universe, searching for evidence of and information on dark matter, dark energy, and anti-matter.

Her history, albeit one shorter than her older sisters, will continue to be taught to many generations to come, who will learn about her loyal service to her country and her planet, from saving Hubble, to building the ISS, through to bringing each and every one of her crews home safely.

Marking the end of her life as a powered vehicle, Endeavour was giving a respectful send off by the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) team, as they shut down her systems for the final time.

With teams in the Launch Control Center (LCC) Firing Room and onboard Endeavour herself, the reverse process for powering up an orbiter was carried out, relating to “waterfall” of activities such as switch off the power supplies, ground cooling, power bus controls and the Data Processing System (DPS).

Before this was carried out, a NASA TV video file showed the teams at work during this procedure, with one team member on the flight deck paying tribute to the orbiter and the teams before the final powerdown was completed.

“All of us up here on the flight deck would like to dedicate this final power down to all those that are not so fortunate to be here, to those that gave their blood and sweat to this program. The life of this orbiter will be down today, so to all those who can’t be here, we dedicate this to them.”

Another manager inside the Firing Room also added a few words, noting his sense of pride for the amazing team that for 40 years had been launching vehicles into space.

That was followed by the final procedures to power down Endeavour, marked by “here we go”, as the engineers flicked the power switches on the flight deck, turned off the monitors and finally, one by one, shutting down the AC bus sensors.

“AC Bus Sensor 3, is off,” being the final call from the flight deck of a darkened Endeavour.

Probably the most apt words came from Stephanie Stilson, NASA Flow Director for Orbiter Transition and Retirement, and United Space Alliance’s Walter “Buddy” McKenzie – who portrayed the love and care the workforce feel for the orbiters.

“You don’t want to see them go, you’re going to miss not having your hands on them every day, and knowing that you can really look out for them, but you’re happy for this progression of their career,” Stilson said to NASA.gov. “And you just trust that there will be other people there to take care of them and look out for them.”

Click here for additional T&R Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/tr/

“You’re with them more than you are with your family. They actually become part of you,” McKenzie says of the shuttle fleet. “You work on them so much, you know where their weaknesses are and you know where their strengths are. You get familiar with them. At some point, they leave the machine stage, and they become part of your soul.”

Endeavour will now be put through the final stages of her Transition and Retirement (T&R) processing, ahead of being flown on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) to California. Her new home will be the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

To read about the orbiters -  from birth, processing, every single mission, through to retirement, click here for the links:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=25837.0

(Images: Via NASA, L2 Historical, L2 and special photography provided by Brian Papke, MaxQ/NASASpaceflight.com – many thousands of exclusive super hi-res image stock available on L2′s new Photo Section – 900+ gbs in size.)

(L2 and NSF are continuing to follow the orbiters through their transitional period. To join L2, click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/)

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Ariane 5 ECA Mission:

The Ariane 5 ECA (Cryogenic Evolution type A) – the most powerful version in the Ariane 5 range – was used for this flight. The Ariane 5 ECA is an improved Ariane 5 Generic launcher.

Although it has the same general architecture, a number of major changes were made to the basic structure of the Ariane 5 Generic version to increase thrust and enable it to carry heavier payloads into orbit.

Designed to place payloads weighing up to 9.6 tonnes into GTO, this increased capacity allows the Ariane 5 ECA to handle dual launches of very large satellites.

Given Arianespace now enjoys a full family of launch vehicles – following the introduction of the Soyuz and Vega rockets at the Spaceport – company has adopted a new numbering system to identify its missions with these three vehicles.

As such, Ariane 5 flights carry the “VA” designation, followed by the flight number.  The “V” is for “vol,” the French word for “flight,” while the “A” represents the use of an Ariane launch vehicle.  As a result, this latest mission will carry the “VA206″ reference, for the 206th launch of an Ariane since this family of vehicles began operations in 1979.

With the introduction of Soyuz at the Spaceport in 2011, Arianespace missions from South America with the medium-lift workhorse launcher are being designated “VS,” while flights with the lightweight Vega vehicle are referenced as “VV”, following its successful debut this year.

This was the second Ariane 5 flight of 2012, with a payload performance of over 8,300 kg. – which included a combined mass of more than 7,500 kg. for JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2, along with the launcher’s dual-payload dispenser system and associated integration hardware.

Riding as the upper passenger in Ariane 5′s payload “stack” is JCSAT-13, which was released at approximately 26 minutes into the flight.

“This launch marks a historic company milestone,” said Kevin Bilger, Lockheed Martin’s vice president and general manager of Global Communications Systems. 

“Delivery of our 100th and 101st commercial geostationary satellites exemplifies the dedication of the men and women, past and present, who continue to deliver affordable, high quality advanced communications systems to meet our customers’ mission needs. 

“I salute all of our employees, supplier partners and customers who made this moment possible.”

JCSAT-13 will be utilized by SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, the broadcasting and communications services provider created through the merger of JSAT Corporation, SKY Perfect Communications, Inc., and Space Communications Corporation. 

This telecommunications spacecraft will be positioned in geostationary orbit at 124 degrees East  from which it is to provide direct TV broadcast links to all of Japan as a replacement satellite for JCSAT-4A, and also will meet satellite relay coverage demands in Southeast Asia.

JCSAT-13 is configured with an all Ku-band payload, comprising 44 high-power communication channels with uplink and downlink coverage. It has been designed to operate for 15 years.

Arianespace’s most recent mission with a satellite for this operator was BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R, orbited last August by an Ariane 5.

VINASAT-2 – which is to be operated by Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group – was deployed from Ariane 5′s lower passenger position at just over 36 minutes after liftoff.

From an orbital position of 131.8 degrees East, this satellite will provide fixed satellite service to Vietnam and neighboring countries.

This satellite features 24 Ku-band channels providing uplink and downlink coverage, and also has a design life of 15 years – although it is carrying additional fuel reserves to maximize its maneuvering longevity.

VINASAT-2 is follows Arianespace’s launch of VINASAT-1 as Vietnam’s first communications satellite – which was lofted by an Ariane 5 in April 2008.

Both payloads on this heavy-lift launch are Lockheed Martin spacecraft based on the company’s A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series. They are the milestone 100th and 101st commercial geostationary communications satellites built by Lockheed Martin.

“Lockheed Martin is extremely proud to share this historic moment with SKY Perfect JSAT and VNPT, both of whom continue to entrust Lockheed Martin with their satellite communications solutions,” added Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems president Joseph Rickers. 

“Our team is now focused on executing our integrated orbit-raising plan and we look forward to hand-over, when these two satellites can begin their many years of service for our customers.”

This mission marked Ariane 5′s return to satellite launching, following the heavy-lift workhorse’s March 23 orbiting of Europe’s third Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for resupply of the International Space Station (ISS).

(Images via Arianespace).

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Soyuz TMA-04M crew:

The three-person crew of Soyuz TMA-04M consists of Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin, and NASA astronaut Joe Acaba.

Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka, born June 21, 1958, is a seasoned Russian cosmonaut who will be flying his fourth long duration mission in space, having previously flown on Soyuz TM-28 to the Mir space station from August 1998 to February 1999, followed by Soyuz TMA-4 to the ISS from April to October 2004, followed by Soyuz TMA-14 to the ISS from March to October 2009.

On this mission, he will serve as Flight Engineer on ISS Expedition 31 and ISS Commander on Expedition 32, having previously commanded Expedition 9 in 2004.

Padalka, who was selected as a cosmonaut in 1989 following a career in the Russian Air Force, already holds a number of spaceflight records, having currently amassed a total of 585 days in space, which by the end of his Soyuz TMA-04M flight will jump to a total of just over 700 days in space, making him fourth on the list of human beings with the most time spent in space.

Soyuz Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, born on January 12, 1966, will be making his first trip into space aboard Soyuz TMA-04M, having been selected as a cosmonaut in 1996 following engineering careers with the Russian NPO IT and RSC Energia companies. Revin’s long wait to get into space will conclude with him serving as co-pilot on Soyuz TMA-04M and Flight Engineer on Expeditions 31 and 32.

Click here for ISS News Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/iss/

Rounding out the crew is NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, who was born on May 17, 1967 and was selected as an educator astronaut in 2004, having earned a Masters Degree in Geology, and having served as a Sergeant in the US Marine Corps reserve, and spent four years teaching at middle and high school level. He previously flew as a Mission Specialist aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS-119 mission in March 2009, and will serve as a Flight Engineer on Expeditions 31 and 32.

Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft and mission:

The launch of Soyuz TMA-04M was originally scheduled for mid-March, but was delayed by 1.5 months due to an accidental overpressurisation of the Descent Module (SA) originally planned for use with Soyuz TMA-04M. As such, the entire spacecraft had to be swapped with the one intended for use with Soyuz TMA-05M, thus causing the delay.

While the recent undocking and landing of Soyuz TMA-22 was delayed by 1.5 months in line with the Soyuz TMA-04M launch delay, the undocking and landing of Soyuz TMA-04M will not be delayed, meaning Padalka, Revin and Acaba will fly an unusually short mission of only four months in length.

Following launch and two days of free flight, Soyuz TMA-04M will dock to the ISS at the Mini Research Module-2 (MRM-2) Zenith port on Thursday, May 17, at 12:38 AM EDT, or 4:38 AM GMT. Soyuz TMA-04M will remain docked to MRM-2 for 4 months, whereupon it will undock and land on September 17.

Expedition 31/32 overview:

Expedition 31, which began on April 27 with the undocking and landing of Soyuz TMA-22, currently consists of ISS Commander and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA astronaut Don Pettit, and ESA astronaut André Kuipers, all three of whom will head home aboard Soyuz TMA-03M/29S on July 1, marking the start of Expedition 32.

Expedition 32 will consist of Soyuz TMA-04M crewmembers Gennady Padalka as ISS Commander, and Sergei Revin and Joe Acaba as Flight Engineers, who will be joined on July 17 by Soyuz TMA-05M/31S crewmembers Yuri Malenchenko of Russia, Suni Williams of NASA, and Aki Hoshide of Japan.

In addition to the heavy program of ISS science and maintenance activities, Expeditions 31 and 32 will also host a large number of Visiting Vehicles (VVs), the first and most major one being SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, set to launch on its inaugural “C2+” ISS mission this coming Saturday (May 19).

Aboard the ISS on Monday, the Space Integrated GPS/Inertial Navigation Unit-1 (SIGI-1), one of two GPS units on ISS which will be needed for Dragon’s Relative GPS (RGPS) navigation, was Removed & Replaced (R&Rd) after it stopped communicating last week. It was previously R&Rd just last month, after data showed the old unit was in a degraded state.

While the replacement has so far been noted to be successful, it could potentially be an issue for the C2+ mission, since nominal operation of both SIGIs on ISS is a Launch Commit Criteria (LCC) for Dragon. In addition, mission requirements state that SIGIs must successfully run for three weeks following an R&R, however it is not yet known whether this rule will be observed, since if it were, this most recent SIGI-1 R&R would delay the planned May 19 launch of Dragon.

Assuming a nominal capture and berthing at the ISS on May 22, Dragon would be unberthed from the ISS on May 31 for a re-entry and landing off the coast of California.

In addition to the Dragon, Expedition 31/32 will also host Japan’s HTV-3 from July 27 to August 27, and see the undocking of Europe’s ATV-3 on September 3, as well as the undocking and redocking of Russia’s Progress M-15M between July 22 and 24 in order to test a new Kurs antenna. The final undocking of Progress M-15M will occur on July 30, followed the next day by the launch of Progress M-16M and its docking to the ISS less than a day later on a new fast rendezvous trajectory.

In addition to the busy VV schedule, Russian EVA-31 will also be performed on August 21 by Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko, with the possibility of US EVA-18 in the August timeframe as well, making for an overall very busy mission for the Expedition 31 and 32 crews.

(Images: L2′s ISS and Russian Sections – Containing presentations, videos, images, interactive high level updates and more, with additional images via NASA, CSA and NASA TV). 

(Click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/ - to view how you can access the best space flight content on the entire internet).

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OSIRIS-Rex:

Created under the New Frontiers programme – an effort that calls for the use of medium-class spacecraft for planetary exploration – OSIRIS-Rex will be the third such mission to be carried out, following the already-launched NASA’s Juno mission, currently on its way to Jupiter, and NASA’s New Horizons, currently on its way to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt and expected to fly past Pluto and its four moons in July 2015.

The mission’s full name “Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer”, or OSIRIS-REx, will be the first US mission to carry samples from an asteroid back to Earth.

“This is a critical step in meeting the objectives outlined by President Obama to extend our reach beyond low-Earth orbit and explore into deep space,” said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. “It’s robotic missions like these that will pave the way for future human space missions to an asteroid and other deep space destinations.”

Currently, no asteroid destinations have been selected for human missions – past case studies in documentation in the 2009 Flexible Path presentation (L2 Link), while the official line continues to only reference the ambiguous “sometime in the 2025 range” as the timeframe for such a mission.

Click here for other NEA Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/neo/

However, the ambitious OSIRIS-Rex mission will be a step forward, not least because of the complicated mission profile of launch, rendezvous, “landing” and returning of a spacecraft from such a deep space target.

A key element of the mission will be the rendezvous, with ASC’s 3D Flash LIDAR cameras tasked with determining the spacecraft range to the asteroid surface, as well as evaluating the approach to potential sample sites.

The 3D Flash LIDAR cameras are small form-factor, lightweight 3D depth cameras capable of capturing a full array of 128×128 independently triggered 3D range pixels with co-registered intensity per frame, up to 30 frames per second, allowing 3D range data streams to be generated in real-time, feeding the spacecraft guidance navigation and control systems.  The cameras will be able to operate in the harsh deep space environments.

This exciting technology has multiple applications, ranging from domestic to military – including Automotive, Defense, Surveillance, Robotics and Aviation – with ASC expanding its space-based applications since 2005.

As the first 3D Flash LIDAR camera in space, ASC’s DragonEye has already shown it is capable of real-time images without motion distortion, via its a non-mechanical camera and its eye-safe laser. 

The camera was tested by NASA Johnson Space Center under the Commercial Orbital Transport Services (COTS) program on both STS-127 and STS-133 and is used by SpaceX Corporation’s Dragon vehicle for autonomous guidance, navigation and control (GNC).

ASC’s 3D sensor engines are used by NASA Langley Research Center as the core 3D sensor for Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance (ALHAT) efforts and by NASA JPL for its on-going development of Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) solutions.

“The DragonEye 3D Flash LIDAR camera opens many  doors for 3D FLC in space, making both manned and unmanned AR&D possible,” said Dr. Roger Stettner, President and CEO of ASC in 2011.

“We are pleased with what we’ve already been able to achieve with the DragonEye, and look forward to this next phase of product development which sets the stage for long term space use.”

Following launch – on a vehicle yet to be selected – the 3D Flash LIDAR will get to prove its value four years into the mission, as OSIRIS-REx approaches the primitive, near Earth asteroid. Once within three miles of the asteroid, the spacecraft will begin six months of comprehensive surface mapping.

The science team then will pick a location from where the spacecraft’s arm will take a sample, allowing the spacecraft to gradually move closer to the site for the arm to extend to collect more than two ounces of material for return to Earth in 2023. The mission, excluding the launch vehicle, is expected to cost approximately $800 million.

“The OSIRIS-REx sample return mission is of major importance in revealing the origin of volatiles and organics that led to life on Earth,” said Dr. Dante Lauretta, the Principal Investigator overseeing the mission. 

“Being able to accurately range to the asteroid surface during the ‘touch and go’ maneuver allows us to monitor the target profile and ensure that we are on a safe approach trajectory, with the possibility of multiple approaches if necessary.  We welcome ASC’s support to our project.”

OSIRIS-Rex’s principal investigator is located at the University of Arizona. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will provide overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver will build the spacecraft.

“ASC has worked with commercial companies and NASA’s Langley, Johnson, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory for many years creating and enhancing a non-scanning 3D capture technology for space. We are confident this deep space version of a 3D Flash LIDAR camera will support the success of the OSIRIS-REx mission and assist this important project to deepen man’s understanding of solar system origins,” add Dr. Stettner.

“The high quality team assembled for this effort greatly increases the probability of success, making safe, deep-space vehicle operations a reality.”

On the return journey, the sample will be stored in a capsule for the long trip back to Earth, ahead of re-entry and a landing at Utah’s Test and Training Range – where the Orion parachute testing is currently taking place – in 2023.

The capsule’s design will be similar to that used by NASA’s Stardust spacecraft, which returned the world’s first comet particles from comet Wild 2 in 2006.

The OSIRIS-REx sample capsule will be taken to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The material will be removed and delivered to a dedicated research facility following stringent planetary protection protocol. Precise analysis will be performed that cannot be duplicated by spacecraft-based instruments.

RQ36 is approximately 1,900 feet in diameter or roughly the size of five football fields. The asteroid, little altered over time, is likely to represent a snapshot of our solar system’s infancy. The asteroid also is likely rich in carbon, a key element in the organic molecules necessary for life.

Organic molecules have been found in meteorite and comet samples, indicating some of life’s ingredients can be created in space. Scientists want to see if they also are present on RQ36.

“This asteroid is a time capsule from the birth of our solar system and ushers in a new era of planetary exploration,” said Jim Green, director, NASA’s Planetary Science Division in Washington. “The knowledge from the mission also will help us to develop methods to better track the orbits of asteroids.”

The mission will accurately measure the “Yarkovsky effect” for the first time. The effect is a small push caused by the sun on an asteroid, as it absorbs sunlight and re-emits that energy as heat. The small push adds up over time, but it is uneven due to an asteroid’s shape, wobble, surface composition and rotation.

For scientists to predict an Earth-approaching asteroid’s path, they must understand how the effect will change its orbit. OSIRIS-REx will help refine RQ36′s orbit to ascertain its trajectory and devise future strategies to mitigate possible Earth impacts from celestial objects.

The OSIRIS-REx payload includes instruments from the University of Arizona, Goddard, Arizona State University in Tempe and the Canadian Space Agency. NASA’s Ames Research Center, the Langley Research Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also are involved. The science team is composed of numerous researchers from universities, private and government agencies.

Images: Via L2, NASA, and ASC). 

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Dragon’s ISS Debut:

As it currently stands, the SpaceX duo of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and the Dragon spacecraft hosted atop of the vehicle, are on track for a 4:55am EDT launch – an instantaneous window meaning any late hold in the countdown would scrub the launch to a second opportunity three days later.

The launch was set to take place earlier in the year. However, the requirement to complete the software validation – or assurance – process to the satisfaction of all parties concerned led to the mission slipping several times. May 19 was the latest date to be selected, partly due to the need to avoid a conflict with the upcoming Soyuz mission to the ISS.

However, this also gave engineers additional time to work the software – or “docking code” as SpaceX CEO and Chief Designer Elon Musk put it – a key component for Dragon’s successful approach and berthing with the Station.

It should not be under estimated just how complex the orbital ballet between two spacecraft can be, not least due to the contingency requirement of aborting prior to the spacecraft docking – or in this case being grappled by the SSRMS (Space Station Remote Manipulator System) and berthed – in the event of a problem. The safety of the ISS is paramount in such evaluations.

Per sources, the validation process was completed late this week, with only a few action items to be resolved by the engineering teams.

In explaining “Action Items”, sources note that these are typically items of interest that do not drive a full reconvene of any meeting they came out of, as such, they are not expected to be the cause of any additional work that could threaten the launch date.

These items are either closed on self-evidence, or by review of the meeting chair or a delegate. The likelihood of an expected nominal outcome for an action item is relatively high. However, in the unlikely event they are not found to be within expectations, an action item typically drives a requirement to reconvene the meeting that assigned it in the first instance.

Click here for other Dragon News Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/dragon/

Ironically, even if all goes well with Falcon 9′s launch of Dragon on the C2+ mission, there are still no guarantees the spacecraft will be allowed to berth with the ISS. This is because Dragon has a long list of requirements during the opening days of the flight, requirements held under the C2 mission objectives.

Dragon was initially set to just fly on a C2 objective based mission, prior to the C2 and C3 elements being combined, providing the C2+ mission designation.

All eyes will be on Dragon’s performance the moment it enters orbit, specifically on items such as its debut use of its solar arrays that will provide power to the spacecraft during its orbits of the planet ahead of berthing.

These critical objects begin as early as Flight Day 2 and 3, a period when Dragon is in what is known as far field phasing. During this period, Dragon will perform Free Drift, and Abort Demos, while conducting checks on its Absolute GPS (AGPS) system.

Per L2 information (L2 Link), Free Drift is performed in this early mission timeframe for spacecraft efficiency, but is not required until Dragon reaches the capture point.

 However, the AGPS and Abort tests are required prior to the Go/No-Go for the HA2/CE2 burn pair, a burn pair that will take Dragon to 2.5 km below ISS – a distance chosen as acceptable in relation to posing no risk to the Station in the event of a problem.

The mission becomes more complex as it closes in on the ISS, with tests such as the ability to successfully communicate between Dragon and the Station during its first pass underneath the complex, as the spacecraft rides on an invisible racetrack around the ISS.

During the fly-under, UHF communication via the COTS UHF Communication Unit (CUCU) system is established with ISS, allowing for commanding from ISS via a strobe command for the RGPS demonstrations outlined in the flight rules.

Once the 2.5 km fly-under is completed, a pre-planned re-rendezvous profile will be initiated, this kicks off another series of Go/No-Gos for the forward and rear re-rendezvous burns, ending with Dragon on a co-elliptic flight path 10 km below ISS.

The HA2/CE2 burn pair is conducted again. bringing Dragon 2.5 km below ISS. A Go/No-Go is performed for the HA3/CE2 burn pair bringing Dragon to 1.2 km below ISS.

The HA3/CE3 burn pair, using RGPS and configured with the ISS’ own GPS system, is then conducted, followed by the HA4 (Ai) burn, taking Dragon inside the corridor where the crew begins to monitor the spacecraft’s approach.

Holding at 250 meters from the Station, checks of Dragon’s LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging – relative navigation sensor) system will be conducted, a key element of hardware that has a heritage of testing via the Space Shuttle Discovery during her STS-133 mission.

The addition of the DragonEye sensor on Discovery was the third time an orbiter had provided assistance to SpaceX, following Endeavour’s role with the DragonEye Detailed Test Objective (DTO) box – with flash LIDAR and data acquisition unit – during STS-127, and reflown on STS-133. The delivery of the CUCU to the ISS by Atlantis on STS-129.

The DragonEye DTO was mounted to the Trajectory Control System-1 (TCS-1) carrier assembly on the ODS (Orbiter Docking System) starboard location, while the CUCU has already been installed and checked-out by ISS crewmembers.

Should everything continue to perform as advertised, Dragon will approach to 30 meters distance from the Station where it will automatically hold. With hold and retreat demos being conducted, yet more Go/No Go polling will be conducted by controllers at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Flight Control Room (FCR) and at SpaceX’s Mission Control in California.

Providing a Go is given, Dragon will then enter the critical phase of approaching the ISS, proceeding from 30m to the Capture Point, where Dragon automatically holds. The ISS’ robotic assets – already translated to the pre-capture position – are then guided towards the Dragon from the Cupola Robotic Work Station (RWS).

A final Go/No Go is performed for Capture and the crew is informed on the decision from the ground.

The ISS crew will then inhibit the ISS thrusters and command Dragon to free drift, before capturing Dragon with the SSRMS, ahead of a robotic ballet to carefully translate the new arrival into position for berthing.

Upon berthing, a carefully planned securing process will be conducted, marked by all four Ready To Latch (RTL) indicators providing confirmation on the RWS panel.

Dragon will then be put through first stage capture tasks, allowing the SSRMS to go limp, ahead of second stage capture, officially marking Dragon’s berthing with the ISS, in turn allowing the SSRMS to release and translate to its return position. Leak checks will then be conducted between the ISS and Dragon – required ahead of hatch opening.

Just this short summary of the approach to berthing shows how much effort was required to ensure the software on the Dragon is ready to guide the spacecraft towards its historic debut to join with the ISS and indeed be prepared to abort if all is not well.

If successful, berthing will mark the first time a private/commercial vehicle has ever attempted – and succeeded – with the task.

Images: L2′s SpaceX Dragon C2/C3 Mission Special Section, containing presentations, videos, images, interactive high level updates and more, with additional images via NASA, CSA and SpaceX). 

(Click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/ - to view how you can access the best space flight content on the entire internet).

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Another Chinese Launch:

Once again, the official Chinese media refer the new satellite as a new remote sensing bird that will be used for scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring. As was the case in the previous launches of the Yaogan Weixing series, western analysts believe this class of satellites is being used for military purposes.

Some believe that YG-14 is a new class of optical observation satellite containing sensors developed by CAST’s 508 institute and the Changchun Institute of Optics.

Together with Yangan Weixing-14 there was another passenger on board, the small 9.3 kg TT-1 (Tiantuo 1) that was built by the National University of Defense Technology. This project started in 2009 and is the first Chinese nano-satellite that integrates the functions of satellite control, power distribution, data transfer and attitude control onto a single integrated electronic board.

Tiantuo-1 will perform experiments on optical imaging, detection of on-orbit atomic oxygen intensity and receiving signals from the marine Automatic Identification System (AIS). Its dimensions are 425 mm x 410 mm x 80 mm.

This was the 162nd successful Chinese orbital launch, the 162nd launch of a Chang Zheng launch vehicle, the 38th successful orbital launch from Taiyuan and the second from Taiyuan this year, becoming the seventh successful orbital Chinese launch in 2012.

Looking back to the Yaogan Weixing launch series:

The first Yaogan Weixing satellite (29092 2006-015A) was launched by a Chang Zheng-4C (Y1) from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on April 27, 2006. Developed by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), the details about this satellite were closely guarded, but later it was said that this was the first Jianbing-5 satellite, equipped with the first space-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR).

The second satellite on the series, the Yaogan Weixing-2 (31490 2007-019A), was launched on 25 May, 2007, by a Chang Zheng-2D (Y8) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Details were also restricted, though it is claimed that this spacecraft is an electro-optical military observation satellite also known as JB-6 Jianbing-6, complementing the results of the Yaogan Weixing-1. This satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

Another SAR mission was launched on November 11, 2007 when the Yaogan Weixing-3 (32289 2007-055A) satellite was orbited by a Chang Zheng-4C (Y3) launch vehicle from Taiyuan.

Yaogan Weixing-4 (33446 2008-061A) was launched on December 1, 2008. This was the second electro-optical satellite on the series and was launched by a Chang Zheng-2D (Y9) from Jiuquan. Other satellite on the Jianbing-6 series were Yaogan Wexing-7 (36110 2009-069A), launched on December 9, 2009 from Jiuquan by a Chang Zheng-2D (Y10), and Yaogan Weixing-11 (37165 2010-047A) launched on September 22, 2010, by the Chang Zheng-2D (Y11) launch vehicle from Jiuquan.

The first second-generation electro-optical reconnaissance satellite developed by CAST, Yaogan Weixing-5 (33456 2008-064A), was launched on December 15, 2008. The launch took place from Taiyuan by the Chang Zheng-4B (Y20) rocket. Yaogan Weixing-12 (37875 2011-066B) was other second-generation electro-optical reconnaissance satellite, being launched on November 11th, 2011, by the Chang Zheng-4B (Y21) launch vehicle from Taiyuan.

Yaogan Weixing-6 (34839 2009-021A), launched by a Chang Zheng-2C-III (Y19) from Taiyuan on April 22, 2009, was a second-generation SAR satellite developed by SAST, having a spatial resolution of 1.5m.

Other second-generation SAR satellites were the Yaogan Weixing-8 (36121 2009-072A), launched on December 15, 2009, by the CZ-4C (Y4) also from Taiyuan, the Yaogan Weixing-10 (36834 2010-038A) launch on August 9, 2010, by the Chang Zheng-4C (Y6) launch vehicle from Taiyuan; and the Yaogan Weixing-13 (37941 2011-072A) launch on November 29, 2011, by the Chang Zheng-2C (Y20) launch vehicle from Taiyuan

The YaoGan Weixing-9 mission, launched March, 2010 from Jiuquan, had a different architecture from the previous missions on the series. Launched by Chang Zheng-4C (Y5) rocket, the mission placed a triplet of satellites in Earth orbit. Flying in formation these three satellites appeared to be like a type of NOSS system.

The CZ-4B Chang Zheng-4B launch vehicle:

The feasibility study of the CZ-4 Chang Zheng-4 began in 1982 based on the FB-1 Feng Bao-1 launch vehicle. Engineering development was initiated in the following year. Initially, the Chang Zheng-4 served as a back-up launch vehicle for Chang Zheng-3 to launch China’s communications satellites.

After the successful launch of China’s first DFH-2 communications satellites by Chang Zheng-3, the main mission of the Chang Zheng-4 was shifted to launch sun-synchronous orbit meteorological satellites. On other hand, the Chang Zheng-4B launch vehicle was first introduced in May 1999 and also developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology (SAST), based on the Chang Zheng-4.

The rocket is capable of launching a 2,800 kg satellite into low Earth orbit, developing 2,971 kN at launch. With a mass of 248,470 kg, the CZ-4B is 45.58 meters long and has a diameter of 3.35 meters.

SAST began to develop the Chang Zheng-4B in February 1989. Originally, it was scheduled to be commissioned in 1997, but the first launch didn’t take place until late 1999. The modifications introduced on the Chang Zheng-4B included a larger satellite fairing and the replacement of the original mechanical-electrical control on the Chang Zheng-4 with an electronic control.

Other modifications were an improved telemetry, tracking, control, and self-destruction systems with smaller size and lighter weight; a revised nuzzle design in the second stage for better high-altitude performance; a propellant management system for the second stage to reduce the spare propellant amount, thus increasing the vehicle’s payload capability and a propellant jettison system on the third-stage.

The first stage has a 24.65 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, consuming 183,340 kg of N2O4/UDMH (gross mass of first stage is 193.330 kg). The vehicle is equipped with a YF-21B engine capable of a ground thrust of 2,971 kN and a ground specific impulse of 2,550 Ns/kg. The second stage has a 10.40 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter and 38,326 kg, consuming 35,374 kg of N2O4/UDMH.

The vehicle is equipped with a YF-22B main engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 742 kN and four YF-23B vernier engines with a vacuum thrust of 47.1 kN (specific impulses of 2,922 Ns/kg and 2,834 Ns/kg, respectively).

The third stage has a 4.93 meter length with a 2.9 meter diameter, consuming 12,814 kg of N2O4/UDMH. Having a gross mass of 14,560 kg, it is equipped with a YF-40 engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 100.8 kN and a specific impulse in vacuum of 2,971 Ns/kg.

The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center:

Situated in the Kelan County on the northwest part of the Shanxi Province, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC) is also known by the Wuzhai designation. It is used mainly for polar launches (meteorological, Earth resources and scientific satellites).

The center is at an altitude of 1400-1900m above sea level, and is surrounded by mountains to the east, south and north, with the Yellow River to its west. The annual average temperature is 4-10 degrees C, with maximum of 28 degrees C in summer and minimum of -39 degrees C in winter.

TSLC is suitable for launching a range of satellites, especially for low earth and sun-synchronous orbit missions. The center has state-of-the-art facilities for launch vehicle and spacecraft testing, preparation, launch and in-flight tracking and safety control, as well as for orbit predictions.

(Images via ChinaNews.cn).

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Fighting For Liberty:

Although Liberty is less known than the Falcon 9/Dragon combination – a duo that have already launched into space – ATK are pushing forward at a pace to bring their commercial crew transportation system into the running for returning the US’ domestic launch capability, lost after the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet.

Currently working with NASA via an unfunded Space Act Agreement (SAA) – as opposed to being funded by the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) process – the pressure is firmly on the shoulders of all the suitors interested in transporting Americans to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to produce an attractive package of hardware and schedules, pressure that has been increased, due to some political wishes to downselect to a single NASA partner.

When the Liberty launch vehicle was announced, it was noted the rocket would be capable of launching most of the spacecraft put forward for commercial LEO operations. However, it lacked a commitment from one of the other commercial companies, unlike the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V, a vehicle that has since been confirmed as the rocket of choice for SNC’s Dream Chaser, Boeing’s CST-100 and initially Blue Origin’s spacecraft.

Now the game has changed again, with ATK announcing it has found a spacecraft to pair up with Liberty, a capsule that is literally part of what is now a complete transportation system. That capsule is their own spacecraft, thus the entire stack will be known as Liberty.

This complete system, including the spacecraft, launch abort system, launch vehicle, and ground and mission operations, is being designed from inception to meet NASA’s human-rating requirements.

Liberty will hit the ground running, with the schedule showing the first of potentially several test flights will begin in 2014, launching from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) with L2 information (L2 Link) claiming the test flights will take place from Pad 39B on a modified Mobile Launch Platform (MLP). As such, the test version of Liberty will be the first vehicle to launch from KSC since Atlantis rode uphill on STS-135.

The full scale Liberty is currently designed to launch off the former Ares I Mobile Launcher (ML). However, that has since been repurposed for use with the Space Launch System (SLS), meaning Liberty will either require an additional ML or a redesigned MLP from the former Space Shuttle Program (SSP).

In 2015, Liberty is scheduled to make its debut crew flight, a schedule ATK claim will support crewed missions for NASA and other potential customers by 2016, with a price-per-seat that is projected to be lower than the cost on the Russian Soyuz rocket.

Liberty – First Stage:

KSC will be no stranger to the first stage of the Liberty launch vehicle, given it utilizes a Solid Rocket Booster (or Motor in this scenario), a key element of Shuttle heritage, bar its additional muscle of being a five segment, as opposed to a four segment, motor.

(Image taken from the amazing 220mb super slow-mo DM-3 Five Seg Motor Ground Test Video – available in L2 – LINK).

With the appearance of an Ares I – given it works on the same aerodynamic design principle – the first stage is the same design that was tested during the DM-3 test in Utah, and is the same motor that will initially provide the bulk of the lift-off power for the SLS, with two five segment boosters set to debut with the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV) in 2017.

“Our goal in providing Liberty is to build the safest and most robust system that provides the shortest time to operation using tested and proven human-rated components,” said Kent Rominger, vice president and program manager for Liberty.

“Liberty will give the U.S. a new launch capability with a robust business case and a schedule that we expect will have us flying crews in just three years, ending our dependence on Russia.

“Liberty will enable a successful commercial space program and result in a globally competitive capability that America doesn’t have today. This program is changing the way we do business and can also result in a positive change to government programs.”

During the Constellation Program, the five segment motor was observed as suffering from the phenomenon of Thrust Oscillation (TO) during the Ares I development process – requiring additional hardware to “dampen” the effects on the crew riding atop of the vehicle.

However, the DM ground tests – and their vast array of instrumentation, aimed at gathering more detailed data on RSRM (Reusable Solid Rocket Motor) behaviour during the first stage of launch, on the final shuttle missions – have proven TO to be less than expected.

Notably, the Liberty Upper Stage is also a different design when compared to the Ares I Upper Stage, further decoupling the potential TO effects, especially as TO was heavily related to the Ares I stack in the configuration with the Orion crew vehicle.

Liberty – Upper Stage:

Liberty’s Upper Stage is the Core Stage (EPC) of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle used by Arianespace, which will be supplied under contract with EADS/Astrium North America.

The latest generation of the Ariane 5 is based on an evolution of the Vulcain engine that powers the cryogenic core stage. This evolution, called Vulcain 2, provides an increased thrust through an overall mixture ratio and liquid oxygen mass flow increase.

The EPC stage is 5.4 m in diameter and 31 m long on the Ariane 5. It is powered by one Vulcain 2 engine that burns liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2) stored in two tanks separated with a common bulkhead. The LO2 tank is pressurized by gaseous helium and the LH2 one by a part of gaseous hydrogen coming from the regenerative circuit.

The Vulcain 2 engine develops 1390 kN maximum thrust in vacuum. Its nozzle is gimballed for pitch and yaw control.

The engine is turbopump-fed and regeneratively cooled. The thrust chamber is fed by two independent turbopumps using a single gas generator. A cluster of GH2 thrusters are used for roll control. The engine utilizes two turbo-pumps, driven by a gas generator, and sports a GHe pressurization system for the LOX tank and GH2 for LH2 tank.

Ignition of the engine is obtained by pyrotechnic igniters and occurs nine seconds before lift-off in order to check that’s it’s functioning properly. It is understood that this core stage on the Liberty Upper Stage can be air-started, as would be required during its role with Liberty.

“Astrium is proud to be part of the ATK Liberty team and to provide our proven  second stage, which is powered by the Vulcain 2 engine, as an integral part of this exciting next-generation launch system,” said John Schumacher, CEO of Astrium in North America, an EADS North America company.

“Initially, we will ship the second stage to the Kennedy Space Center where it will be integrated by the skilled workforce there. However, once Liberty’s business base is established in the U.S. market, we envisage Liberty upper stage manufacturing in the United States.”

The configuration of a solid first stage and liquid second stage lowers the likelihood of failure, claimed ATK, and enables a flight path with total abort coverage, maximizing survival for the crew in the unlikely event of an anomaly requiring an abort.

Liberty’s performance of 44,500 pounds to LEO enables the system to launch both crew and cargo and also serve non-crewed markets including ISS cargo up and down mass, commercial space station servicing, US government satellite launch, and future endeavors.

Liberty – Crew Capsule:

In announcing the Liberty spacecraft confirmation as part of the final design package, ATK claim their design leverages design work performed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) on the composite crew module and launch abort system, for which ATK was a contractor, and also the service module design work performed by NASA Glenn Research Center.

Although its birth fell under the radar, ATK provided details on this spacecraft back in 2009, as the company delivered a full-scale, crew module structure made of composite materials to NASA for structural testing.

The Composite Crew Module (CCM) is a unique capsule design that has the potential to reduce the overall weight of future manned launch vehicles, a unique design in that it was specifically built to resemble a space capsule.  

Full-scale structural testing was performed at NASA LaRC to determine the strength and viability of the composite structure. During the destructive testing, the CCM was placed under load conditions similar to those observed during launch, on-orbit, landing, and abort scenarios.

Led by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), ATK was part of a team of NASA and industry experts who designed and fabricated the CCM to demonstrate how composite materials could be used to develop a pressurized space capsule.

Constructed in two primary sections, the upper and lower shells are joined together with a splice joint and cured using out-of-autoclave technology.  The bonding of the composite assemblies and integration of metal hardware were achieved by combining existing technology and ATK’s innovative manufacturing processes.

“We believe that no other offering can match Liberty’s safety, spacious spacecraft, customer service and performance,” Mr Rominger added. “These traits enable the Liberty business to provide the best commercial space flight experience.”

Liberty – MLAS:

Although only referenced by name in ATK’s release on the Liberty announcement, the Max Abort Launch System – or MLAS (named after Maxime (Max) Faget) – is another element from the cancelled Constellation Program.

Although it was never publicly admitted, this system was often mentioned by sources as a potential solution towards a growing movement associated with cancelling Ares I and human rating the Ares V, as the Constellation Program began to falter.

It also had the backing of then-NASA administrator Mike Griffin, which would not have come as a surprise, given MLAS was an evolution of two of the original three LAS concepts studied by Constellation, one of which made the LAS trade study in 2007 via a rather amusing hand-drawn sketch, created in 2006.

The MLAS concept combines the boost protection cover of the service module mounted escape system with the command module mounted motors, in turn reducing the overall height of the vehicle – something desired by the Ares V HR advocates, who were worried about being able to stack and rollout the vehicle – with a LAS tower – under the height restrictions of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) doors.

The MLAS utilizes a ‘bullet’ boost protection cover over the capsule to house four Mk 70 Terrier solid motors separation motors – as opposed to locating them on a tower above the capsule.

Two orientation parachutes are attached to the top of the fairing to re-orient the vehicle, with the blunt heat shield to aid in fairing separation.

The design resulted in the aborting vehicle re-orienting immediately after abort motor cut off during a pad abort, but would fly with its nose “into the wind” on a mid-altitude abort. The orientation parachutes would then activate quickly before the fairing separation.

In the event of a high altitude abort, the fairing would come off immediately, in order to allow the Command Module Reaction Control System (RCS) to stabilize the vehicle for entry.

The design of MLAS changed several times during its development, gaining fins for stability during later cycles, becoming more in line with another hand drawn sketch.

This time the artist was former Constellation head Scott “Doc” Horowitz – as seen in the second of two MLAS presentations acquired by L2 (Link to Presentations) – over a year after Mr Griffin’s conceptual design.

The final version of the MLAS flight test vehicle weighed in at over 45,000 lbs and was over 33 feet tall – and this vehicle actually got to fly for real, after being shipped to Wallops for its one and only hop off the ground.

The pad abort test proper began seven seconds after burnout of some specially attached solid motors, as the vehicle rose into the Virginia morning sky at 6:25am local time on July 8, 2009.

Video of the launch showed a perfect test, as the vehicle rose on a stable flight path, before reorientation and further stabilization, followed by crew module simulator separation from the MLAS fairing, and parachute recovery of the crew module simulator.

Other tests were planned for MLAS, including a high altitude abort = which will involve the fairing being released immediately after abort is called, in order to allow the Command Module Reaction Control System (RCS) to stabilize the vehicle for entry. However, the program was put on the backburner, as the Constellation Program found itself cancelled.

It is not yet known if the Liberty program will carry out further MLAS tests, given NASA’s exploration effort relating to the system is now over – with the Space Launch System (SLS) that will launch Orion set to use the previously chosen Line Tandem Tractor (Tower) design as its LAS.

Liberty – Jobs:

Liberty’s announcement also noted its industry base, a key selling point in this post-Shuttle era where thousands of skilled engineers lost their jobs. As such, the ATK release claimed the Liberty system would sustain thousands of jobs across the United States including Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

Citing the system’s “low remaining development cost” will accelerate the time to market, in turn meeting NASA’s requirements, the system will provide a quicker return on investment to outside entities

One of the major players in Liberty – Lockheed Martin – is providing crew interface systems design, subsystem selection, assembly, integration and mission operations support for the Liberty spacecraft. These subsystems could include avionics, guidance navigation and control, propulsion systems, environmental control system, docking system and other components.

“Combining Lockheed Martin’s and ATK’s decades of human spaceflight experience to create the Liberty space vehicle will help ensure America’s crew access to the International Space Station – sooner rather than later,” said Scott Norris, Lockheed Martin Lead, Liberty Program.

“We look forward to our role supporting Liberty as it delivers on a highly-effective cost solution for NASA crew and for commercial missions.”

Continuing to work under the ongoing SAA, as part – albeit unfunded – of the CCDev-2 program, the team has successfully completed four milestones. The next major milestone is a structural test of the second stage tank, to be conducted at Astrium in June.

“Working with the NASA team under the SAA has provided significant benefit to the development of the Liberty crew transportation system,” added Mr Rominger.

The Liberty team will be working with NASA centers to further leverage lessons learned, engineering expertise test, launch facilities and mission operations, including Kennedy, Johnson, Marshall, Langley, Glenn, Ames and Stennis.

Additional subcontractors for Liberty include Safran/Snecma, which provides the Vulcain 2 engine; Safran/Labinal, which provides second stage wiring; L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics, which provides first stage, abort and telemetry system avionics, as well as second stage telemetry and abort system integration prior to launch at KSC; and Moog Inc, which provides thrust vector control and propulsion control.

(Images: Via L2, NASA, Arianespace and ATK)  (NSF and L2 are providing full transition level coverage, available no where else on the internet, from Orion and SLS to ISS and COTS/CRS/CCDEV, to European and Russian vehicles. 

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EFT-1 Vehicle Preparations:

The 2014 Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1) is a required element of the Orion’s development roadmap, as the vehicle prepares for a life of deep space exploration.

Less than two years away from its flight atop of a Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle, the actual Orion that will fly is deep into construction and will soon make the trip from the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida for outfitting.

The work at MAF mainly revolves around the main welds on major hardware pieces on the crew module structure, such as the barrel and bulkhead, meaning the EFT-1 Orion is yet to look like the vehicle that will fly into space.

However, the welds are a major milestone in the new vehicle’s construction practises, not least because it was put together using the innovative self-reacting friction stir weld process created collaboratively by NASA and Lockheed Martin.

Updating the latest work completed on the EFT-1 Orion, the barrel-to-aft-bulkhead weld and the aft bulkhead cap weld have now been finalized. The team also started the non-destructive evaluation (NDE) process and preliminary visual inspections, so as to ensure there are no flaws in the vehicle’s structure.

The remaining welds to complete the crew module structure include the tunnel to forward bulkhead weld, the forward bulkhead to cone weld, and the final closeout weld joining the cone section to the barrel. This will complete MAF’s work on the vehicle, allowing for the shipping of the EFT-1 Orion to KSC in June.

Click here for Orion articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/orion/

Once at KSC, Orion will take up residency inside the famous Operations and Checkout (O&C) building for final assembly and outfitting.

The vehicle will also meet its Pathfinder cousin, following its arrival from testing at Lockheed Martin’s Denver facility.

The pathfinder vehicle travelled more than 1,800 miles from Lockheed Martin’s Waterton Facility, where it successfully completed a series of rigorous acoustic, modal and vibration tests that simulated launch and spaceflight environments.

The ground test vehicle – or GTA (Ground Test Article) – will now be used for path finding operations at the O&C, in preparation for the Orion spaceflight test vehicle’s arrival this summer.

EFT-1 JSC Preparations:

Marking the national effort taking place in preparing for the EFT-1 flight, Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) teams are already conducting simulations and training exercises inside the Shuttle Flight Control Room (FCR) – the first operations-level work to take place inside the “White FCR” since the landing of Atlantis to conclude the final shuttle mission (STS-135) last year.

As previously reported, the test flight will be controlled by a joint NASA MOD and Lockheed Martin team, as the Delta IV Heavy – and the the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage (DCSS) – loft the Orion to an altitude of more than 3,600 miles, the furthest a vehicle – designed for human space travel – has gone into space since the Apollo era.

Orion will return home at a speed almost 5,000 miles per hour faster than that endured by the Space Shuttle orbiters, providing a crucial test of the vehicle’s Thermal Protection System (TPS) – critical data that will be fed into the milestone of Orion’s Critical Design Review (CDR), which is currently set for April, 2015.

ISS Ground Controller Bill Foster – who is involved with the EFT-1 preparations at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) – recently updated the status of work taking place inside the FCR during an ISS Update segment on NASA TV.

“The room that we used to support shuttle from is primarily being used for testing, but it will come back into a mission support mode in 2014 when we do the EFT-1 flight,” noted Mr Foster. who’s GC role is also sometimes referred to as the “Gatekeeper” of mission control operations. “Right now we’re working with Lockheed Martin, who is the company building the Orion capsule and who are managing all of the flights for NASA.”

While the FCR will still have a similar appearance as it did during shuttle missions, the EFT-1 mission will be run via a different front end processor, requiring team members to acquaint themselves with the commercial application.

“We’re trying to do it at the lowest cost possible, because there’s not a lot of budget right now, so we’re going to use a lot of the same systems we used to support shuttle. However, we are using a commercial front end processor, a commercial application from Harris Corporation, called Comet,” added Mr Foster.

“One of the things the GC’s are doing is we’re trying to understand how to operate that, it’s different to what we’ve done in the past, so we’re holding weekly data flows in the White FCR, where we’re learning how to operate the system, how to flow data, how to run simulations.

“As we get a little closer to the mission we’re going to be doing end-to-end testing with an Orion test rig up in Denver and also with the Orion capsule when it moves to KSC. It’ll be in the O&C building for several months, so we’ll flow data between here and KSC.”

During this testing period, controllers in the FCR will be “building” their displays, in order to have the right suite of information on the vehicle’s status, ahead of the real mission.

Notably, views of the White FCR’s big displays at the front of the room have been showing EFT-1 style data content, although that is yet to be in sync with data from any real Orion hardware at this stage. Instead the data is being fed from a simulator built into the workstations, providing basic onboard status during different mission phases.

“We like to put that up (the EFT-1 graphics on the big screens) to give a bit of a flavor of what we’re doing,” added Mr Foster.

“The more familiar we are with what the mission profile is, the the better we are going to be to support it.”

(Images: Via NASA, NASA TV and L2). L2′s new Orion and Future Spacecraft specific L2 section includes, presentations, videos, graphics and internal updates on Orion and other future spacecraft.

(L2 is – as it has been for the past several years – providing full exclusive future vehicle coverage, available no where else on the internet. To join L2, click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/)

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Like the first satellite, launched on August 24th, 2010, the new satellite will be used for mapping using stereo-topographic techniques from orbit.

The Tianhui-1 (Sky drawing) satellites - built by the Hangtian Dongfanghong Weixing Corporation and established by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) - are equipped with a three-dimensional survey camera and a CCD camera with a ground resolution of 5 meters, spectral region of 0.51μm to 0.69μm, and with a camera angle of 25 degrees. 

A multi-spectrum camera – with a ground resolution of 10 meters, and spectral region of 0.43μm to 0.52μm, 0.52μm to 0.61μm, 0.61μm to 0.69μm, and 0.76μm to 0.90μm - was also be aboard. The cameras form an image of 60 kilometres wide.

The satellites operate on a 500 km circular orbit and are equipped with two deployable solar panels for energy generation that is stored on onboard batteries.

The Tianhui-1 satellites are part of the Ziyuan program that cover different civil and military earth observation as well as remote sensing programs. The Ziyuan-1 program is focused on Earth resources and looks to have two distinct military and civil branches (this one being operated together with Brazil).

The satellites are operated jointly by the Center for Earth Operation and Digital Earth (CEODE) and the Brazilian INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais National Institute of Space Research).

The Ziyuan-2 program is understood to be used for aerial surveillance, operated by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), while the Ziyuan-3 series will be used for stereo mapping (like the TH-1 Tianhui-1 mapping satellites that are operated by the PLA).

Ziyuan-3 satellites are operated by the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping. There have also been indications that the development of Tianhui-1 program was merged with the Ziyuan-3 project planned for launch in 2011.

The Chang Zheng-2D launch vehicle is a two-stage rocket developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. With storable propellants is mainly used to launch a variety of low earth orbit satellites.

The CZ-2D can launch a 3,500kg cargo in a 200 km circular orbit. Its first stage is the same of the CZ-4 Chang Zheng-4. The second stage is based on CZ-4 second stage with an improved equipment bay. Lift-off mass is 232,250 kg, total length 41,056 meters, diameter 3.35 meters and fairing length 6.983 meters.

The first stage has a 27.910 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, consuming 183,200 kg of N2O4/UDMH (launch mass of the first stage is 192,700 kg). Equipped with a YF-21C engine capable of a ground thrust of 2,961.6 kN and a ground specific impulse of 2,550 m/s. Burn time is 170 seconds.

The second stage has a 10.9 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, launch mass of 39,550 kg and consuming 45,550 kg of N2O4 / UDMH. Equipped with a YF-24C cluster engine with a main engine vacuum thrust of 742.04 kN and a vernier engine with a vacuum thrust of 47.1 kN (specific impulses of 2,942 m/s and 2,834 m/s, respectively).

The CZ-2D can utilize two types of payload fairing, depending of the cargo. Type A fairing has a 2.90 meters diameter (total launch vehicle length is 37.728 meters) and Type B fairing with a diameter of 3.35 meters (total launch vehicle length is 41.056 meters).

The first launch of the CZ-2D was on August 9, 1992 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center orbiting the Fanhui Shei Weixing FSW-2-1 (22072 1992-051A) recoverable satellite.

This launch was the 161st Chinese successful orbital launch and the 161st launch of a Chang Zheng launch vehicle, being also the 52nd orbital launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. This was also the first orbital launch from Jiuquan this year and the sixth Chinese orbital launch in 2012.

The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in Ejin-Banner, a county in Alashan League of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was the first Chinese satellite launch center and is also known as the Shuang Cheng Tze launch center.

The site includes a Technical Centre, two Launch Complexes, Mission Command and Control Centre, Launch Control Centre, propellant fuelling systems, tracking and communication systems, gas supply systems, weather forecast systems, and logistic support systems. Jiuquan was originally used to launch scientific and recoverable satellites into medium or low earth orbits at high inclinations. It is also the place from where all the Chinese manned missions are launched.

Presently, only the LC-43 launch complex, also known by South Launch Site (SLS) is in use. This launch complex is equipped with two launch pads: 921 and 603. Launch pad 921 is used for the manned program for the launch of the CZ-2F Chang Zheng-2F launch vehicle (Shenzhou and Tiangong). The 603 launch pad is used for unmanned orbital launches by the CZ-2C Chang Zheng-2C, CZ-2D Chang Zheng-2D and CZ-4C Chang Zheng-2C launch vehicles.

The first orbital launch took place on April 24, 1970 when a Chang Zheng-1 rocket launched the first Chinese satellite, the Dong Fang Hong-1 (04382 1970-034A).

The road to Shenzhou-9:

On May 5, the China Academy of Launch Technology (CALT) plant conducted the delivery ceremony for the Chang Zheng-2F launch vehicle that will be used for the launch of SZ-9 Shenzhou-9 manned mission.

The rocket passed a readiness review on April 11, allowing for the different launcher components to be sent by rail to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center where the manned SZ-9 capsule is already being prepared for launch after arriving on April 9.

Shenzhou-9 launch is now expected to take place at the end of June or in the first days of July. The Shenzhou-9 should be the first manned docking on the Chinese space program.

Also, on the subject of the crew, the ltest statements from CALT confirms the presence of the first Chinese taikonauta female on board. The name of Liu Yang has been posted for the main SZ-9 crew, as much as this is still lacking official confirmation.

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Latest launch delay:

The new slip to Dragon’s launch on the COTS-2+ (C2+) mission, known in the ISS manifest as the SpX-D mission, is the latest in a series of slips, first from February 7, to late March, to April 30, to May 7, and now to May 19.

“SpaceX and NASA are nearing completion of the software assurance process, and SpaceX is submitting a request to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for a May 19th launch target with a backup on May 22nd,” noted the SpaceX release relating to the latest slip. ”Thus far, no issues have been uncovered during this process, but with a mission of this complexity we want to be extremely diligent.”

NASA followed with a statement by William Gerstenmaier, Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD): “After additional reviews and discussions between the SpaceX and NASA teams, we are in a position to proceed toward this important launch. The teamwork provided by these teams is phenomenal. There are a few remaining open items but we are ready to support SpaceX for its new launch date of May 19.”

The “open items”, which caused the slip from May 7, relate to ongoing software testing on the exceedingly complex Dragon capsule, which includes sophisticated on-board intelligence that allows Dragon to fly itself to the ISS without a human pilot aboard.

This latest slip however can also be partly attributed to the ISS flight manifest itself, with Dragon now being bumped to after the launch of a new crew to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

While the latest delay will allow for more much-needed testing of the Dragon spacecraft’s complex software, it also serves to “deconflict” the Dragon mission from the planned May 15 (May 14, US time) launch of the Soyuz TMA-04M/30S spacecraft and its May 17 docking to the ISS, carrying three new members of the station’s Expedition 31 crew.

Such schedule conflicts are not a new issue for the ISS, which sees a constant busy manifest of comings and goings of international crew and cargo vehicles, all of which must find their own non-overlapping place in the manifest, in addition to constraints such as high solar beta angles, and their own individual available launch dates and range conflict issues.

While it is understood that SpaceX, who were previously targeting May 7 for Dragon’s launch, would have preferred to launch on May 10 rather than the May 19, that date presented a problem for NASA mission planners due to its close proximity to the Soyuz TMA-04M launch, free-flight and docking.

This is due to the fact that if Dragon had launched on May 10, its berthing to the ISS would have come on May 13 – only one day prior to the May 14 (US time) launch of the Soyuz TMA-04M. This would have left only one day of mission extension time available should problems have arisen during Dragon’s rendezvous with the ISS, before the Dragon and Soyuz missions were both “on top of each other”, so to speak.

Additionally, since the C2+ mission only has launch windows available every three days – an issue related to the high propellant load for this mission, and not expected to be a feature of future Dragon missions – if the launch had been scrubbed on May 10, Dragon would have been unable to launch three days later on May 13, since this would also have put Dragon’s free-flight period “on top of” Soyuz TMA-04M’s free flight period.

NASA prefers not to have two ISS Visiting Vehicle (VV) flights occur simultaneously, due to issues such as use of communications assets, three-body rendezvous operations, and workload by ground controllers.

As such, SpaceX will now attempt to launch in the first available launch window after the May 17 docking of the Soyuz TMA-04M – which is Saturday May 19, at 4:55 AM EDT/8:55 AM GMT, marking the first ever night launch of a Falcon 9 rocket.

Assuming an on-time launch in the instantaneous launch window, Dragon would conduct the Flight Day-3 (FD-3) fly-under of the ISS on Monday May 21, for a FD-4 berthing with the ISS on Tuesday May 22. A two-week stay at the ISS would then mean an unberthing of Dragon on or around June 5, with re-entry and landing a short time later, dependant on Pacific Ocean landing site lighting (SpaceX would prefer a daylight Dragon landing).

The new launch date also means Dragon will arrive at the ISS with a six-person crew aboard the station, following the May 17 docking of Soyuz TMA-04M with Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka (who was aboard the ISS for the first arrival of Japan’s HTV in September 2009) and Sergey Revin, along with NASA astronaut Joe Acaba.

If Dragon had launched prior to Soyuz TMA-04M, the capture would have occurred with the three-person crew aboard the ISS, with the capture being performed by the only available USOS (United States Orbital Segment) crewmembers at that time – Don Pettit of NASA and André Kuipers of ESA.

It is not known at this time whether the arrival of USOS crewmember Joe Acaba on Soyuz TMA-04M will affect this plan, since both Pettit and Kuipers have been training together on the Dragon capture for the past few weeks, and thus are more proficient.

Click here for other Dragon News Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/dragon/

Future Dragon launch outlook:

If Dragon does not launch on the May 19, the next available launch date would be May 22. Additional launch opportunities are understood to be available through to the end of May, whereupon a solar beta angle cutout period occurs for ten days from June 3 through June 13, during which time ISS spacecraft launches and free-flights are prohibited.

Solar beta angle cutouts are periods of time where the beta angle of the Sun relative to the ISS (and any free-flying spacecraft in the ISS’ orbit) is high, meaning the Sun effectively shines on the ISS and other vehicles side-on.

This can cause issues for free-flying ISS Visiting Vehicles (VVs) related to solar array power generation, since, unlike the ISS, the solar arrays on VVs do not have beta rotation capability, meaning they cannot rotate to face the side-on Sun, and thus cannot receive enough sunlight to generate adequate power.

The free-flying spacecraft cannot orient themselves to face the Sun with their thrusters, since this would preclude them from being in the correct attitude to conduct rendezvous burns with the ISS, and could also cause thermal issues due to permanent shadowing of certain parts of the spacecraft.

Solar beta angles are not a concern for VVs that are docked or berthed to the ISS, since they can receive adequate power from the ISS via power jumpers connected through the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) vestibule or docking mechanism interface.

Click here for ISS News Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/iss/

Although the solar beta angle cutout doesn’t occur until June 3, Dragon’s last launch opportunity would be around the end of May, since, if Dragon launches between the end of May and June 3, its free-flight period would occur in the beta angle cutout period, and would also leave no margin for a mission extension in the free flight period.

After the beta angle cutout period ends on June 13, Dragon would have launch opportunities on June 13 and June 16, however June 19 would not be available since an Atlas V takes the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) range for its June 18 launch of NROL-38, with a few days being needed before and after that date to reconfigure the range from Falcon 9, to Atlas V, and back to Falcon 9 again.

Additional C2+ launch opportunities are understood to be available following the Atlas V launch, however on June 28 a Delta IV takes the range for the NROL-15 launch.

Looking ahead to July, the ISS flight manifest starts to present some problems for Dragon, due to the fact that the Soyuz TMA-03M undocks and lands on July 1 with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, US astronaut Don Pettit, and ESA astronaut André Kuipers. This would leave only one USOS crewmember aboard the ISS (Joe Acaba), precluding a Dragon capture from occurring since a minimum of two USOS crewmembers are needed for any VV captures.

The USOS crew won’t be bumped back up until the July 17 docking of the Soyuz TMA-05M/31S, carrying Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchanko, American astronaut Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide – the latter two of whom are USOS crewmembers.

However, following the July 17 docking of Soyuz TMA-05M, the next issue for Dragon is the July 21 launch of Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicle-3 (HTV-3), leaving insufficient time for Dragon to launch and berth with the ISS between the 17th and 21st of July. HTV-3 will berth to the ISS on July 27, meaning Dragon will not be able to launch before then in order to avoid conflicts with the HTV-3 free flight period.

Once HTV-3 arrives at the ISS, it will occupy the berthing port planned for use by Dragon – Node 2 Nadir. Another free berthing port is available at Node 2 Zenith, however this would require HTV-3 to be relocated from Node 2 Nadir to Node 2 Zenith, as was done with HTV-2 prior to STS-133 in February, 2011.

In order to have the required reach to install a VV onto Node 2 Zenith, the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) must be based on the Mobile Base System (MBS) – however the SSRMS is unable to reach the VV capture point 30ft below the station from the MBS, since for that duty, it must be based on the Node 2 Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF).

This means that it is impossible for the SSRMS to install a captured VV directly onto Node 2 Zenith, since an SSRMS base change from the Node 2 PDGF to the MBS, to provide the required SSRMS reach to the Node 2 Zenith port, would not be possible if a VV were grappled by one end of the SSRMS (both ends of the SSRMS must be free to perform a base change).

This means that all VVs must first be installed onto Node 2 Nadir, and await an SSRMS base change from the Node 2 PDGF to the MBS, prior to being relocated to Node 2 Zenith.

Thus, an HTV-3 relocation to Node 2 Zenith, in order to free up the Node 2 Nadir port for Dragon, would not take place until at least a few days following HTV-3′s arrival at the ISS on July 27. Dragon would not be able to launch prior to an HTV-3 relocation, since a successful relocation would be a Launch Commit Criteria (LCC) for Dragon.

Additionally, Progress M-15M will undock on July 30, followed on 1st August by the Progress M-16M launch and docking on a special fast rendezvous profile. This all adds up to mean that Dragon would be very unlikely to launch to the ISS in the month of July, instead being pushed into August.

August, however, is another busy month on the ISS, complicated by a solar beta angle cutout period from August 3 to August 10, leaving insufficient time for Dragon to launch and arrive at the ISS between August 1 and August 3. An Atlas V with NASA’s RBSP mission also has the CCAFS range on August 23.

On ISS, the HTV-3 will be unberthed and released from the ISS on August 27, meaning if it had been relocated to Node 2 Zenith, it would have to be relocated back to Node 2 Nadir in the days prior to 27th.  This is because, as aforementioned, the SSRMS cannot reach the VV capture point (also the release point) from the MBS, and so HTV-3 would first need to be relocated from Node 2 Zenith to Node 2 Nadir, await an SSRMS base change, prior to being unberthed and released from Node 2 Nadir.

Additionally, ISS Russian EVA-31 is planned for August 21, with the possibility for US EVA-18 in the August timeframe also. HTV-3 Exposed Pallet (EP) extraction and associated robotics operations could also complicate the picture by requiring HTV-3 to remain at Node 2 Nadir, and would also tie up use of the SSRMS required for the Dragon capture.

As such, any Dragon mission in the August timeframe would have to launch after the solar beta cutout period on August 10, and be complete a few days prior to the HTV-3 release on the August 27, in order to allow time for an SSRMS base change and HTV-3 relocation to Node 2 Nadir prior to HTV-3 being released. This would leave insufficient time to complete the planned 17 day C2+ mission, and preclude any C2+ mission extension due to on-orbit problems.

If Dragon waited until after HTV-3 was released on the August 27 in order to launch, it would likely again be delayed by the 3rd of September departure of the Europe’s Automated Transfer Vehicle-3 (ATV-3) from the ISS.

The ISS schedule would then come open for Dragon after September 3, with the next ISS flight event being the September 17 departure of Soyuz TMA-04M (which would still leave two USOS crewmembers on ISS), and with the CCAFS range free until September 20, whereupon it will go to a Delta IV for the launch of GPS II-F-3.

In summary, if Dragon does not launch between its current planned date of May 19 and late May, it will have a short window between 13th and 16th of June, another window in mid-to-late June, following which the very busy ISS flight manifest could push Dragon into the September timeframe.

While the above schedules are all notional and could be affected by delays to individual vehicles, or be re-worked in support of the C2+ mission, they show the immense challenges associated with scheduling VV missions to the ISS, with a whole fleet of international and soon commercial vehicles all needing to find their own space in the ISS manifest, in addition to their own unique launch date and range challenges.

(Images: L2′s SpaceX Dragon C2/C3 Mission Special Section – Containing exclusive presentations, videos, images, high level internal and interactive updates, plus much more, with additional images via NASA, NASA TV, JAXA and SpaceX). 

(Click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/ - to view how you can access the best space flight content on the entire internet).

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