SpaceX’s New Crew Capsule Aces Space Station Docking

KTLA ^

[BenLurkin]

While SpaceX has sent plenty of cargo Dragons to the space station, crew Dragon is a different beast. It docked autonomously under the station astronauts’ watchful eyes, instead of relying on the station’s robot arm for berthing. The capsule’s nose cap was wide open like a dragon’s mouth, to expose the docking mechanism. Behnken said that’s the way it should work when he and Hurley are on board; they may push a button or two and will have the ability to intervene, if necessary.

As part of Sunday’s shakedown, the station astronauts sent commands for the Dragon to retreat and then move forward again, before the capsule closed in for good. SpaceX employees at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California, cheered and applauded as crew Dragon pulled up and docked at the orbiting lab, nearly 260 miles (400 kilometers) above the Pacific, north of New Zealand. They burst into applause again, several minutes later, when the Dragon’s latches were tightly secured.

The capsule’s lone passenger for launch — a mannequin wearing a white SpaceX spacesuit — remained strapped into its seat as the station’s U.S., Canadian and Russian crew removed supplies. The test dummy — or Smarty as SpaceX likes to call it, given all the instrumentation — is named Ripley after the lead character in the science-fiction “Alien” films.

Dragon will remain at the space station until Friday, when it undocks and aims for a splashdown in the Atlantic, a couple hundred miles off the Florida coast. Like Ripley, the capsule is rigged with sensors to measure noise, vibration and stresses, and to monitor the life-support, propulsion and other critical systems throughout the flight.

[pfflier]

The thruster and attitude jets burn yellow in space. I wonder what propellants they are using.

We used Monomethyl Hydrazine (MMH) and Nitrogen Tetroxide (NO4) and videos of those hypergolics were a bluish white in space.

[Kickass Conservative]

There was a thread here last week saying that Tesla just paid off a $900 Million Dollar Bond and they have 1.5 Billion Cash on hand.

They are also now selling a Base Model 3 for $35,000 and they are closing most Brick and Mortar Stores and moving to Online Sales to cut costs.

I guess we will see how that goes for them in the long run.

[Moonman62]

You’re the one who needs to give it a rest. Your original comment is misplaced on a SpaceX thread.

There are fairly new Tesla threads here on FR containing the latest news where you can post your incorrect and negative claims. And even if they were true, they have no impact on SpaceX.

[fireman15]

Tesla Stock dropped approximately 8% on Friday. I lost a lot of money over the years because I listened to people like you. I just don’t want to see other people make the same mistakes that I did. Tesla is on a dangerous and predictable path downward. They have been trying to wriggle out of it, but with every move they make the noose has been tightening. Anyone who dares buy a car whose manufacturer is in this type of situation is foolish,

https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/tesla-extends-declines-after-35-000-model-3-unveiling-raises-q1-profit-quesions-14882812?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO&yptr=yahoo

[rlmorel]

"...Now, if we can keep NASA from “helping..."

From your mouth to my ears.

[Moonman62]

I just don’t want to see other people make the same mistakes that I did.

...

Then please post it on a Tesla thread. This thread is about great news for SpaceX and our country.

[beef]

Teslas have great technology, but they are prone to lots of little problems which are very expensive to fix. Tesla is hostile toward DIYers. Used prices indicate that they depreciate rapidly. Insurance is expensive. And all this is what their fanboys on Youtube say. I considered buying a used one, but after some research I decided that would be a huge mistake.

[fireman15]

My original post said in my first post on this thread, “I hope that Tesla’s volatile situation has no carryover effect on SpaceX.”

And I am sorry but that was my first thought when I read the article. You are the one forcing a rehash of things we have discussed previously. If you didn't want to discuss these topics again you would have been wiser to let my concern slide.

I have said many times before that Elon Musk is a visionary on basically all of these threads. The challenges that Tesla Motors is facing are mostly because other car companies jumping on the bandwagon, the disadvantages of batteries as an energy storage medium vs gasoline and diesel, the government pulling most of the tax incentives, and the realities of the equity market. Elon Musk is fighting an uphill battle. More power to him.

[freedumb2003]

>>If your Tesla is stolen, does it become an Edison?<<

Well played, my FRiend. Well played :)

[fireman15]

Teslas have great technology, but they are prone to lots of little problems which are very expensive to fix. Tesla is hostile toward DIYers.

I have been a DIYer with alternative energy projects since I was a kid. I put together my own electric bicycle. I built generators with my bicycle, built my own electric motors and adapted other types of electric motors for various projects.

Maybe it is a reflection of Elon Musk's desire to be thought of as a technological wizard that causes the car manufacturer to design a product that they do not want consumers to be able to service themselves... I do not know. They do have some amazing technologies incorporated and the designs are beautiful. But the basics are still the basics... thousands of small rechargeable lithium ion cells powering multi-poled permanent magnet motors with controllers that create a rotating magnetic field. Those basics have been around a long time and cannot be patented to keep out competitors, so if and when the market is right a lot of manufacturers will continue to jump into the fold and the margins will be very competitive.

The only problem with this is Tesla Motors is currently still priced in the market as a technology company with vastly increasing sales and profits expected.

I love this Canadian kid's videos and it reminds me of the types of projects that I used to spend a lot of time working on:

https://youtu.be/IKqy3rRWJQE

[fella]

"Now, if we can keep NASA from “helping”."

NASA is still concentrating on the Obama mandated islamic outreach. They're busy transferring data to islamic nations with ICBM space programs.

[Moonman62]

You are the one forcing a rehash of things we have discussed previously. If you didn’t want to discuss these topics again you would have been wiser to let my concern slide.

...

Now you are blaming me for things you shouldn’t have done.

Let people consider that before taking your claims seriously.

[fireman15]

Let people consider that before taking your claims seriously.

I am no expert. People don't need to take my concerns seriously; all they need to do is look up the 8% loss in the value of Tesla Motors on Friday for themselves and read what other people say caused it. Most of them are not as nice as I am.

[beef]

I’ve seen that video before. What a great project!

I think one of the reasons they don’t like DIYers is the hazards inherent in such a large battery, and the dearth of common knowledge on how to deal with it safely. Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdDi1haA71Q

But, this should not preclude them from selling you trim pieces and lug nuts, and these are the kinds of issues the guys in the video has encountered. I thought it was illegal for them to refuse to sell you parts, but this seems to be what they do.

[fireman15]

There is a wide range of skill levels when you are talking about diy people. Before I got a job working for a fire department I had a lot of experience working with 3 phase industrial wiring. Even the people I worked with doing that sometimes had a surprising lack of respect for how much power can be transmitted through energized conductors and what that can actually mean.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Here I am! :)

This launch is great news. Hope the return trip goes well.

[motor_racer]

Once again Elon Musk demonstrates that rocket science is way simpler than running a car company

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks fieldmarshaldj. Glad they got 'er done. Glad I didn't watch the process live via stream, or even canned via stream. This has been a long time coming, but the next time I stream a launch live, it'll be the Falcon Heavy ArabSat launch. The FH is the ****, at least for the time being. And the possibility of three propulsive landings out of one launch is going to be the show to beat for the foreseeable. Launch of a live human crew from US soil will be worth a look I think. :^)

Space Updates - Crew Demo, Spaceship Two, Elon Memes | Scott Manley | Published on Feb 23, 2019 | YouTube

Dragon 2 Spacecraft Docks At Space Station | Scott Manley | Published on Mar 3, 2019 | YouTube

[SunkenCiv]

Hydrogen Peroxide, if memory serves, it’s mentioned in one of the Scott Manley videos I just linked above.

[mosesdapoet]

Photos posted in \
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3731500/posts