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Up Close view of SpaceX
Cargo Dragon and mobile cleanroom as
technicians work towards addition of CRS-17 mission late load science items as the SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket rests horizontal on Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
in Florida. The CRS-17 cargo ship is now
slated for liftoff May 3, 2019 at 3:11 a.m. EDT. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA and SpaceX officials confirmed today that launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) is on track for a spectacular ‘middle-of-the-night liftoff less than 12 hours from now Wednesday, May 3, after finally fixing an electrical power problem caused by a failed power distribution component earlier this morning, May 2, that had curtailed power and operations at the orbiting lab complex.
At today’s prelaunch briefing at the Kennedy Space Center, Kenny Todd, NASA’s space station operations and integration manager, reported that the ISS was now ready to support the SpaceX launch after ground controllers at JSC were able to successfully swap out of the failed Main Bus Switching Unit 3 (MBSU) power distribution unit using the stations robotic arm and restore full power.
The failed Main Bus Switching Unit 3 (MBSU) was unable to distribute power to two of the eight power channels on the station since it malfunctioned Monday morning, forcing a two day launch delay.
Thus technically the Falcon 9 is ready to go but a threatening storm system is heading towards the Florida Space Coast at this moment and could well derail the launch plans.
SpaceX and NASA are now targeting 3:11 a.m. EDT (0711 GMT) Friday, May 3 for the Falcon 9 rocket launch of the unpiloted Dragon CRS-17 cargo ship from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida bound for the ISS with almost 3 tons of science and supplies.
Enjoy our Space UpClose photos of the Falcon 9 and Cargo Dragon resting horizontal at pad 40.
NASA TV will broadcast the launch and capture activities live.
You can watch live on NASA TV and the agency’s website starting at 2:45 a.m. EDT May 3 - at www.nasatv.gov www.nasatv.gov and https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive
SpaceX also broadcasts a live webcast starting 15 min before liftoff: spacex.com/webcast
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Up Close view of SpaceX
Cargo Dragon and mobile cleanroom as
technicians work towards addition of CRS-17 mission late load science items as the SpaceX Falcon 9
rocket rests horizontal on Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
in Florida. The CRS-17 cargo ship is now
slated for liftoff May 3, 2019 at 3:11 a.m. EDT. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The back up launch date is May 4 in case of a delay for technical or weather reasons.
Unfortunately, the weather outlook is not promising.
Air Force weather forecasters with the 45th Space Wing predict only a 40% chance of favorable conditions at launch time.
The primary concerns are cumulus clouds, thick clouds, and precipitation as the Falcon 9 ascends to orbit.
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The countdown clock at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
highlighting the SpaceX Dragon CRS-17 resupply mission logo to the ISS on May 2
under gloomy skies beside the US Flag - with liftoff slated for May 3, 2019 at 3:11 a.m. EDT. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The mission is also very exciting because it will also feature the 1st ever droneship landing that should be easily visible occurring just a few miles offshore of the Florida Space Coast beaches – following an emergency approval granted last week by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The Dragon CRS-17 cargo freighter will carry over 2.7 tons of science experiments, research gear, crew supplies and hardware to the orbiting laboratory to support the Expedition 59 and 60 crews for the 17th mission under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.
“The Expedition 59 crew will welcome Dragon when it
arrives …. carrying nearly 5,500 pounds
of cargo.”
Canadian Astronaut David Saint-Jacques “will be at the controls
of the robotics workstation … commanding
the Canadarm2
to capture Dragon” whenever it does arrive. A launch Friday translates to a
Sunday May 5 arrival.
This Dragon is refurbished and recycled and previously flew on the prior CRS- 12 mission to the station in Aug. 2017.
This Dragon is refurbished and recycled and previously flew on the prior CRS- 12 mission to the station in Aug. 2017.
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SpaceX Dragon CRS-17 mission truck carrying two
payloads including NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3
(OCO-3) and the U.S. military’s Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6) payloads.
Credit: NASA
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The 20-foot
high, 12-foot-diameter Dragon CRS-16 vessel is jam packed with more than 5500 pounds (2500 kilograms) of science
experiments, research hardware, space parts, food water, clothing and more supplies
for the six person Expedition 59 and 60 crews.
The science payload alone amounts to 1601 pounds, 726 kg -
including the two unpressurized cargo payload carried up in the truck and to be
mounted externally: namely NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) which will measure
levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere during its planned 3 year mission and the Space Test Program-Houston 6 (STP-H6).
Overall the CRS-17 manifest includes:
Total Cargo: 5,472 pounds / 2,482 kilograms
Total Pressurized Cargo with Packaging: 3,344
pounds / 1,517 kilograms
Unpressurized Payloads: 2,128 pounds / 965 kilograms
Unpressurized Payloads: 2,128 pounds / 965 kilograms
Crew Supplies 745 pounds / 338 kilograms
Science Investigations 1,601 pounds / 726
kilograms
Vehicle Hardware 787 pounds / 357 kilograms
Spacewalk Equipment 22 pounds / 10 kilograms
Computer Resources 165 pounds / 75 kilograms
Russian Hardware 24 pounds / 11 kilograms
Unpressurized Payloads 2,128 pounds / 965
kilograms
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SpaceX conducts successful daytime static fire test of new Falcon
9 first stage engines at 10 a.m. EDT on April 27 with exhaust wafting overhead at
Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for CRS-17 resupply
mission to the ISS targeted for launch May 3, 2019 - NASA KSC picturesque Vehicle
Assembly Building (VAB) seen nearby at left.
Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Check out my exclusive Space UpClose eyewitness photos captured about 13 miles away this morning in Titusville, Fl – with NASAs iconic and picturesque Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) seen nearby in the scene.
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the
KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about
space topics.
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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Ken’s upcoming outreach events:
Learn more about the upcoming/recent SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-17 launch to ISS, Falcon Heavy, SpaceX Demo-1 launch/test failure, SpaceX Beresheet launch, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, Northrop Grumman Antares, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:
May 2/3/4: “SpaceX Falcon 9 CRS-17 resupply launch to ISS, Demo-1, Beresheet launches, SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9, ULA, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Ultima Thule and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
Ken’s upcoming outreach events:
Learn more about the upcoming/recent SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-17 launch to ISS, Falcon Heavy, SpaceX Demo-1 launch/test failure, SpaceX Beresheet launch, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, Northrop Grumman Antares, SpySats and more at Ken’s upcoming outreach events at Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL, evenings:
May 2/3/4: “SpaceX Falcon 9 CRS-17 resupply launch to ISS, Demo-1, Beresheet launches, SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches, upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9, ULA, NRO & USAF Spysats, SLS, Orion, Boeing and SpaceX Commercial crew capsules, OSIRIS-Rex, InSight Mars lander, Curiosity and Opportunity explore Mars, NH at Pluto, Ultima Thule and more,” Kennedy Space Center Quality Inn, Titusville, FL, evenings. Photos for sale
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SpaceX CRS-17 mission Pre-launch
briefing Derrol Nail, KSC PAO,
Kenny Todd, manager, International Space Station Operations and Integration,
NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Hans Koenigsmann, VP Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX,
Will Ulrich – launch weather officer, 45th Space Wing – at NASA’s Kennedy Space
Center press site on 2 May 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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CRS-17 mission patch
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