SpaceX Dragon CRS

[archipeppe]

To celebrate the recent SpaceX tryunph, here it is a brief presentation about the matter.

Enjoy it!!

 

[archipeppe]

Here there are the other slides...

 

[archipeppe]

Last slides.

 

[Michel Van]

fantastic work, Archipeppe !


do i see right, the Dragon has no Service module in the traditional way ?

 

[archipeppe]

fantastic work, Archipeppe !


do i see right, the Dragon has no Service module in the traditional way ?

Thanks a lot Michel, you're always welcomed.

You are right, there is no "service module" in the sense that we tradionally know (Vostok(Voskhod, Gemini, Soyuz, Apollo CSM, Orion etc.) it is a mere connection element between capsule and Falcon 9 second stage.
It houses the solar panels, radiators (TBC), some minor system and unpressurized payload (like the HTV).

Everything is really important, from the thrusters to GNC, is contained within the capsule and returns to Earth.
It is clear that SpaceX people had, from since, in their mind the possibility to re-use the Dragon capsule, otherwise what purpose cold have to recover all those systems that represent a significative weight during the re-entry phase?

 

[Michel Van]

Everything is really important, from the thrusters to GNC, is contained within the capsule and returns to Earth.
It is clear that SpaceX people had, from since, in their mind the possibility to re-use the Dragon capsule, otherwise what purpose cold have to recover all those systems that represent a significative weight during the re-entry phase?

not only the weigh penalty,
also the safety problems on engine malfunction:
like Gemini 8 were a one OAMS truster fired continually, and the crew used the separated RCS as backup.
Or ASTP were from RCS, oxidizer (highly toxic nitrogen tetroxide) leak into Apollo capsule!

but now makes this proposal a sense, to ground land the Dragon with rocket engine,
they want to dump the remaining fuel of RCS and escape system, so why not landing with it ?
i see here disaster coming...

 

[archipeppe]

i see here disaster coming...

Not necessarily Michel...
The idea to land a rocket powered space capsule comes from far, the first came up with such idea were Russians with their Zarya spacecraft (a sort of super-Soyuz) back in 1986.
During the 90's the unlucky DC-X proved that it was possible to land a spacecraft with modulable thrust rockets.


And now both SpaceX and RSC-Energia chose such approach to land both DragonRider and PTK-NP.


I think the parachute era is come to end.

 

[Hobbes]

The Shuttle didn't have a separate service module and brought engines, fuel tanks etc. back down.

The biggest danger to fuel tanks is a meteorite strike, and that's unlikely in the landing phase.

 

[RGClark]

Well done. BTW, where did you get the mass of the Dragon's trunk section? I had been looking for that value.

Bob Clark