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[cameron]

SpaceX Stream: CRS-12 Launch Webcast
NASA Stream: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwMDvPCGeE0

Mission Overview via the Press Kit:

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon spacecraft to low-Earth orbit to deliver critical cargo to and from the International Space Station for NASA.

SpaceX is targeting launch of its twelfth Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-12) from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The instantaneous launch window is on Monday, August 14 at 12:31 p.m. EDT, or 16:31 UTC.

Dragon will separate from Falcon 9’s second stage about 10 minutes after liftoff and attach to the space station on August 16.

Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will attempt to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Notable cargo, WSJ: SpaceX Cargo Mission Demonstrates Increasing Research on Space Station

Biological experiments include one sponsored by the foundation set up by actor Michael J. Fox, targeting potential genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease. Eli Lilly Co. is testing whether freeze-drying pharmaceuticals can prolong their shelf life, and a Boeing Co. scientist is delving into how roundworm genes react to prolonged radiation exposure.

A Florida State University team is part of a multi-university experiment using rodents to explore human health problems—particularly degradation of eyesight—during prolonged space voyages. Astronauts stand to benefit the most initially, but Michael Delp, one of the principal researchers, told reporters there could be longer-term benefits for patients with various eye diseases.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. , as reported earlier, is sending the first commercial supercomputer outside the atmosphere. And U.S. Army researchers will dissect the performance of a tactical, super-flexible surveillance satellite intended to beam images to troops on the ground within two minutes of receiving a request.

WSJ: Hewlett Packard Enterprise to Send Supercomputer to Space

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. is reaching for the stars, as the first commercial supercomputer is scheduled to be sent into space Monday for a yearlong experiment that could help make possible an eventual mission to Mars.

Destined for the international space station, the “Spaceborne Computer” is part of a yearlong experiment with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to see if a computing system can withstand space’s harsh conditions—such as extreme temperature changes and radiation exposure—without needing to be specially manufactured.

We decided on a year because it’s about how long it takes to get to Mars,” said Dr. Eng Lim Goh, vice president and chief technology officer at HPE’s Silicon Graphics International unit. A full simulation would take about five years to include the return journey and a three-year stay on the red planet.

Today, most of the heavy-duty computing calculations and data analysis are still run on Earth-based computers, which is fine for astronaut trips to the moon or on the international space station. But it can take up to 26 minutes to get a return signal from Earth to Mars, which may take too long in a situation where there is a system failure and astronauts need to run data analysis or a simulation to figure out the best course of action.

Earth’s atmosphere protects computers from the effects of radiation. But in space, a gradual accumulation of radiation can degrade the performance of integrated circuits until they start to run hotter, drain the battery and then fail. In other instances, random high-energy particles can cause glitches, erase data or even destroy hardware.

Typically, computers sent to space are specially manufactured or “hardened” so that the hardware can physically withstand higher levels of radiation.

Weather remains 70% GO for tomorrow's 12:31pm ET launch of @SpaceX #Dragon carrying science/cargo to @Space_Station: http://go.nasa.gov/2fCAPoR

— NASA‏ (@NASA) Aug 13, 2017​

 

[HellBlazer]

For once, I remembered there was a launch today. Looking forward to watching it live!

 

[Volimar]

Looks like a packed shipment. Best of luck to em.

 

[cameron]

~1 hour until Falcon 9 launch of Dragon for its twelfth resupply mission to the @Space_Station.

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) Aug 14, 2017​

It’s launch day! We have tons (literally) of science & cargo headed to @Space_Station at 12:31pm ET. Details: http://go.nasa.gov/2hZxocs

— NASA‏ (@NASA) Aug 14, 2017​

Weather forecast improves to 80% chance of go conditions for 12:31p EDT (1631 GMT) launch of Falcon 9 rocket. Watch: https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/08/14/spacex-crs-12-mission-status-center/ …

— Spaceflight Now‏ (@SpaceflightNow) Aug 14, 2017​

 

[Sectorseven]

How big is a "supercomputer," because my first thought is a mainframe, and I don't see that fitting on the ISS?

 

[cameron]

How big is a "supercomputer," because my first thought is a mainframe, and I don't see that fitting on the ISS?

Pic:

There's an ethernet port on the top right, to get a sense of the scale. It's a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computer with some mods.

The Spaceborne Computer includes the HPE Apollo 40 class systems with a high speed HPC interconnect running an open-source Linux operating system. Though there are no hardware modifications to these components, we created a unique water-cooled enclosure for the hardware and developed purpose-built system software to address the environmental constraints and reliability requirements of supercomputing in space. Generally, in order for NASA to approve computers for space, the equipment needs to be “ruggedized” – or hardened to withstand the conditions in space. Think radiation, solar flares, subatomic particles, micrometeoroids, unstable electrical power, irregular cooling. This physical hardening takes time, money and adds weight, so HPE took a different approach to “harden” the systems with software. HPE’s system software will manage real time throttling of the computer systems based on current conditions and can mitigate environmentally induced errors. Even without traditional ruggedizing, the system still passed at least 146 safety tests and certifications in order to be NASA-approved for space.

https://news.hpe.com/hewlett-packar...ter-into-space-to-accelerate-mission-to-mars/

 

[HellBlazer]

Webcast is on.

 

[CyclopsRock]

This is the first flight of the Block 4 Falcon 9 - the penultimate version of the F9.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Watching now!

 

[HellBlazer]

This is the first flight of the Block 4 Falcon 9 - the penultimate version of the F9.

What has changed in this version?

 

[CyclopsRock]

What has changed in this version?

"Just" uprated engine thrust, though the last launch also had the Block 4 upper stage on it. It also had new grid fins so I guess you could class all of that stuff as Block 4 (and because this is the first to have all the new elements, it's the first classed as a proper Block 4). SpaceX never usually come out and say what it was that changed, though sometimes they'll talk about it later in interviews or Elon will tweet something as though we should already have known it.

 

[cameron]

Yay!

 

[Vincent Alexander]

What the crap! I missed takeoff! I had earbud in and it was dead quiet for minutes. Suddenly sound kicked in, I went to tab, and it was in air already.

 

[Lach]

That view of the first stage turning and starting the boostback was beautiful!

 

[giant_frying_pan]

They're making it look easy.

 

[Mindlog]

That camera work is outstanding. Oscar please.

 

[cameron]

Lovely.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

Yeah they've got this down now. Was this a new or re-used rocket?

 

[Damaniel]

Nearly dead center on the platform too.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

Holy cow, that was awesome.

 

[CyclopsRock]

Yeah they've got this down now. Was this a new or re-used rocket?

New - it had some new stuff in it.

 

[Chronology]

Damn, kind of incredible to see one of those things land.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

New - it had some new stuff in it.

Thanks. I probably should head to reddit space and read up.

 

[HellBlazer]

Pretty much dead center. GG EZ.

Yeah they've got this down now. Was this a new or re-used rocket?

New. I think the next re-used rocket launch will be the next SES mission, late next month.

 

[rezn0r]

so awesome

 

[drowsy]

The angle of attack on the first stage coming down surprised me, I always figured that it came down much straighter.

 

[belushy]

Man I want to see the Falcon heavy

 

[Vincent Alexander]

"Dragon deploying solar wings"

Awesome

 

[The_Inquisitor]

The angle of attack on the first stage coming down surprised me, I always figured that it came down much straighter.

Pretty sure it would be thermally destroyed and/or come down too fast. Remember how the shuttle used to return.

 

[CyclopsRock]

The angle of attack on the first stage coming down surprised me, I always figured that it came down much straighter.

I'm not sure if they have more leeway now that they have a solid track record, but I know when they were first trying it they were forced to come in over the sea and then jerk back over to the landing zone just before they hit the deck, lest they lose control and it came crashing down over land.

 

[mrklaw]

The angle of attack on the first stage coming down surprised me, I always figured that it came down much straighter.

same, looked like it might break up. I guess they do that to present a larger cross section to the atmosphere and slow it down?

 

[mckmas8808]

Missed the whole thing!