Screenshot from SpaceX/NASA of CRS-30 on SLC-40. When Astronauts leans back, they see this
Mission Rundown: SpaceX Falcon 9 - CRS-30
Written: March 23, 2023
Back to good ‘old’ Pad 40
Dragon CRS-2 SpX-30 (CRS-30) is a Commercial Resupply Service mission that flew to the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX was awarded missions by NASA until 2026. The CRS-30 is launched on a Falcon 9 using booster B1080-6 and Cargo Dragon, C209-4.
Three different vehicles from three different entities have the capability to carry cargo to the ISS. Northrup Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft launched by NASA, ROSCOSMOS’s Soyuz Progress spacecraft, and SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon spacecraft, which is the only one of the three launch systems with a cargo return capability.
NGA on CRS-30 flight path from SLC-40. Orange dots is B1080-6 ballistic crash area if RTLS fails
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on March 21, 2023 at 16:55:09 EDT - 20:55:09 UTC from Space Launch Complex 40, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
CRS-30 was the 10th flight for SpaceX under NASA’s CRS Phase 2 contract and SpaceX’s 27th launch in 2024. CRS-30 are carrying ~2,700 kg (~6,000 lb) of food, hardware, science instruments and research projects.
Dragon C209-4 separated from the second stage of the Falcon 9 at ~T+12 min. After that, it performed a series of thruster firings to adjust its orbit and reach the ISS. The spacecraft docked at ISS some ~34 hours later, on March 23, at 07:19 EDT - 11:19:58 UTC.
Dragon autonomously docked to the ISS’ Harmony module’s Space-facing zenit port. Upon Dragon’s arrival, the crew will proceed with unloading the cargo.
After the stage separation, the second stage continues into orbit, B1080-6 will conduct a 50 second long ‘Boost Back Burn’ in order to do a ‘return to launch site’ - RTLS maneuver where the forward speed will be reduced from 6500 km/h plus to minus 1700 km/h.
Then a second atmospheric re-entry burn lasting only 12 seconds will be followed by a third and final 22 second landing burn in order to touch down softly on LZ-1.
B1080-6 will have made its sixth flight after launching its next mission:
B1080-6 didn’t perform a static fire test prior to its March 9 east coast launch out of Cape Canaveral. SpaceX has omitted this safety precaution many times on low risk missions. It is not required to perform a static fire test in house missions like Starlink. Other SpaceX customers have willingly omitted the static fire test.
The Cargo Dragon mission
Dragon C209-4 autonomously docked to the ISS Harmony module after soft capture Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 07:19 EDT - 11:19:58 UTC.
Soft capture is the first contact between the spacecraft and the space station. A “soft” capture ring hooks to its counterpart on the docking port and slowly retracts to bring in Dragon for hard capture. Just 12 minutes later a hard capture was confirmed after the 12 hooks secured the spacecraft to the International Space Station.
After leak checks and pressurization of the vestibule (the small space between station and Dragon), the hatch to C209-4 was opened granting the crew access to the cargo inside.
Dragon C209-4 will spend 35 days at the ISS and will depart in late April. After that, the spacecraft will travel back to Earth and will splash down under parachutes off the coast of Florida, returning valuable research and cargo to Earth.
The CRS 2 contract employs SpaceX’s Dragon 2 spacecraft now on its 30th mission to the International Space Station , as the Dragon 1 spacecraft was retired at the end of the initial extended CRS 1 contract after 19 CRS missions plus the COTS 2+ visit to ISS. CRS-7 was destroyed mid-flight by a loose COPV in the second stage.
Since the maiden flight of DM-1, Dragon 2 has had 26 flights of which 13 were crewed.
Dragon C209-4 can double as an extra space science laboratory where 4 experiments will share power, downlink data streams and data storage from Dragon C209-4 internal supply. One experiment could be moved from its current home on ISS to its new location on Dragon C209-4, where it could join up to 3 already installed experiments.
The redesign of Cargo Dragon Capsules will extend ISS ability to conduct experiments, and it seems ISS is due for an extension with an extra laboratory module some time soon.
Dragon research payloads
Cargo Dragon C209-4 are carrying science experiments and technology demonstrations.
The more than 6,000 pounds (2.700 kilograms) of payloads onboard Cargo Dragon include food, supplies, and equipment for the crew of the ISS.
Riding along are more than 40 science investigations to be conducted on the orbiting laboratory for NASA and its research partners. These include new sensors that will enable the Astrobee free-flying robots to map the environment around them in 3D as a forerunner for wider situational awareness applications.
The science onboard also includes a study of plant metabolism in space, the measurement of sea ice and wave heights using reflectometry, and the creation of nanoparticle solar cells to improve solar cell efficiency.
The astronauts aboard the ISS have been accompanied by the cube-shaped Astrobee robots named Honey, Queen, and Bumble since early 2019. These free-flying robots are approximately 32 centimeters wide and are modular so that they can be upgraded, enabling researchers to perform a wide range of experiments inside the Station.
Astrobees have recently been involved in experiments such as a grappling demonstration back in January which observed how an Astrobee might propel itself around the Station using its perching arm rather than propellant.
This month’s experiment will provide an Astrobee with additional sensors that will enable it to create 3D maps of the interior of the Station as it moves around using a multi-resolution scanner (MRS). Data is combined from multiple sensors, adding redundancy. Stereo vision cameras are complemented by multiple different sensor types that combine to generate accurate trajectory data and high-resolution 3D information. These will also provide deeper insight into how the Astrobee moves around in 3D space.
The technology being tested is intended to add automation to a variety of situational awareness scenarios where robots would be able to sense their environment and conduct precise maneuvers in response to it. Potential applications include caretaking on future spacecraft, monitoring and operating the systems with little to no human occupancy – such as on the planned lunar Gateway station, or in autonomous vehicles that might be sent to other celestial bodies.
The same technology could enable autonomous inspection or maintenance of spacecraft and it is hoped the experiment will also inform ways to improve robotic explorers that are sent into the harshest environments here on Earth.
The MRS was developed by the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation in partnership with Boeing, integrating technology from their mining and robotics teams. The MRS was tested and certified at NASA’s Ames Research Center.
A separate experiment will be observing photosynthesis for future bio-regenerative life support systems.
The C4 Photosynthesis in Space Advanced Plant Experiment-09 (APEX-09) experiment will examine how the mechanism of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in two types of grasses is affected by microgravity and other space flight stressors.
Understanding the molecular changes in plants exposed to this environment would lead to a deeper understanding of photosynthesis in space and inform the design of future bio-regenerative support systems. Plants are expected to play a part in longer deep space exploration missions as part of the life support architecture and as a food source.
An additional science experiment onboard intends to improve solar cell efficiency by precisely arranging nanoparticles in space. The study will review the concentration and interaction of nanoparticles and microparticles within an electrical field in microgravity and how these relate to changes in their shape and charge.
NASA has partnered with students in higher education to develop “Nano Particle Haloing Suspension” hardware for this investigation which will use charged nanoparticles to enable precise particle arrangements. The researchers hope that advances can be made in the production of solar cells synthesized with quantum dots – tiny spheres of semiconductor material with the potential to convert sunlight into energy much more efficiently.
Inside Dragon’s trunk resides the Pump Module Assembly, which will be kept as a spare on orbit. This piece of equipment, if put into operation, will be used to cool electrical systems on the outside of the Station. After Dragon docks to the ISS, the Canadarm2 robotic arm will be used to remove the assembly from the trunk and place it into its storage location on the outside of the Station.
There are a number of CubeSats aboard CRS-30, including four for NASA’s ELaNa 51 mission and three Canadian satellites.
Killick-1 is one of the Canadian spacecrafts. Using Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R), the 2U Killick-1 will measure sea ice and wave height to improve climate models and monitor ocean phenomena. GNSS-R measures satellite signals reflected from the Earth’s surface and will inform our knowledge of climate change, surface winds, and storm surges.
Over 100 undergraduate and graduate engineering students at Memorial University in Canada have participated in Killick-1, a Canadian Space Agency project developed by C-CORE. C-CORE is a company specializing in remote sensing and geotechnical engineering solutions.
The Killick-1 CubeSat is a low-cost, energy-efficient, and light in mass – potentially leading to cheaper solutions that could monitor and collect data on our oceans in the future.
All these research experiments can range from NASA-funded experiments to private companies and universities. If you’d like to learn more, reach out or explore NASA’s website and the ISS National Lab. And the daily ISS Blog.
Where to land the Dragon?
Seven hazard areas for Dragon C209-4 - Recovery Location LZ 1-7 available - LZ ? is chosen
Things yet to happen. So be patient.
The opportunity for CRS-30 to return to Earth has been determined; it departed from ISS from airlock IDA-3, now known as the space facing ‘zenit’ airlock.
The CRS-30 Cargo Dragon spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station at 18:05:51 EDT - 22:05:51 UTC on April 28, 2023 to begin its journey home.
More than 1950 kg - 4,300 pounds of scientific cargo is heading back to Earth. At the time of undocking the station was about 418 Km - 260 miles above southwest of Chile.
After re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will make a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Florida on Friday, December 22. NASA will not broadcast the splashdown, but updates will be posted on the agency’s space station blog.
NASA’s SpaceX CRS-30 mission is targeting a splash down on Earth no earlier than 12:33 EDT - 17:33 UTC on April 30, 2023 near Tallahassee, Florida.
The Cargo Dragon spacecraft will aim for a splashdown at one of seven targeted landing zones in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.
Recovery ship Shannon will be heading to LZ-3 near Tallahassee to retrieve a wet toasty Dragon
CRS-30 will after the trunk is jettisoned have performed its deorbit burn at 12:03 EST - 17:03 UTC and have closed the nose hatch cover. Then CRS-30 will reorient itself with its heat shield forward and enter the Earth's atmosphere.
The drogue parachutes will deploy four minutes before splashdown at about ~18,000 feet − 5,5 Km in altitude while Freedom is moving ~350 miles per hour − 563 Km/h, and less than a minute later, the main parachutes deploy at ~6,000 feet − 1,8 Km in altitude while the spacecraft is moving ~119 miles per hour − 191 Km/h.
If shown, the infrared camera view in the ‘Splashdown’ video time 1:16:47 at ‘frame four’ will show a clock in the top right corner displaying 21/04/24 - 09:45:00.060 UTC. That is useful in calculating the actual splashdown time to the second.
Actual splashdown time on ‘Splashdown’ video time was 1:19:25 equal to 09:47:38 UTC which was found by adding 2 minutes 38 seconds to the infrared camera clock.
For normal crew rescue and recovery operations, the NASA and SpaceX teams select two primary splashdown locations from the seven possible locations about two weeks prior to return, with additional decision milestones taking place prior to crew boarding the spacecraft, during free flight, and before the Cargo Dragon performs a deorbit burn.
NASA and SpaceX coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard to establish a 10-nautical-mile safety zone around the expected splashdown location to ensure safety for the public and for those involved in the recovery operations, as well as the cargo aboard the returning CRS-30 spacecraft.
Teams on the recovery ship Shannon, including two fast boats, will be securing CRS-30 Cargo Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist the Cargo Dragon onto the main deck of the ship.
Once on the main deck, the important and time-sensitive research samples will be taken out of the spacecraft before a helicopter ride back to Cape Canaveral.
Things yet to happen. So be patient.
The discarded Dragon trunk from the CRS-30 mission, jettisoned on December 23, was in a 230 x 397 km x 51.6 deg orbit. It’s very, very slowly deorbiting by itself.
It deorbited 222 days later at 08:50 UTC July 10 over Arizona and New Mexico. Source
The low apogee of 252 km in this orbit is a contributing factor in deorbiting the Dragon trunk section fast. It is after all a BIG barrel or dustbin, so maybe it should be rebuilt as a space debris hunter gatherer collecting space junk.
The Cargo Dragon 2
Dragon capsule C208 during processing at SpaceX HQ in Hawthorne prior to CRS-21 mission
Cargo Dragon is essentially a Crew Dragon, without an abort system, so it has all of the upgrades from Crew Dragon. Most importantly, Dragon 2 is designed to be reused up to 5 times, with a turnaround time of under 6 months, which is significantly lower than Dragon One; Dragon One’s fastest turnaround time was 418 days, with most turnaround times being significantly longer.
Dragon 1 was unable to dock with the International Space Station. Meaning that Dragon 1 would hold a position away from the ISS. In this position the Canadarm would capture the spacecraft, and attaching it to the ISS. This is called berthing.
CRS-30 will mark the 22nd autonomous docking to the ISS that SpaceX has completed: DM-1, DM-2, Crew-1, CRS-21, Crew-2, CRS-22, CRS-23, Crew-3, CRS-24, Axiom 1, Crew-4, CRS-25, Crew-5, CRS-26, Crew-6, Axiom 2, CRS-27, CRS-28, Crew-7, CRS-29, Axiom 2, Crew-8 and now CRS-30. Inspiration4 was a free flying spacecraft doing its own private mission in space.
Based on a G. DE CHIARA drawing of DM-2, there are now cargo and measurement sticks inserted by me; the side section has been split to separate the capsule and the trunk.
Cargo Dragon 2’s trunk is also different from Dragon 1 and Crew Dragon 2, that has its solar panels integrated onto its trunk, while Dragon 1 had a deployable solar array from its trunk. However, Crew Dragon 2 is equipped with 4 fins, which are used for aerodynamic control during ascent. Cargo Dragon 2’s trunk only has 2 fins with solar cells.
Externally, Cargo Dragon 2 differs from its crewed counterpart, lacking windows and the SuperDragon abort system. The differences between Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon are derived from the fact that Cargo Dragon is not required to have launch escape capability.
Crew Dragon is fitted with eight SpaceX-developed SuperDraco engines, located in four, twin engine clusters around the outside of the capsule, which are there to pull the capsule and its crew to safety away from a Falcon 9 in the event of a catastrophic failure during fueling or launch as seen in the inflight abort mission.
Since Cargo Dragon does not carry crew, the spacecraft does not have to carry those systems; therefore the SuperDracos have been removed from the Cargo Dragon capsule giving a mass reduction that allows for additional cargo to be carried to ISS.
Cargo Dragon 2 also lacks most of the life support and onboard control systems present on Crew Dragon that are needed for humans. Instead, it carries minimal support systems to ensure conditions are kept acceptable for hatch opening on the Station and ISS Crew ingress to the vehicle.
Cargo Dragon 2 is also significantly more massive, with a dry mass of ~12,000 kg. With this mass increase Dragon 2 is able to carry ~50% more science to the ISS than Dragon 1. Because of this, missions can stay docked to the ISS for up to 3 months, rather than the one month that CRS-21 stayed docked.
Dragon 2’s nose cone is also significantly different as it opens instead of being jettisoned on ascent. It is protecting the docking mechanism.
At a press conference after Crew-1, Gwynne Shotwell said SpaceX is expecting to have a fleet of 8 dragons: 5 Crew Dragons and 3 Cargo Dragons. This will allow SpaceX to conduct up to 25 crewed missions and 15 resupply missions.
This resupply mission CRS-30 doesn't carry too much mass to deny a Return To Launch Site (RTLS) landing on LZ-1 by the Falcon 9 first stage.
Usually, the first stage — with Crew Dragon and/or Cargo Dragon — makes use of the two drone ships ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’ and ‘Just Read The Instruction’ stationed in Port Canaveral for booster landing and recovery in the Atlantic Ocean.
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