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Victor Glover, the only person without a previous spaceflight on this mission, enthused: \u201cToday we flew here in a plane, but the plan is to leave on a rocket.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, and Soichi Noguchi (left to right). (Credit: NASA)<\/p>\n
Soichi Noguchi, reflecting on his third space flight on his third vehicle said, \u201cPrime Crew at KSC, that\u2019s the best part.\u201d<\/p>\n
Originally scheduled for 31 October, the mission was delayed 15 days to allow SpaceX to work out the problems with its Merlin engine which powers the Falcon 9. The engine suffered a problem with its gas generators during the first launch attempt for the GPS III SV04 mission in early October, initiating an auto-shutdown sequence at T-2 seconds.<\/p>\n
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Hans Koenigsmann, Vice President of Build and Flight Reliability at SpaceX later said that sensors detected an unusual pressure rise in gas generators on two Merlin engines. \u201cWhen we looked at the data, we saw that two of the engines attempted to start early, and the auto abort prevented that. By doing that, it prevented a possible hard start that could have been damaging to the engine hardware.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Merlin engine is powered by RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen, one of the oldest-used mixtures in the aerospace industry. To ignite the engine, a green-colored compound known as TEA-TEB (triethylaluminium-triethylborane) is used. TEA-TEB is a pyrophoric mixture, meaning it combusts in exposure to air.<\/p>\n
Koenigsmann added, \u201cYou need to introduce these liquids in the right order. If you do this in the wrong order, or if you happen to throw in the liquid oxygen and the RP-1 and the igniter fluid, then what would happen is\u2026 we call it a hard start. A hard start would rattle the engine in most cases but could cause damage. So in general, you don\u2019t want that. You want a good startup.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we see the pressure rise too early, then we know the liquid is in there, and it shouldn\u2019t be there,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd software in the engine controller then stops the whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Hans Koenigsmann, Vice President of Build and Flight Reliability at SpaceX later said that sensors detected an unusual pressure rise in gas generators on two Merlin engines. \u201cWhen we looked at the data, we saw that two of the engines attempted to start early, and the auto abort prevented that. By doing that, it prevented a possible hard start that could have been damaging to the engine hardware.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Merlin engine is powered by RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen, one of the oldest-used mixtures in the aerospace industry. To ignite the engine, a green-colored compound known as TEA-TEB (triethylaluminium-triethylborane) is used. TEA-TEB is a pyrophoric mixture, meaning it combusts in exposure to air.<\/p>\n
Koenigsmann added, \u201cYou need to introduce these liquids in the right order. If you do this in the wrong order, or if you happen to throw in the liquid oxygen and the RP-1 and the igniter fluid, then what would happen is\u2026 we call it a hard start. A hard start would rattle the engine in most cases but could cause damage. So in general, you don\u2019t want that. You want a good startup.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we see the pressure rise too early, then we know the liquid is in there, and it shouldn\u2019t be there,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd software in the engine controller then stops the whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n