SpaceX rockets and launches

[rover07]

T - 3 minutes!

 

[Crispy]

Gorgeous weather & sunset for it

 

[Crispy]

T-0 abort >_<

 

[rover07]

WTF!!!

 

[rover07]

Can they try another launch?

 

[Crispy]

Can they try another launch?

EDIT: Hmm, well I thought they'd done it before, but I'm not sure now. Maybe that was with the falcon 1. We'll see what the guy has to say...

 

[rover07]

Did they abort or the engines just didn't fire?

Ah ok.

 

[Crispy]

No, I was right - the very first flight had a 1h15m turnaround from an engines-hot abort to relaunch. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9_Flight_1

 

[Bob_the_lost]

A 65 minute window means they'd have to do better this time around.

 

[Crispy]

A 65 minute window means they'd have to do better this time around.

They've had a fair bit of practice since then

 

[Bob_the_lost]

They've had a fair bit of practice since then

True, but is it really too much to ask that they schedule the windows an hour earlier for those of us in the UK who want to watch?

 

[Crispy]

Well, they're reloading LOX so must be confident

Launch aborted by autosequence due to slower than expected thrust ramp. Seems ok on closer inspection. Cycling countdown.

 

[rover07]

Well, they're reloading LOX so must be confident

They sound very casual too.

'You got enough fuel?'

'Yeah, its good'

 

[Crispy]

right. got it streaming on the ipad and I'm going to bed with headphones

 

[rover07]

Abort.

Better luck tomorrow.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Guess what, we missed it: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/12/03/spacex-3rd-launch-attempt-commercial-satellite/ why does it never work whilst you're watching it?

 

[Crispy]

Here's the first photos of the new grasshopper test vehicle, or the F9R-1 as it's now called. This thing's twice as tall as the first grasshopper, and is almost identical to an actual Falcom 9 first stage. It's also the first time we've seen the actual landing legs attached to the rocket. Note that it's not actually sitting on these legs in these photos, as they're not strong enough to support the vehicle & fuel. When this flies (and you can tell they've already lit the engines, so it can't be far away), it will launch from a support frame, move sideways and land once the fuel tanks are almost empty. Minus the nose cone, this is what we hope to see falling out of the sky 5 minutes after the launch of a real Falcon 9R.

 

[Crispy]

Here's the first stage of the next Falcon 9 rocket (CRS-3 mission to the ISS) showing a flight-spec landing leg. They'll carry on trying to "land" these stages on the ocean until they've got the procedure perfected. Launch is currently scheduled for 16th March, but the launch window is at night so don't expect any amazing pictures/footage of the "landing"

 

[Bob_the_lost]

The March launch is in four days at around 3:50 AM in the UK if my numbers are right. 10:50 PM EDT, March 30th.

http://www.universetoday.com/110326...ry-rocket-legs-and-robonaut-legs-to-march-30/

 

[Crispy]

The March launch is in four days at around 3:50 AM in the UK if my numbers are right. 10:50 PM EDT, March 30th.

http://www.universetoday.com/110326...ry-rocket-legs-and-robonaut-legs-to-march-30/

Nope. A fire at the radar range has delayed all launches from the cape into April.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/03/eastern-range-radar-upcoming-launches/

 

[Crispy]

editor could we rename this thread to "SpaceX rockets and launches" please?

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Nope. A fire at the radar range has delayed all launches from the cape into April.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/03/eastern-range-radar-upcoming-launches/

They should launch anyway, i don't really care if the payload makes it into orbit as long as i get to see the first stage try to land...

 

[Crispy]

They should launch anyway, i don't really care if the payload makes it into orbit as long as i get to see the first stage try to land...

You heard about the rocket they're going to build for mars? A 10 meter diameter tank with 9 methane/oxygen engines, each providing 4,500kN of thrust = 40,500kN, which handily beats the 34,000kN of the Saturn V. And there would be three such cores in the Heavy version. That's a rocket with 3.5x the thrust of the Saturn V. Monstrous. Impossible to launch from the cape, the noise would be too great. Those cores would do flyback recovery too.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

You heard about the rocket they're going to build for mars? A 10 meter diameter tank with 9 methane/oxygen engines, each providing 4,500kN of thrust = 40,500kN, which handily beats the 34,000kN of the Saturn V. And there would be three such cores in the Heavy version. That's a rocket with 3.5x the thrust of the Saturn V. Monstrous. Impossible to launch from the cape, the noise would be too great. Those cores would do flyback recovery too.

Apparently those were at the 'back of fag packet' stage of design so by the time they launch our hearing will probably be gone anyway.

 

[Crispy]

editor could we rename this thread to "SpaceX rockets and launches" please?

Cheers

Today's launch is at 9pm, and will be the first time they've flown a first stage with landing legs.



It will probably be too dark for good photographs of the "landing" attempt on the ocean

 

[rover07]

Launch is at 4.58pm Eastern Time, 9.58pm here.

Wouldn't it still be light on 'landing'?

 

[Limejuice]

Okay, that's this evening's telly sorted.



Man, I love rockets.

 

[rover07]

Launch delayed until Friday.

CRS-3 Update

Today’s launch has been scrubbed due to a Helium leak on Falcon 9’s first stage. A fix will be implemented by the next launch opportunity on Friday April 18, though weather on that date isn’t ideal. Check back here for updates.

 

[2hats]

Launch delayed until Friday.

Targeted for 2025BST so I understand.

 

[Crispy]

Launch is at 4.58pm Eastern Time, 9.58pm here.

Wouldn't it still be light on 'landing'?

Derp, yes of course it will. The night landing was for the scrubbed date last month.

There will be chase planes aplenty, so fingers crossed we'll get some spectacular images.