SpaceX rockets and launches

[Crispy]

The Orbcomm launch should (finally) happen today. Launch window opens at 14:22 UK time, with a live webcast available here.

They will be attempting another sea "landing" and the weather's much nicer this time. Fingers crossed for good footage

 

[Crispy]

T-0 has been pushed back to the end of the launch window, at 16:44 UK time. Means they've found a problem and are rushing to try and fix it before the window closes. Doesn't look hopeful

 

[Bob_the_lost]

T-0 has been pushed back to the end of the launch window, at 16:44 UK time. Means they've found a problem and are rushing to try and fix it before the window closes. Doesn't look hopeful

 

[Bob_the_lost]

T-0 has been pushed back to the end of the launch window, at 16:44 UK time. Means they've found a problem and are rushing to try and fix it before the window closes. Doesn't look hopeful

New T0 of 16:15 UK time. The webcast has begun.

Edit: T minus 1 minute

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Liftoff!

 

[editor]

Wheee!

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Separation and all looks well. To be honest at this point i no longer give a flying monkey about the comms satelite they're trying to put into orbit. Show me the first stage!

 

[editor]

 

[Crispy]

Bugger, missed it!

 

[editor]

Flying high!

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Bugger, missed it!

You need to spend more time on here - i gave you at least 30 seconds notice.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

And the webcast is over.

 

[Crispy]

Fingers crossed for the 1st stage. Nasa have their WB-57 (actually a copy of an English Electric Canberra from the 50s!) on spotting duty: http://www.flightradar24.com/NASA927/3cff2e3

 

[Bob_the_lost]

As it's topical, and I hadn't seen this version, here's a link to the re-built footage from the first recovery attempt. It's been repaired to an amazing extent.

 

[Crispy]

It's an incredible achievement. Restored by hand, macroblock by macroblock. It's literally advanced the state of the art of MPEG data recovery (and made a lot of people mad at SpaceX for choosing the worst possible encoding scheme for streaming video over an unreliable link).

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Fingers crossed for the 1st stage. Nasa have their WB-57 (actually a copy of an English Electric Canberra from the 50s!) on spotting duty: http://www.flightradar24.com/NASA927/3cff2e3

Looks like it's on its' way home.

 

[Crispy]

Early analysis indicates that they haven't changed a frickin thing about the MPEG compression

 

[Crispy]

But also



Wonder if they got any footage of that

 

[Crispy]

Onboard landing footage:



This time, the reception was perfect. But the camera lens iced up >_<

The next two launches are for geostationary orbits, so there won't be enough residual proellant for another attempt. That will have to wait for the next ISS resupply mission, later in the year. The one after that will be on a "solid surface" which implies some sort of sea-going platform, rather than land.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Iron Man: How'd you solve the icing problem?
Elon Musk: Icing problem?

 

[Crispy]

Another successful launch in the early hours of this morning. They scrubbed but recycled and launched literally in the last minute of the window.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=B9sTMJJggZA#t=10793



Just 22 days between launches, and they've got another one scheduled 20 days from now. They need to maintain this tempo to clear their backlog.

 

[Crispy]

Horrible shakycam recording off a projection screen, but CHECK THIS SHIT OUT!



2hats Bob_the_lost editor

Oh and they've just confirmed the selection of Boca Chica, Texas as the site for their private launch complex. This means that within a few years they will have 4 working pads. SLC-4 at Vandenburg Airforce Base, Boca Chica, LC-40 at Cape Canaveral Airforce Base, and LC-39A at Kennedy Space Centre (one of the old shuttle pads)

 

[Bob_the_lost]

. Very indeed

According to my reading the next flight isn't going to try to land but the one scheduled for September 18th is going to try another water landing. October may bring a solid ground landing attempt...

 

[Crispy]

Official release of the footage.



Very cool indeed

 

[Bob_the_lost]

There's an enhanced contrast version of the last few seconds here: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=35410.0

It's really amazing just how steady it looked.

 

[Crispy]

And now stabilised:

 

[Crispy]

They pushed the F9R-1 really hard, it encountered an "anomaly" and triggered the self-destruct. Boom!



They make it look easy, but this shit is hard.

 

[MikeMcc]

Shit happens on all big projects, it's just a lot more spectacular when it involves a few hundred tons of explosive fuels...

The system started fine and the automatic safeties appear to worked OK. No doubt they will learn what happened from the telemetry and progress from that. At least it wasn't a load carrying mission.

 

[Crispy]

So after a successful launch 2 days ago, they're going to try for a 12 day turnaround before launching again on the 19th for an ISS supply mission. That will be very impressive indeed if they manage it. The factory must be making them like sausages, as they say.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

They are aiming for one launch a month at the moment. The last launch was delayed after the Grasshopper test vehicle demonstrated the range safety feature and they wanted to double check that the issue was unique to the Grasshopper.

I'm really excited by the idea that they will be trying a return to land mission this year.