SpaceX rockets and launches

[2hats]

Other key factors in this move are reducing pad maintenance costs (ie down from 6/5 pads to 2) and getting away from the (what is for them) political hot potato of the RD-180 so the launch system is 100% USofA.

 

[2hats]

Fueling underway. Launch time 21:10:41BST. Chance of favourable weather today is now 60% (lightning and wind shear would be the main concerns). Next attempt if no launch today would be Thursday - more favourable for ISS phasing but weather is forecast to only be 40% favourable that day.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

T-15 minutes.

http://www.ustream.tv/nasahdtv

 

[Bob_the_lost]

... and weather looks ok. They do not expect it to be a blocker to launch.

All stations are go...

T - 10 minutes

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Liftoff!

 

[2hats]

Time to go hunt outside...

 

[rover07]

Did one of the engineers say, "first stage is back" ?!!!!

 

[de_dog]

Twitter buzz is they hit the barge - not a landing

 

[rover07]

Oh well, should be some good footage from the Just Read The Instructions anyway.

Clear night here...

 

[de_dog]

they were showing the control room at about the right time. Some engineers did a 'oooh nearly' reaction.
Then polite applause from those gathered.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

Ascent successful. Dragon enroute to Space Station. Rocket landed on droneship, but too hard for survival.

Bah!

 

[2hats]

Perfect view of the Dragon, upper stage and both solar array covers just forming a small golden rhombus sailing through the sky. Easy naked eye visibility. Four golden stars.

e2a: image taken by a.n.other of the same pass, unstabilised array covers seen tumbling (ie flashing) either side of the Dragon and upper stage (central line):

 

[DotCommunist]

getting closer each time though.

 

[de_dog]

yeah it's inspiring enough to see the livery on the way up.
Seeing it come down will be in a different league.

 

[2hats]

Even better short exposure shot - geometry exactly as it appeared through binoculars (and as could even be appreciated naked eye at peak brightness):

Upper stage and Dragon the two strong central lines, the array covers tumbling either side.

 

[2hats]

 

[weltweit]

I am reminded of one of the few memorable things which Donald Rumsfeld said, : This is rocket science!

 

[Crispy]

So close! Next time
(CRS-7 in June I think)

 

[Crispy]

https://vine.co/v/euEpIVegiIx

Left a bit, right a bit...

 

[Zimri]

https://vine.co/v/euEpIVegiIx

Left a bit, right a bit...

Now that is ace

Shame they didn't quite manage it, but to be honest the fact they're even this close is pretty amazing. I didn't think they'd be able to slow the first stage down, nevermind almost land it without sacrificing payload for the additional fuel.

 

[Crispy]

Now that is ace

Shame they didn't quite manage it, but to be honest the fact they're even this close is pretty amazing. I didn't think they'd be able to slow the first stage down, nevermind almost land it without sacrificing payload for the additional fuel.

They have, tbf. Missions with payloads/DeltaV requirements that are at the top end of the rocket's capabilities have not been able to attempt landing. They've only been able to run these tests on missions with "spare" fuel.

 

[2hats]

According to the latest state vectors Dragon and the ISS will be visible on the same pass tonight over the UK. At the moment, it appears that Dragon will lead the ISS by about 13 seconds - the following being the path the ISS will trace through the sky (seen from London, time given in BST):

 

[gentlegreen]

Shouldn't they have it land in a pronounced recess ?

 

[HAL9000]

They have, tbf. Missions with payloads/DeltaV requirements that are at the top end of the rocket's capabilities have not been able to attempt landing. They've only been able to run these tests on missions with "spare" fuel.

Are there going to be enough missions with spare fuel for this reuse trick to be useful?
I assume for every launch space x will try and lift as much mass as possible, or is it just lifting satellites toward a geostationary orbit that needs maximum fuel?

 

[2hats]

Looks like the orbit of Dragon has been circularised since the last set of orbital data (issued this morning) were published and now it's running some 20 minutes behind the ISS (as per below). If all runs to plan it should be much closer tomorrow.

 

[2hats]

Passed by just over half an hour ago chasing the ISS. The upper stage was easily visible about 2 minutes beforehand.

 

[StoneRoad]

It was raining here .................. no ISS / Dragon watching tonight !

 

[Crispy]

Are there going to be enough missions with spare fuel for this reuse trick to be useful?
I assume for every launch space x will try and lift as much mass as possible, or is it just lifting satellites toward a geostationary orbit that needs maximum fuel?

Very heavy LEO launches or geostationary insertions are the thirsty missions.
They will soon be flying Falcon 9.2 (I think there are 3 more launches of the 9.1 version still to go), which has uprated engines and super-cooled fuel/oxidiser. The result is 20% more thrust on the 1st stage, which will allow landing attempts for all missions.

Full footage of the landing:



Look at the RCS desperately trying to keep it from tipping over at the end!

I saw the ISS tonight, but couldn't make out Dragon.
tbf, the light pollution was so bad, Venus and Jupiter were the only other bodies really visible.

 

[Bob_the_lost]

So amazingly close.

 

[2hats]

There's a 'marginal' pass of the ISS coming up starting around 2019BST (the sky will still be quite bright but the ISS itself will brighten as it moves in to the eastern sky) and running pretty much W, overhead to East across the southern UK. Dragon is reported to be running about 90 seconds behind (possibly a little less now).

Another, shorter pass lower in the SW (heading in to eclipse in the South) is due at 2155BST.