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Neonmoon

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RamjetFDO
RamjetFDO
RamjetFDO
RamjetFDO

Got a buddy who does launch photography at the cape ... this is one of his (just released):

RamjetFDO
RamjetFDO

Couple more from my launch photography friend ... cool time lapse shots:  

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RamjetFDO

RamjetFDO 10575

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Hmmmm...  Crew Dragon nose cone closing *AFTER* the deorbit burn is done seems to be in the wrong order.  The post-deorbit burn orbit is, by definition, re-entrant and not reversible.  If the nose cone closure mechanism (or anything else) fails and it doesn't close ... seems like this would be a Bad Thing™ once this hits Entry Interface (EI).

That's why, on Shuttle deorbit procedures, everything (Payload Bay Doors, Ku Antenna, etc.) was completely buttoned up BEFORE the deorbit burn.  We even had one flight where we had issues closing the PLBDs and had to spend some time figuring that out (fortunately had enough time to figure it all out before the deorbit burn, or would've waved off for the day).  Just imagine had that been attempted in those 20 minutes or so between deorbit burn and EI!

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thunderlounge

thunderlounge 7812

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3 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

For people just seeing the preview image, this is the first vid they've put up in 4k. Watch it on a big screen, it's incredible.

I hadn't noticed that when I was on my phone earlier. Fuckin A that make a good video even better. Those engines were rumbling the sub like crazy. Nice, deep bass.

 

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smokebomb

smokebomb 357

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Falcon Heavy launch next week:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/space/go-for-launch/os-bz-spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-set-20190329-story.html

Quote

SpaceX's mighty Falcon Heavy launch set for April 7 from Kennedy Space Center, FAA says

Chabeli Herrera

The mighty Falcon Heavy rocket is returning to the Space Coast for its first commercial launch.

The Federal Aviation Administration set a launch hazard area for the SpaceXlaunch this week, noting that the launch is currently set for April 7, with a backup launch on April 9. The launch window is from 6:36 p.m. to 8:35 p.m., according to Spaceflight Now, from Kennedy Space Center’s launch pad 39A.

Falcon Heavy, SpaceX’s heavy-lift rocket composed of three boosters strapped together, had its debut flight in February 2018 from the Space Coast. Thousands of people flocked to the Cape to see the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V, which took astronauts to the moon.

The payload then was a red Tesla Roadster carrying a mannequin named “Starman.”

The upcoming launch will be carrying the Arabsat-6A communications satellite for Saudi Arabia’s Arabsat. The satellite will provide communications coverage primarily to the Middle East and North Africa regions, with a footprint in South Africa, the FAA said in its advisory.

According to the FAA, the side boosters will land at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Landing Zone 1 while the center core booster will land on SpaceX’s droneship, likely Of Course I Still Love You, in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida.

 

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MrPhlegm

MrPhlegm 3413

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Falcon Heavy launch next week:
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/space/go-for-launch/os-bz-spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-set-20190329-story.html
SpaceX's mighty Falcon Heavy launch set for April 7 from Kennedy Space Center, FAA says
Chabeli Herrera
The mighty Falcon Heavy rocket is returning to the Space Coast for its first commercial launch.
The Federal Aviation Administration set a launch hazard area for the SpaceXlaunch this week, noting that the launch is currently set for April 7, with a backup launch on April 9. The launch window is from 6:36 p.m. to 8:35 p.m., according to Spaceflight Now, from Kennedy Space Center’s launch pad 39A.
Falcon Heavy, SpaceX’s heavy-lift rocket composed of three boosters strapped together, had its debut flight in February 2018 from the Space Coast. Thousands of people flocked to the Cape to see the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V, which took astronauts to the moon.
The payload then was a red Tesla Roadster carrying a mannequin named “Starman.”
The upcoming launch will be carrying the Arabsat-6A communications satellite for Saudi Arabia’s Arabsat. The satellite will provide communications coverage primarily to the Middle East and North Africa regions, with a footprint in South Africa, the FAA said in its advisory.
According to the FAA, the side boosters will land at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Landing Zone 1 while the center core booster will land on SpaceX’s droneship, likely Of Course I Still Love You, in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida.
 
Might get delayed. Cool thing is I can sit in my garage drinking beer alone and watch it rise into the sky.
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RamjetFDO

RamjetFDO 10575

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5 minutes ago, Hagbard Celine said:

Heavy launch now tomorrow 535pm central

The first one, with the simultaneous first-stage returns, was the stuff of science fiction.  

I wonder what this one will feel like?  Will it have the same "holy shit" reaction?

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thunderlounge

thunderlounge 7812

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5 minutes ago, RamjetFDO said:

I wonder what this one will feel like?  Will it have the same "holy shit" reaction?

How could 27 rocket engines lighting and firing simultaneously not be grounds for “holy shit”?

Maybe once it’s into old-hat territory, but even then it will still be pretty fucking cool. 

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RamjetFDO

RamjetFDO 10575

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5 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

How could 27 rocket engines lighting and firing simultaneously not be grounds for “holy shit”?

Maybe once it’s into old-hat territory, but even then it will still be pretty fucking cool. 

Oh I hear ya ... this was almost more of a rhetorical question.  For those of us who geek out on space shit, it'll never *not* be cool. 

130+ Shuttle landings - and every single one of them was cool.

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 10848

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12 april 81 was cool.

we were promised oneill/mccall lagrange stations, flying cars, and drinks for all our friends.

as far as this next heavy launch, musk sets his own bar so high, if he can't stick all 3 it will be a come-down, and i still think this heavy configuration is not proven until the 3rd launch.

this one is not in the bag.  yet.

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smokebomb

smokebomb 357

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, RamjetFDO said:

I wonder what this one will feel like?  Will it have the same "holy shit" reaction?

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/os-bz-falcon-heavy-launch-update-20190405-story.html

Quote

The first commercial launch of the Falcon Heavy, the world’s most powerful rocket, is expected to draw 100,000 or more spectators to the Space Coast.

 Yes. Yes it will. 

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MrPhlegm

MrPhlegm 3413

Posted
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Oh I hear ya ... this was almost more of a rhetorical question.  For those of us who geek out on space shit, it'll never *not* be cool. 
130+ Shuttle landings - and every single one of them was cool.
Nope. Two of the landings were most assuredly not cool.
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thunderlounge

thunderlounge 7812

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Posted (edited)

All this shuttle talk reminded me that I was digging through a very old box of stuff a couple weeks ago and came across my original vinyl picture disc celebrating the very first launch of Columbia. Of course no record player to play it on, but brought back some memories of playing the shit out of it. Even still has the jacket, although the cellophane from the cutout on the front is long gone.  

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smokebomb

smokebomb 357

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Falcon Heavy launch slated today at 5:35pm CDT:

https://www.space.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-arabsat-6a-launch-landing-webcast.html

Quote

Watch SpaceX Attempt a Triple Rocket Landing During Falcon Heavy Launch Today!

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX will attempt to pull off the world's first successful triple rocket landing during the company's first commercial Falcon Heavy flight mission today (April 10), and you can watch it all live online. 

The Falcon Heavy megarocket, the most powerful booster currently in use, is set to launch the Arabsat-6A communications satelliteinto orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida today at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 GMT). After liftoff, the huge rocket's two side boosters and central core stage are expected to return to Earth for the triple landing. 

"Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy's two side boosters will attempt to land at SpaceX's Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida," SpaceX wrote in a mission description. "Falcon Heavy's center core will attempt to land on the 'Of Course I Still Love You' droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean."

You can watch the Falcon Heavy launch live here and on Space.com's homepage, courtesy of SpaceX, beginning about 20 minutes before liftoff. You can also watch the launch directly from SpaceX's webcast page. 

 

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 10848

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The Falcon Heavy has flown before, but now it’s got a payload that matters and competitors nipping at its heels. It’s the first of a new generation of launch vehicles that can take huge payloads to space cheaply and frequently, opening up a new frontier in the space race. Watch it lift off Sunday afternoon (we’ll post a reminder).

On the 9th, Falcon Heavy will fly for the first time since its inaugural test last February, delivering the now-infamous Tesla Roadster and “Starman” into a trajectory that has taken them past Mars. That successful launch garnered SpaceX its first customer for the system, and Tuesday’s launch will take Arabsat-6A, a Lockheed-built communications satellite, into geosynchronous orbit.

 

 

A static fire today went well, so, weather permitting, takeoff should take place as scheduled at around 3:36 Sunday afternoon. Notably, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk pointed out on Twitter that the Block 5 Falcon Heavy (that is to say, the production revision as opposed to the test version we saw) has 10 percent more thrust capacity than before, which also translates to a better safety margin if using less than its maximum.

So why exactly is Falcon Heavy important? After all, launch vehicles capable of putting a hundred tons of material into or beyond orbit have existed since Apollo. Simply speaking, the difference comes down to price.

Putting anything into space is difficult enough. But heavier payloads get exponentially more difficult to lift: The equations we’ve known for a century or so governing how much lift is needed to get a certain amount of mass into orbit, and how much fuel is needed in turn to generate that lift, are clear on this.

As advances in materials and rocket engines have progressed, they have disproportionately benefited small and medium launch vehicles. Combined with the decreasing size of satellite payloads, this has created a new and promising era for small craft, which can be launched in great numbers — as we’re seeing in the many promises to deploy constellations thousands strong.

Efficiently made disposables like Rocket Lab’s Electron and reusable ones like the Falcon 9 have begun the process of pushing the price of small and medium-size launches down to a fraction of what they once were.

spacex-falcon-heavy.gifBut heavy and super-heavy launch vehicles have remained phenomenally expensive due to the fundamentally difficult nature of building these physics-defying monsters. So while putting 10 tons in orbit has gotten cheap enough that startups can do it, putting 100 tons up there remains the province of global superpowers.

Falcon Heavy is really the first to start a similar price shift for this category, cutting the cost of putting large payloads up by a huge amount. And while an estimated price tag of around $100 million per launch is hardly pocket change, it’s a whole lot less than the $350-$500 million a Delta IV might cost.

That level of savings can transform an entire space program. NASA could add an entire planetary exploration mission to its budget for the price difference of one launch alone. This math may not always add up (the Delta IV’s excellent launch record rightly commands a premium), but it’s impossible to ignore.

 

eft-1.jpg

A Delta IV takes off in 2016

 

The market for heavy launches is, like that for small ones, heavily supply-limited. Governments and major corporations are lined up for years to put major items into or beyond orbit. SpaceX will sell room on Falcon Heavy systems as fast as it can make them. And because its side stages are reusable, it can make them faster than others can make theirs! It stands to make a huge amount of money while also massively empowering the global space community.

Falcon Heavy has little competition at payloads above the 50-ton threshold, but below that the field is getting crowded. ULA, Ariane Group, Russia and China, even upstart rival Blue Origin are preparing cheaper next-generation platforms to take part in the new ecosystem. (A comprehensive accounting of this new phase of launch vehicles is a worthwhile endeavor, but one for another time.)

For now, though, Falcon Heavy is an anomaly, but a welcome one. Lowering the cost and complexity of more distant and ambitious space projects is an exciting prospect, and Tuesday’s launch is one of the first indications that we are witnessing that change take place.

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 10848

Posted
Posted
  • 1:09 after launch: Max-Q, the point at which the launch vehicle is under the most strain. As reliable as rockets have become, every launch is a white-knuckler until after this point.
  • 2:30: BECO, or booster engine cutoff, when the side cores shut off and detach.
  • 3:31: MECO, or main engine cutoff, when the central core shuts down and detaches from the second stage, which ignites a few seconds afterwards. The fairings will detach about 30 seconds later.
  • 7:51: Side cores descend at LZ for landing.
  • 8:48: Second stage first burn concludes and cruise phase begins.
  • 9:48: Main core descends at drone ship for landing.
  • ???: Fairing descends over ocean to be caught. Timing is unclear on this, but it probably will be a few minutes after the main core lands.
  • 27:34: Second stage second burn begins, lasting 1:26.
  • 34:02: Arabsat-6A detaches from launch vehicle and continues under its own power. At this point SpaceX will have completed its mission, though it will take some time for the satellite to arrive at its geosynchronous orbit.
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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 10848

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launch window same as yesterday; falcon be thin + windshear = "fineness ratio" & moving sidewalks

https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-delay/

Eric Ralph
Posted on April 11, 2019

SpaceX has scrubbed the first attempted launch of Falcon Heavy Flight 2 due to high upper-level winds deemed too much of a risk to mission success. Thursday, April 11th’s recycled launch window is identical to Wednesday’s, stretching from 6:35pm-8:31pm ET (22:35-00:31 UTC).

According to SpaceX, both the Falcon Heavy Block 5 rocket and its Arabsat 6A satellite payload are in good health and would have been ready to launch on April 10th if the weather had been slightly more cooperative. While seemingly innocuous, something as basic as wind currents can risk the partial or total failure of rockets even as large as Falcon Heavy, The intricacy and stress-optimized nature of Falcon Heavy’s three interlinked boosters make the rocket particularly susceptible to off-nominal aerodynamic stresses, constantly performing a sort of balancing act to keep those boosters flying in a sort of formation at extreme speeds.

View image on Twitter
 

Falcon Heavy’s 27 Merlins are exposed ahead of its first commercial mission, set to place communications satellite Arabsat 6A into geostationary transfer orbit this evening and then LAND ALL 3 BOOSTERS. Launch window opens at 6:35 pm EST. #spacex #falconheavy #Arabsat6a

 
 

Past a certain point, this bending is highly undesirable. The walls of Falcon 9’s lithium-aluminum alloy propellant tanks – also doubling as part of the rocket’s load-bearing structure – are approximately 0.2 in (5mm) thick, around 40% thinner than an iPhone X. Weighing approximately 25,000 kg (55,000 lb) empty yet 550,000 kg (1,210,000 lb) when full of fuel, Falcon 9 is thus a bit like a rolled sheet of printer paper balancing under a textbook while accelerating at several Gs.

The problem is that Earth’s atmosphere is heavily stratified: there are many different vertical layers of air that can end up moving in very different directions at very different speeds. Imagine for a second that you’re sprinting along a sidewalk but each sidewalk section is actually a treadmill moving slightly left or right. Running along at full speed, you abruptly hit several sections that are rapidly moving, say, right. Bad times are had. For Falcon Heavy (or 9), running into high upper-level winds is much less exaggerated but still ends up having the same effect: the rocket, like the runner, loses control authority and ends up a fair bit more sideways than intended. When rockets find themselves tilting more than a few degrees off of their vector, they start to bend and flex a lot. When rockets more than minutely bend and flex, they have a tendency to crumple and warp to the point that they will literally break into pieces a bit like a partially cooked spaghetti noodle.

Falcon-Heavy-Flight-2-prelaunch-39A-Paul A spectacular panorama of Falcon Heavy Flight 2 prior to lifting horizontal for an April 10th launch attempt. (Pauline Acalin) Falcon-Heavy-Flight-2-prelaunch-39A-Paul Falcon Heavy was lifted vertical by the transporter/erector while photographers were setting up remote cameras. (Pauline Acalin)

Those same forces act on Falcon Heavy quite a bit differently than they do on a single Falcon 9, but the principle remains the same: sideways booster = bad news. The wind wins this round but SpaceX will be ready for another attempt today. Likely a strategic choice, Wednesday’s launch attempt was called off just shy of 20 minutes before propellant loading began, dramatically simplifying the process of turning Falcon Heavy around for another launch attempt.

Tune in later today for another exciting day of Falcon Heavy photos and prelaunch operations as photographers – including Teslarati’s Pauline Acalin and Tom Cross – return to Pad 39A to replace camera batteries and generally ogle an elegant rocket.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 10848

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game on, it's thursday night

Upper-level winds have died down, so Falcon Heavy will try flying again

Musk said there is a 5 to 10 percent chance of failure with this mission.

ERIC BERGER - 4/11/2019, 4:10 PM

The Falcon Heavy rocket, at sunset along the Florida coast.
Enlarge / The Falcon Heavy rocket, at sunset along the Florida coast.
Trevor Mahlmann for Ars Technica
13WITH 11 POSTERS PARTICIPATING

On Wednesday evening, SpaceX ended its first attempt to fly the Falcon Heavy rocket and its Arabsat-6A payload in the middle of a two-hour launch window. The upper-level wind shear was unacceptable, and with a poor forecast, it just didn't make sense to load kerosene and oxygen on the rocket.

Now, the rocket is back on the launch pad for another attempt Thursday, with a similar launch window, opening at 6:35pm ET (10:35 UTC) and closing at 8:31pm ET (00:31 UTC). The upper-level wind forecast for this evening is considerably better.

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This will be the Falcon Heavy rocket's second flight, following a successful first launch in February 2018, during which the company famously flung Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla Roadster into deep space. Starman is still out there, by the way, in an elliptical orbit around the Sun. Earth-based telescopes may be able to see him in the early 2020s, certainly no later than 2047.

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Hagbard Celine

Hagbard Celine 10848

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Although the Falcon Heavy has proven itself flight-worthy, this is still just the second launch of a rocket with a staggering 27 engines, so there is definitely some uncertainty. Although SpaceX has made "many good design improvements" from the rocket that launched 14 months ago, Musk said there is a 5 to 10 percent chance of failure with this mission.

Ahead of Thursday's launch attempt, the company said the rocket—composed of three Falcon 9, Block 5 cores—remains in good condition. Each of the three cores is new, and SpaceX is counting on re-using the two side boosters for another Falcon Heavy mission as early as June—the launch of the US Air Force’s Space Test Program-2 mission carrying several military and scientific research satellites.

To facilitate this, the two side boosters will attempt to land back at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, while the center core will attempt to land on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. During the rocket's first launch in 2018, the side boosters made it, but the center core missed its drone ship landing.

The webcast should begin about 20 minutes before the rocket's anticipated liftoff. It will include coverage of the landing attempts and satellite deploy.

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