SpaceX Tuesday...
Discussion
xeny said:
annodomini2 said:
No header tanks for flip landing on superheavy.
That's a design decision that it isn't worth it - more slightly wondering why they made that decision.F20CN16 said:
xeny said:
annodomini2 said:
No header tanks for flip landing on superheavy.
That's a design decision that it isn't worth it - more slightly wondering why they made that decision.The first stage recovery has been well practiced with F9.
Header tanks, plumbing, valves etc all add complication which increase uncertainty.
As the old saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
Both recovered Falcon 9 boosters were in port together a couple of days ago:
B1061 on the left and the cleaner B1067 back after its first flight.
Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), the landing ship on the right has been offloaded and water pumped out to raise her higher in the water. It's now on the long trek over to California via the Panama Canal.
From SpaceXFleet
First it's a tow over to the Bahamas. There she'll be floated aboard the Mighty Servant 1, a semi-submersible vessel that's quite used to carrying much larger and bulkier cargos. This is her sistership the Mighty Servant 2, carrying the USS Samuel B. Roberts, an American frigate damaged by a mine in the Persian Gulf in 1988.
OCISLY is 170ft wide, but the Panama Canal is 161ft wide. Presumably onboard the Mighty Servant 1 she'll be stored high enough that she can pass through OK. Time is a factor here and however much it costs, it'll save the delay of having the wing extensions removed & then reattached like last time.
B1061 on the left and the cleaner B1067 back after its first flight.
Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), the landing ship on the right has been offloaded and water pumped out to raise her higher in the water. It's now on the long trek over to California via the Panama Canal.
From SpaceXFleet
First it's a tow over to the Bahamas. There she'll be floated aboard the Mighty Servant 1, a semi-submersible vessel that's quite used to carrying much larger and bulkier cargos. This is her sistership the Mighty Servant 2, carrying the USS Samuel B. Roberts, an American frigate damaged by a mine in the Persian Gulf in 1988.
OCISLY is 170ft wide, but the Panama Canal is 161ft wide. Presumably onboard the Mighty Servant 1 she'll be stored high enough that she can pass through OK. Time is a factor here and however much it costs, it'll save the delay of having the wing extensions removed & then reattached like last time.
Edited by Beati Dogu on Friday 11th June 16:54
MartG said:
Could she be tilted to fit through ?
I guess so. Kinda like moving a grand piano through a doorway. 
I imagine there will be other cargo as well. There's plenty of room.
Hope it makes it. Mighty Servant 2 sank in 1999 off Indonesia with the loss of 5 crew. She was raised and scrapped. Mighty Servant 3 also sank in 200 ft of water due to a stuck valve while trying to lower herself under her cargo, a drilling platform. She was also raised, but put back into service.
Flooble said:
Beati Dogu said:
That was Apollo 4, the first flight of the Saturn V. The pad water suppression system wasn't ready yet, so it was much louder than subsequent launches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uoVfZpx5dY
SpaceX isn't using water suppression either. Something they admit they may have to rethink. There's a bunch of condos about 6 miles from the launch pad at Boca Chica. Lots of glass doors and windows.
Are they not using suppression on the orbital mount? I know they aren't using it on the little test stand mounts, didn't realise they were going to try and get away with it on the orbital one too.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uoVfZpx5dY
SpaceX isn't using water suppression either. Something they admit they may have to rethink. There's a bunch of condos about 6 miles from the launch pad at Boca Chica. Lots of glass doors and windows.
They don't have a diverter on the current mount but they do fire off a water hose just before they start the rocket.
They’ve obviously rethought their decision. Going with a big water tank and high pressure pumps instead of a ginormous water tower.
Meanwhile the big crane gib has been extended and they’ve started lifting further tower segments into place.
Pics: Cosmic Perspective
Meanwhile the big crane gib has been extended and they’ve started lifting further tower segments into place.
Pics: Cosmic Perspective
Edited by Beati Dogu on Monday 14th June 00:59
The next Falcon 9 launch is due this Thursday, June 17th from 5.09 pm UK time. There’s a 15 minute window for launch.
It’ll be carrying the GPS III-5 satellite “Neil Armstrong“ for the US Air Force.
It’s the first time the Air Force has agreed to a pre-flown booster for one of their satellites. The booster has flown once before and took up the GPS III-4 satellite last November.
It’ll be carrying the GPS III-5 satellite “Neil Armstrong“ for the US Air Force.
It’s the first time the Air Force has agreed to a pre-flown booster for one of their satellites. The booster has flown once before and took up the GPS III-4 satellite last November.
Dog Star said:
annodomini2 said:
Stacked another tower section and scrapping SN16
They must be ever so confident in the data that they’ve gained from the SN8-15 flights - I guess the only real point of failure has been Raptor relight?They aren't just building a rocket. They are building a rocket factory. Half the job is getting manufacturing to produce them like sausages.
And here they are:
Doesn’t look like SN16 will ever get to fly though. The partially built SN17 has already been scrapped. They’re concentrating on the booster and SN20 now. They obviously feel they learned enough from SN15’s flight to skip to the next iteration.
SN15 and 16 will make a nice backdrop to Elon’s presentation, which is supposed to be happening sometime. I expect after the big test flight in July.
Doesn’t look like SN16 will ever get to fly though. The partially built SN17 has already been scrapped. They’re concentrating on the booster and SN20 now. They obviously feel they learned enough from SN15’s flight to skip to the next iteration.
SN15 and 16 will make a nice backdrop to Elon’s presentation, which is supposed to be happening sometime. I expect after the big test flight in July.
Yes, a bit of lag between the feeds, but no picture break up.
From 28 minutes in:
https://youtu.be/QJXxVtp3KqI
Any landing a rocket can walk away from is a good landing I guess.
The GPS satellite was dropped off ok later on as well.
From 28 minutes in:
https://youtu.be/QJXxVtp3KqI
Any landing a rocket can walk away from is a good landing I guess.
The GPS satellite was dropped off ok later on as well.
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