SpaceX launch today
Discussion
Launch today at 17:00 BST - video here http://www.spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/006/status.h...
1st stage is programmed to do a deceleration burn at altitude to minimise stress on the stage as it re-enters the atmosphere, then decelerate to 0 just before splashdown. Hope it all works !
1st stage is programmed to do a deceleration burn at altitude to minimise stress on the stage as it re-enters the atmosphere, then decelerate to 0 just before splashdown. Hope it all works !
)SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the Falcon 9 rocket accomplished all of its primary objectives on today's launch, placing its payloads in an accurate orbit over Earth's poles and successfully demonstrating the launcher's upgraded engines, flight computer and stage separation system.
But two secondary objectives on the flight were not met.
SpaceX programmed the Falcon 9's first stage to fire its engines two more times after separating from the Falcon 9 upper stage about three minutes after liftoff.
The first burn went well, placing the empty rocket stage on a trajectory back into the atmosphere. Musk said mission control received data from the rocket throughout re-entry, but a second engine restart put the rocket into a spin, causing its engine to prematurely cut off. The stage crash into the Pacific Ocean a few hundred miles south of Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Going into the flight, Musk put low odds on a successful retrieval of the first stage intact on Sunday's launch. He told reporters a few minutes ago that recovery crews picked up parts of the Falcon 9's interstage, engine section and composite overwrapped pressure vessels.
After releasing the mission's satellite payloads, the Falcon 9's second stage Merlin 1D engine was supposed to reignite to test its ability to restart in space. But the engine detected a problem during the restart and aborted the burn.
Musk said SpaceX engineers believe they understand the problem and it could be fixed in time for the Falcon 9's next launch with the SES 8 communications satellite from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The SES 8 mission requires two upper stage burns to put the spacecraft into an oval-shaped geostationary transfer orbit.
But two secondary objectives on the flight were not met.
SpaceX programmed the Falcon 9's first stage to fire its engines two more times after separating from the Falcon 9 upper stage about three minutes after liftoff.
The first burn went well, placing the empty rocket stage on a trajectory back into the atmosphere. Musk said mission control received data from the rocket throughout re-entry, but a second engine restart put the rocket into a spin, causing its engine to prematurely cut off. The stage crash into the Pacific Ocean a few hundred miles south of Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
Going into the flight, Musk put low odds on a successful retrieval of the first stage intact on Sunday's launch. He told reporters a few minutes ago that recovery crews picked up parts of the Falcon 9's interstage, engine section and composite overwrapped pressure vessels.
After releasing the mission's satellite payloads, the Falcon 9's second stage Merlin 1D engine was supposed to reignite to test its ability to restart in space. But the engine detected a problem during the restart and aborted the burn.
Musk said SpaceX engineers believe they understand the problem and it could be fixed in time for the Falcon 9's next launch with the SES 8 communications satellite from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The SES 8 mission requires two upper stage burns to put the spacecraft into an oval-shaped geostationary transfer orbit.
Eric Mc said:
What's to control with a parachute?
Where the thing lands. SpaceX's aim is to land the stage within a fairly small area - on land, not at sea, to reduce the costs of recovering and refurbishing the stage. A parachute landing cannot be as accurate as a powered landing, so if using parachutes SpaceX would need to arrange for a huge expanse of land to be designated for landing, then transport the stage from wherever it came down to their facility for refurbishmentEric Mc said:
Dream Chaser appears to have had a mishap on its first glide test -
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1310/26dreamchaser...
Waiting to see the video - apparently Brian Cox and his film crew just happened to be there during the test and filmed ithttp://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1310/26dreamchaser...
SpaceX are ready to try the next step in their plan to recover the 1st stage of the Falcon 9 - the next one to fly will have landing legs fitted, though it'll still come down in the ocean as they need to prove the ability to land at a precise location before trying it on land.
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/009/140223legs/#...
http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/009/140223legs/#...
Eric Mc said:
Sounds promising. Of course, their ultimate aim is to bring the thing down for a soft landing on solid ground.
F9R ( successor to Grasshopper ) 1st flight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjWqQPWmsY
Recovering the S-1C was investigated, but as you say Eric it was deemed too difficult/expensive for the planned production run of Saturn Vs. I think it may have been considered further if the Saturn V ( and/or the various planned variants ) were kept in production. The weight of the recovery equipment could have been partially compensated for by deleting the fins, which I understand had been found to be unneccesary, and by stretching the fuel tankage a little to allow a longer engine burn, plus the use of the higher performance F-1A engines.
Recovering the S-II would have been a lot more difficult due to the need for heatshielding to protect it during its re-entry from near orbital speeds.
The S-IVB stage could also have been modified for recovery, essentially replacing it with the S-IVB derived SASSTO with a plug nozzle engine. There were also proposals to land the entire S-IVB on the moon as the basis for a lunar lab. ( http://www.astronautix.com/craft/apossivb.htm )
Recovering the S-II would have been a lot more difficult due to the need for heatshielding to protect it during its re-entry from near orbital speeds.
The S-IVB stage could also have been modified for recovery, essentially replacing it with the S-IVB derived SASSTO with a plug nozzle engine. There were also proposals to land the entire S-IVB on the moon as the basis for a lunar lab. ( http://www.astronautix.com/craft/apossivb.htm )
It seems the 1st stage did transmit some video just before impact but it was corrupted - they are appealing for anyone who can help improve what they have http://www.spacex.com/news/2014/04/29/first-stage-...
And following on from the reusable Falcon 1st stage tests, SpaceX are planning similar tests for the Dragon capsule
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/elon-musks-sp...
Most of which would need to be done for man-rating the capsule anyway, both for launch-abort and return to Earth, but also raises the possibility of powered landings on Mars
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/elon-musks-sp...
Most of which would need to be done for man-rating the capsule anyway, both for launch-abort and return to Earth, but also raises the possibility of powered landings on Mars
Manned Dragon unveiled http://www.spacex.com/webcast/
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