SpaceX Tuesday...

[MartG]

""Out of an abundance of caution, SpaceX will be spending the 4th of July doing a full review of the rocket and launch pad systems. The next launch opportunity for Intelsat 35e from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is now no earlier than Wednesday, July 5 or Thursday, July 6.""

[SystemParanoia]

51mes said:

right thats it - not stopping up for another launch attempt - I'm obviously jinxing it...

S.

...you!

[Sylvaforever]

Gets along fine right up to the point for the grid fins and legs codex....

[51mes]

Sylvaforever said:

Gets along fine right up to the point for the grid fins and legs codex....

You mean you didn't tell the rocket we hadn't given it any legs or arms?

S.

[Beati Dogu]

The rocket's computer became self aware and didn't want to die.

[AshVX220]

Einion Yrth said:

I'd like to see it too, but I wouldn't bet any significant sum of money on it. They only started clearing the scrub for the building of the two side boosters' landing areas about a fortnight ago, and the mods to make the former F9 cores into the F9H configuration are not small.
Here's hoping, however.

Here's hoping that it'll at least launch while I'm still seconded to Orlando!

[MartG]

"SpaceX will make a third attempt Wednesday to launch the commercial Intelsat 35e communications satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida after back-to-back aborted countdowns earlier in the week. Liftoff from launch pad 39A is scheduled for 7:37 p.m. EDT (2337 GMT)."

[Beati Dogu]

I've see that posted here:

https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow

And they're a reliable source.


They lit the rocket up with red, white and blue lights for last night apparently.

[MartG]

Unofficial stream already live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTYjOplHzpw

( worth switching to the official stream once it goes live, as the one above has a 40s delay )

Edited by MartG on Wednesday 5th July 19:38

[Beati Dogu]

The BulgariaSat they put up on 23rd June reached its orbital position earlier today.

[Sylvaforever]

Informative!

Thanks for that snippet

[Beati Dogu]

It's easy to forget that once the rocket has done its work, the Satellite operator's hopefully 15+ year job it just beginning. I know I do.



Tonight's SpaceX webcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIHVPCj25Z0

The fuelling will be already underway.

[MartG]

Good launch

[Beati Dogu]

Yes, nice clear weather too. Had they been doing a landing, the maneuvering would have been quite visible.

Sadly, the first stage is already at the bottom of the Atlantic.

[Beati Dogu]

Satellite dropped off successfully.

Good job.



Apparently the rocket itself wasn't at fault for the previous hold. It was ground equipment software.

[Eric Mc]

It really looks like they have more or less got this rocket launching thing nailed. Geting rockets off the ground successfully is always frought with possible catastrphe so to be able to fire these things off as frequentkly as they are doing is very impressive.

[AshVX220]

Saw the launch last night really clearly from an upstairs window, very impressive considering I'm 35+ miles away. Saw it all the way until the first stage "switched off".

[RobDickinson]

Another impressive is this sat flung out to 43km orbit, originally pencilled in for falcon heavy..

[Beati Dogu]

Vice President Mike Pence is visiting the Kennedy Space Center today.

He's giving a speech in the Vehicle Assembly Building with 3 different capsules behind him;



L-R: SpaceX's Dragon, NASA's Orion and Boeing's Starliner for a nice comparison.

Only the Dragon had been into Space. The others were mock ups / development models.


Pence is talking about going back to the Moon and on to Mars. Fittingly Buzz Aldrin is in the audience.

Livestream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwMDvPCGeE0

[51mes]

MartG said:

Good launch

And Yes - I didn't stay up to watch it - so of course it went well..

Do you think If I offer my services to Elon - He'll take me up on them?

S.