SpaceX Tuesday...
Discussion
They can get pretty damn close if they want. They're usually escorted to the site in the morning so they can set up their remote cameras. They're triggered by the sound of the rocket & they can lurk there all day.
This video of how they set up remote cameras was taken at Vandenberg for the recent NASA InSight / Atlas V mission
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydh0lnHiTKs
The entire vertical assembly building rolls back on rails before launch,so they just had to line up on the rocket.
It's a good job they had cameras at the pad, because one of Vandenberg's sea fogs rolled in and they didn't see a damn thing from the viewing area.
This video of how they set up remote cameras was taken at Vandenberg for the recent NASA InSight / Atlas V mission
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydh0lnHiTKs
The entire vertical assembly building rolls back on rails before launch,so they just had to line up on the rocket.
It's a good job they had cameras at the pad, because one of Vandenberg's sea fogs rolled in and they didn't see a damn thing from the viewing area.
Looks like they actually did recover both fairings after all, sadly from the ocean, but I guess they can still be re-used! 
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2018/05/23/photos-mr-s...
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2018/05/23/photos-mr-s...
Efbe said:
MartG said:
I wonder how much extra refurbishment they require after a water landing compared to being caught
I would have thought the same?They're supposed to be an aluminium honeycomb sandwiched between a couple of sheets of carbon fibre.
SpaceX make their own fairings. They're very err... vertically integrated.
I guess the problem is that if they smack into the ocean there could be all sorts of internal damage that would be extremely difficult to detect, let alone repair.
ULA's fairings were made in Switzerland by RUAG, although they've just opened a factory on the ULA complex in Decatur, Alabama.
This will make the 5.4 m fairings & interstage for the Atlas V. One of the first ones:
SpaceX make their own fairings. They're very err... vertically integrated.
I guess the problem is that if they smack into the ocean there could be all sorts of internal damage that would be extremely difficult to detect, let alone repair.
ULA's fairings were made in Switzerland by RUAG, although they've just opened a factory on the ULA complex in Decatur, Alabama.
This will make the 5.4 m fairings & interstage for the Atlas V. One of the first ones:
MartG said:
What happens when you setup your remote camera a tad too close to the pad ?
The memory card survived OK
The final frame
From Bill Ingalls
The memory card survived OK
The final frame
From Bill Ingalls
Eric Mc said:
Didn't look close enough to get fried like that.
Just read a bit more on this and it was actually damaged as a result of a brush fire caused by the launch - not directly by the launch itself. CraigyMc said:
Eric Mc said:
It depends on how much aluminium/magnesium content there is. You just don't want those metals immersed in salt water - even for only a few minutes.
My understanding is that they are mostly carbonfibre, based on things Elon has said publicly in the past. $5m a pop too.Next F9 launch coming up on Thursday 31st May from SLC-40 in Florida. They completed the static fire earlier today.
This will launch the SES-12 comms satellite and is using a pre-flown block 4 first stage. It previously took up the Boeing X-37B mini shuttle for the US Air Force last September. The first stage won't be coming back this time.
This will launch the SES-12 comms satellite and is using a pre-flown block 4 first stage. It previously took up the Boeing X-37B mini shuttle for the US Air Force last September. The first stage won't be coming back this time.
SpaceX has delayed the launch of the SES 12 communications satellite until shortly after midnight Friday at Cape Canaveral, allowing teams additional time to complete pre-launch vehicle checks and wait for improved weather conditions. The launch, which was previously set for Thursday, is expected around 12:29 a.m. EDT (0429 GMT) Friday
MartG said:
SpaceX has delayed the launch of the SES 12 communications satellite until shortly after midnight Friday at Cape Canaveral, allowing teams additional time to complete pre-launch vehicle checks and wait for improved weather conditions. The launch, which was previously set for Thursday, is expected around 12:29 a.m. EDT (0429 GMT) Friday
Our Payload bay is looking emptier now!
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