Rocket Launch notification thread

[Eric Mc]

Just seen that after engine ignition there was a cut off and abort. Not good but at least the rocket is still in one piece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAiNx3eHU54

[Beati Dogu]

Yes, aborted with seconds to go. The main Vulcain 2 engine was firing & they were about to light the solid rocket boosters when the computer pulled the plug. They have to reconnect the umbilical lines manually it seems, so that's it for today.

[Eric Mc]

Like with the Space Shuttle, once the solids light up, it's going somewhere whatever the problem might be.

[Beati Dogu]

Yes, It's kinda committed at that point.

[MartG]

All anyone seems to know at this point is that it was an issue with the Vulcain engine

[MartG]

Looking like tomorrow's SpaceX launch will be delayed thanks to hurricane Irma

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/spa...

Edited by MartG on Wednesday 6th September 14:59

[Beati Dogu]

The hurricane is still a long way to the south east and they're going ahead with the SpaceX launch as it stands. This will be on Thursday morning local time.

The weather is 50/50 currently though.

The launch window opens at 2.50 pm UK time and remains open for 5 hours.

Landing will be back at the Cape. (about 8 minutes later for the rocket, probably 2 years later for the plane )

MartG said:

All anyone seems to know at this point is that it was an issue with the Vulcain engine

Arianespace are now saying the main engine was fine. They detected a fault with electrical equipment on one of the two boosters, so they halted the launch.

They're going to pump it out it and pull it back into the barn for now. Likely to try again by the end of the month.


http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/interrupt...


They had a similar post-ignition pad abort back in 2011 when the boosters refused to ignite. They managed to get it away sucessfully 3 weeks later.

Edited by Beati Dogu on Wednesday 6th September 19:51

[MartG]

Livestream link for today's Falcon 9/X-37B launch ( if it's not scrubbed due to weather ). Launch window runs from 14:50 BST to 19:55 BST - due to the classified nature of the mission the target launch time has not yet been announced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M6Zvi-fFv4

[Efbe]

MartG said:

Livestream link for today's Falcon 9/X-37B launch ( if it's not scrubbed due to weather ). Launch window runs from 14:50 BST to 19:55 BST - due to the classified nature of the mission the target launch time has not yet been announced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M6Zvi-fFv4

on now

[Efbe]

my god those are fun to watch land again! very surreal

[Eric Mc]

Efbe said:

my god those are fun to watch land again! very surreal

We have a thread specially for SpaceX missions.

[Efbe]

Eric Mc said:

Efbe said:

my god those are fun to watch land again! very surreal

We have a thread specially for SpaceX missions.

off there now

[Beati Dogu]

A Proton rocket is about to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan in a few minutes.

It's carrying the Amazonas 5 satellite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOzzdG9u7Dk

[Zoobeef]

Launch in about 45 minutes to the space station.

https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

[Beati Dogu]

Looking good. Like the Sputnik model in the capsule.



Also yesterday's Amazonas 5 launch went well.

[MartG]

Arianespace have received the first launch contracts for Ariane-6: Two launches each with two Galileo navsats in 2020/21. The Ariane-62 version is to be used.

http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/ariane-6.htm

[Beati Dogu]

Does giving yourself a contract like that actually count?

[Beati Dogu]

An Atlas 5 carrying the classified NROL-42 spacecraft is due to launch in a couple of days.

This'll be at 6.38 am on 22nd September UK time, from SLC-3E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

[MartG]

Youtube video of NROL-42 launch - skip to 40m into the video for the actual launch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuO2HTNaV9U

[Beati Dogu]

There's a Proton rocket due off shortly with the AsiaSat 9 communications satellite onboard.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/09/28/proton-asias...