Space Stuff and Launch Info

[1oldman2]

The Static fire went well and the Launch is set for Monday. https://spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-static-fire-test-for-bulgariasat-1-launch/
I was very pleased to come across this common sense opinion piece on Mars today.
https://phys.org/news/2017-06-opini...e=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
Thought I'd throw this in since we are on that subject again.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/elon-musk-publishes-plans-for-colonizing-mars/#

 

[mfb]

https://phys.org/news/2017-06-opini...e=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu

How to spot that the article was written by someone from the US:

The USSR's Mars 2 orbited Mars for three months in 1971 but its lander module crashed onto the planet. The lander of the Mars 3 mission also failed.

NASA's Viking 1 performed the first successful landing on Mars, on July 20, 1976, followed by Viking 2 on September 3, 1976.

Mars 3 did achieve a soft landing and sent data for 15 seconds (including a very grainy picture) - more than 4 years before Viking 1.

There are indications that SpaceX wants to downscale ITS to make it (a) cheaper and (b) more interesting for satellite launches as funding source. Musk promised an update "soon".

 

[1oldman2]

While waiting for to go live, there is an interesting piece to read on "Gravitational Astronomy" by Fraser at
https://www.universetoday.com/13610...cting-gravitational-waves-changes-everything/

 

[1oldman2]

Updated Launch schedule for F9. http://spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-bulgariasat-1/spacex-delays-next-falcon-9-launch-from-florida/

 

[mfb]

They have to repair a valve, the next launch opportunity is the 23rd.
The weather forecast for the next two days was bad anyway.

This could also delay the Iridium satellite launch from Vandenberg, currently scheduled for the 25th.

 

[1oldman2]

They have to repair a valve, the next launch opportunity is the 23rd.
The weather forecast for the next two days was bad anyway.

Rocket science seems to require a lot of patience, maybe a "double header" launch next weekend will make up for the wait.

 

[mfb]

I'm not sure if they can do that. We'll see, if the Iridium launch is delayed they will probably announce a new date in 1-2 days.

 

[1oldman2]

I'm not sure if they can do that.

The story I linked in #274 gives it even odds on either launch, (for what that's worth) If SpaceX pulls off the double launch it's going to be a great PR Coup after the recent re-use success.
"Plenty of hurdles will have to be cleared for next weekend’s double header to work out including the valve repair on the East Coast and the Static Fire at Vandenberg. Additional concern will be with Florida’s weather now that convective season has fully set in, bringing thunderstorms to the Space Coast almost on a daily basis. Current planning forecasts from for Cape Canaveral show similar chances of precipitation and lightning throughout the week and BulgariaSat will likely be looking at 50/50 odds of getting off the pad on either opportunity."

 

[mfb]

It is understood that SpaceX can support major operations, e.g. launch attempts or Static Fire Tests that are one day apart but capabilities are not yet in place to support same-day launches from the East and West Coast.

Looks like the two teams are not completely independent.

 

[1oldman2]

Looks like the two teams are not completely independent.

That has got to change soon, considering the planned launch schedule as well as the Texas site coming online soon (I notice SES is planning on two of their Satellites being launched from Boca Chica Beach). I would imagine that either the Hawthorne facilities is going to get a major expansion or will get an East coast counterpart before long.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2015/02/25/ses-reserves-two-falcon-9-launches-from-texas/

 

[mfb]

They don't need static fires or launches on the same day - at least not with the current launch frequency. Launching their satellite constellation will need higher launch rates.

In Boca Chica they have a permission for 12 launches per year, and they have to launch in a very narrow (~2 degrees) angle to avoid going over Florida or one of the many islands south of it. Missions to geostationary orbit are probably the only things they can launch from there.

 

[1oldman2]

Looking back at post #273, this dovetails nicely with Fraser's article.
http://sci.esa.int/cosmic-vision/59...elected-planet-hunting-mission-moves-forward/
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40346410

 

[1oldman2]

90% chance of go for the weather today.

http://spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-static-fire-for-second-iridium-launch/
"Falcon 9 carrying the BulgariaSat-1 communications satellite is working toward liftoff on Friday during a two-hour window opening at 18:10 UTC, to be followed - if all goes according to plan - by the west coast Falcon 9 on Sunday with an instantaneous launch opportunity at 20:25 UTC to send the second batch of ten Iridium-NEXT communications satellites on their way to Low Earth Orbit."

Update, launch is rescheduled for 3:10 EST. today.

 

[mfb]

Falcon 9 will experience its highest ever reentry force and heat in today's launch. Good chance rocket booster doesn't make it back.

Tweeted by Musk

SES-10 was heavier, so I assume they go beyond GTO (a larger apogee, makes it easier for the satellite to circularize its orbit) or do some plane change for the satellite (to get closer to the equatorial plane).

 

[OmCheeto]

Watching http://www.spacex.com/webcast

 

[mfb]

The first stage landed (again!) - unusually far away from the center, but well within the size of the possible landing area.

 

[1oldman2]

Good Show!

 

[1oldman2]

Interesting upgrade information in this article. Launch is looking like a go so far, "Forecasters call for a 100 percent chance of favorable weather at launch time."
https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/06/24/iridium-next-mission-2-mission-status-center/

 

[mfb]

They changed the grid fins (used for steering) to titanium. They expect them to be more durable, so they can be reused without refurbishment. They are also a bit larger to improve the steering.

It is the 9th launch this year, breaking the 2016 record of 8 launches per year. And we are not even halfway through the year.

 

[1oldman2]

It is the 9th launch this year, breaking the 2016 record of 8 launches per year. And we are not even halfway through the year.

I count 19 more F-9's and a couple of Heavy launches to go in 2017
Some interesting upgrade information and a video feed at https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/06/24/iridium-next-mission-2-mission-status-center/
currently a 100% chance of favorable weather for the launch.

 

[mfb]

I count 19 more F-9's and a couple of Heavy launches to go in 2017

Don't expect the time estimates to be reliable. SpaceX doesn't maintain a launch schedule (just a manifest without dates), so all we have are (a) a few random tweets, (b) announcements by the satellite operators, (c) rarely official announcements by SpaceX, and (d) educated guesses.

An odd flight profile today. Launch for 10 minutes, then coast for 40 minutes, then fire the second stage again for ... 3 seconds. Enough to circularize the orbit, and it is more efficient than going up steeper to make that earlier.

 

[1oldman2]

I was counting from https://spaceflight101.com/calendar/ although one bad day could make that schedule moot.

 

[1oldman2]

Happy National Asteroid Day.
This pass, the Great Red Spot will be the star of the show.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news...._campaign=NASAJPL&utm_content=daily20170630-4
"Telescopes in Hawaii have obtained new images of Jupiter and its Great Red Spot, which will assist the first-ever close-up study of the Great Red Spot, planned for July 10. On that date, NASA's Juno spacecraft will fly directly over the giant planet's most famous feature at an altitude of only about 5,600 miles (9,000 kilometers)."

 

[mfb]

We have yet another SpaceX launch tomorrow - a heavy satellite to geostationary orbit, which means no attempt to recover the first stage. If it doesn't get delayed, it is the fourth SpaceX launch in 30 days (June 3, June 23, June 25, July 2) and the tenth this year.

Taiwan will launch their first satellite (Formosat-5) in August. The satellite was originally planned to be launched on a Falcon 1. Then Falcon 1 got cancelled, the mission was combined with several other satellites and planned for Falcon 9. Then the satellite was delayed a lot, the other satellites were removed, Falcon 9 was upgraded... now a rocket that can deliver 20,000 kg to orbit launches a satellite with a mass of just 475 kg. They cannot even let the booster return to launch site because they don't have the permission to land there on the West Coast yet. I guess they will do something to use this massive overcapacity. Test something related to second stage reuse, test some different flight profile for the first stage, or something like that.Japan plans to send humans to Moon by 2030. Let's see if that actually gets funding.LISA got approved as mission! Note even the downsized eLISA - what ESA builds is now close to the original LISA mission where NASA contributed notably.

 

[1oldman2]

China has had a second "anomaly" in as many weeks.
http://spacenews.com/long-march-5-launch-fails/
"Chinese broadcaster CGTN reported that the Long March 5 "started to malfunction shortly after take-off." Observers watching in-flight video of the launch noticed a plume of gas late in the first stage burn, suggesting a problem with one or both of the engines in the core stage."

Going live in Five hours from post time,(7:36 p.m. EDT, or 23:36 UTC.)

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/06/29/falcon-9-intelsat-35e-launch-
"SCRUB. The SpaceX launch director says a computer abort was triggered at T-minus 10 seconds in the rocket's guidance, navigation and control system."

 

[mfb]

Next launch attempt is tomorrow at the same time.

 

[1oldman2]

Deja vu

 

[mfb]

Not the same reason as yesterday apparently, but the countdown was halted at -9 seconds again.
July 4 - independent of problems?

 

[1oldman2]

July 4 - independent of problems?

Never, but third times a charm.

 

[1oldman2]

Here's a cool shot of Dragon.