Not necessarily To my knowledge no one here has given a time for the launch. Therefore the relative location of the terminator is unknown. It could launch in sunlight. The flight path won’t differ dramatically from that of Iridium with that inclination, from the standpoint of observing from Southern California.
The satellite took off on December 28 from the Torrejon de Ardoz air base in an Antonov AN124 that took it to the Vandenberg base, where it landed a day later without setbacks.
Under the plan, the satellite is to be placed on the same orbit with German TerraSAR and TanDEM-X satellites to form a SAR constellation. Hisdesat communications director Araceli Serrano told SpaceNews the launch of PAZ remains forecasted for Jan. 30. “PAZ is already in California to be prepared for this,” he said.Serrano says the Spanish company has a duty of confidentiality in respect to SpaceX, and, due to this, it cannot reveal the value of the contract. As a 1,400 kilogram satellite, PAZ is less than a tenth the mass a Falcon 9 can carry to low Earth orbit.
Serrano says the Spanish company has a duty of confidentiality in respect to SpaceX, and, due to this, it cannot reveal the value of the contract. As a 1,400 kilogram satellite, PAZ is less than a tenth the mass a Falcon 9 can carry to low Earth orbit.
Quote from: gongora on 01/06/2018 02:57 amSerrano says the Spanish company has a duty of confidentiality in respect to SpaceX, and, due to this, it cannot reveal the value of the contract. As a 1,400 kilogram satellite, PAZ is less than a tenth the mass a Falcon 9 can carry to low Earth orbit.I didn't realize the satellite was that light. High chance of RTLS as long as the paperwork and red tape has been put to bed.
Quote from: DaveJes1979 on 01/08/2018 08:49 pmQuote from: gongora on 01/06/2018 02:57 amSerrano says the Spanish company has a duty of confidentiality in respect to SpaceX, and, due to this, it cannot reveal the value of the contract. As a 1,400 kilogram satellite, PAZ is less than a tenth the mass a Falcon 9 can carry to low Earth orbit.I didn't realize the satellite was that light. High chance of RTLS as long as the paperwork and red tape has been put to bed.And if they want the core back. They may be starting to clear the decks of Block 3 and 4 boosters.
Imagine how the residents of LA will react to a sunset launch with another kerosene jellyfish, and a 1st stage coming back to RTLS. They'll think the aliens are invading.
Quote from: Norm38 on 01/10/2018 01:24 pmImagine how the residents of LA will react to a sunset launch with another kerosene jellyfish, and a 1st stage coming back to RTLS. They'll think the aliens are invading.I'm pretty sure some of them already had that thought. Some were also convinced part of the rocket landed in Ventura.The RTLS missions will have the added bonus of a sonic boom whether or not the spectacle of the booster is visible. The intensity of the overpressure will vary based on the observers' location so I'll expect to hear to varied reports coming from those landings. An unknown light in the sky AND a loud boom - we're definitely under attack!
Quote from: hootowls on 01/10/2018 04:44 pmQuote from: Norm38 on 01/10/2018 01:24 pmImagine how the residents of LA will react to a sunset launch with another kerosene jellyfish, and a 1st stage coming back to RTLS. They'll think the aliens are invading.I'm pretty sure some of them already had that thought. Some were also convinced part of the rocket landed in Ventura.The RTLS missions will have the added bonus of a sonic boom whether or not the spectacle of the booster is visible. The intensity of the overpressure will vary based on the observers' location so I'll expect to hear to varied reports coming from those landings. An unknown light in the sky AND a loud boom - we're definitely under attack! I doubt it, the LA area is too far away to see landings easily... Any RTLS landing at VAFB is not going to be nearly as easy to view as at CCAFS. VAFB is a lot more secluded.
Quote from: Lars-J on 01/10/2018 09:05 pmQuote from: hootowls on 01/10/2018 04:44 pmQuote from: Norm38 on 01/10/2018 01:24 pmImagine how the residents of LA will react to a sunset launch with another kerosene jellyfish, and a 1st stage coming back to RTLS. They'll think the aliens are invading.I'm pretty sure some of them already had that thought. Some were also convinced part of the rocket landed in Ventura.The RTLS missions will have the added bonus of a sonic boom whether or not the spectacle of the booster is visible. The intensity of the overpressure will vary based on the observers' location so I'll expect to hear to varied reports coming from those landings. An unknown light in the sky AND a loud boom - we're definitely under attack! I doubt it, the LA area is too far away to see landings easily... Any RTLS landing at VAFB is not going to be nearly as easy to view as at CCAFS. VAFB is a lot more secluded.Map view:
Quote from: russianhalo117 on 01/10/2018 09:19 pmQuote from: Lars-J on 01/10/2018 09:05 pmQuote from: hootowls on 01/10/2018 04:44 pmQuote from: Norm38 on 01/10/2018 01:24 pmImagine how the residents of LA will react to a sunset launch with another kerosene jellyfish, and a 1st stage coming back to RTLS. They'll think the aliens are invading.I'm pretty sure some of them already had that thought. Some were also convinced part of the rocket landed in Ventura.The RTLS missions will have the added bonus of a sonic boom whether or not the spectacle of the booster is visible. The intensity of the overpressure will vary based on the observers' location so I'll expect to hear to varied reports coming from those landings. An unknown light in the sky AND a loud boom - we're definitely under attack! I doubt it, the LA area is too far away to see landings easily... Any RTLS landing at VAFB is not going to be nearly as easy to view as at CCAFS. VAFB is a lot more secluded.Map view: Exactly, LA is over a 100 miles away. Even with optimal weather, they aren't going to see much of any VAFB landing. It would be like expecting to observe an F9 landing at CCAFS from Tampa, not going to happen.
Quote from: Lars-J on 01/10/2018 09:22 pmQuote from: russianhalo117 on 01/10/2018 09:19 pmQuote from: Lars-J on 01/10/2018 09:05 pmQuote from: hootowls on 01/10/2018 04:44 pmQuote from: Norm38 on 01/10/2018 01:24 pmImagine how the residents of LA will react to a sunset launch with another kerosene jellyfish, and a 1st stage coming back to RTLS. They'll think the aliens are invading.I'm pretty sure some of them already had that thought. Some were also convinced part of the rocket landed in Ventura.The RTLS missions will have the added bonus of a sonic boom whether or not the spectacle of the booster is visible. The intensity of the overpressure will vary based on the observers' location so I'll expect to hear to varied reports coming from those landings. An unknown light in the sky AND a loud boom - we're definitely under attack! I doubt it, the LA area is too far away to see landings easily... Any RTLS landing at VAFB is not going to be nearly as easy to view as at CCAFS. VAFB is a lot more secluded.Map view: Exactly, LA is over a 100 miles away. Even with optimal weather, they aren't going to see much of any VAFB landing. It would be like expecting to observe an F9 landing at CCAFS from Tampa, not going to happen.Um, no offense but I saw the Zuma landing from Tampa.... ( I kind of live there)
Sunset at Vandenberg on February 10 is 5:41 PM PST, which means that it'll be 41 minutes after sunset at the time Paz launches.https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/solcalc/